Lansdale Public Safety Resolves Issues for Residents of Highland, Forest Avenues

Residents living on or near Highland Avenue and Forest Avenue in Lansdale may be pleased to know several traffic and public safety issues have been fully addressed by the borough.

At a Lansdale Public Safety Committee report this month, Lansdale Police Chief Robert McDyre outlined eight issues that have either been solved or continue to be monitored by the borough.

Most of the issues were brought to the attention of the committee at a July 11 meeting and revolved around

McDyre reported that he and Councilwoman Mary Fuller met with residents to "whittle down" their issues.

Review of Pedestrian Crossing on Church Road at Forest Avenue  

Residents requested public safety assess the safety of crossing Church Road toward Penn Street, especially for Penndale Middle School students.

"We did a count for the week, and we found 30 crossings for the week. The count is extremely low and not worth pursuing, and the residents agreed to that," McDyre said.  

At the committee reports at council's work session this month, committee Chairman Mike Sobel said the crossing is not something that is used a lot by pedestrians.

"We'll close that one, but monitor the situation," Sobel said.

Forest Avenue as a Private Roadway

McDyre reported that residents were concerned that the private roadway between Highland Avenue and the property line of the YMCA is a safety and traffic issue, namely that the road is too narrow for trucks.

"Trucks go down the road without a problem and without damage," McDyre said. "It's an issue of private versus public road. It will remain open until someone can offer a solution. Each party has a a view on whether they can close it or not."

Committee member Paul Clemente said the nature of that portion of Forest being a private road is not up for dispute.

McDyre added that the road needs to be accessible for public safety and emergency vehicles.

A 4-Way Stop at Forest and Highland 

McDyre said residents requested a four-way stop at Forest and Highland avenues, but it won't come to fruition.

"It doesn’t meet the warrants (by PennDOT) in any way, shape or form," McDyre said. "It's five reportable accidents (to warrant a stop sign). There are no reportable accidents ever that I could find."

Reduce Speed Limit to 25 MPH on Forest and Highland 

McDyre said this request was met and new signs have been posted.

Stop Sign Enforcement at Forest and Highland 

"They want us to step up enforcement, which we did," McDyre said. "We did a speed study, and the road carried 160 cars a day, which was extremely low. Speeds were on average of 22 mph."

McDyre said there were no citations issued for running through stop signs.

"There's very good compliance," he said. "It's hard (for patrol officers) to sit there. We don't hide; we just have a better view." 

No Truck Signage on Forest and Highland  

McDyre said to post signage for "No Trucks" requires one of the most extensive studies from PennDOT. Furthermore, he said the borough engineer has to sign off on it and give an opinion.

"Based on the volume and lack of damage, it's not cost effective," McDyre said. "Plus, deliveries are being made there and they use that road. I don't think it's feasible at this point."

Sobel added in his report to council that the signage is not going to happen on that road.

"With the Liquid Fuel Tax these trucks pay, we could end up sacrificing some money that we could get to pave our streets," Sobel said. 

Concerns Over Traffic Issues with the Lansdale Collaborative Project

McDyre said residents have been directed to speak to the YMCA and the other organizations involved in that project for any issues regarding the development.

"This is a situation we will monitor once it begins to move forward," Sobel said.

Concerns Over Safety Issues with Manna on Main Street

McDyre said residents had safety concerns regarding Manna moving to their part of town, and those issues have been put to rest.

"We invited them to come out to Manna. We discussed the issues and promised enforcement," McDyre said.

Sobel praised McDyre and Fuller for working with residents on their safety concerns.

"Residents are pleased with what we are trying to do," Sobel said. "They understand what we can and can't do."