Residents want drivers to slow down
Old Washington Road is not the busiest street in Peters Township by any stretch of the imagination.
But 20 or so residents who live along the road, which is used by many motorists to escape the congestion of heavily traveled Washington and East McMurray roads, have petitioned the township to find a way to ensure motorists are proceeding at a safe speed.
“Speeding is a major issue in Peters,” said police Chief Harry Fruecht. “We get more traffic complaints about that than anything else.”
During a May 24 open house held to gather citizen input on Old Washington Road’s traffic, township officials offered suggestions on ways to slow down drivers, 15 percent of whom exceed the 25-mph speed limit, according to police. Between 800 and 1,400 vehicles use Old Washington Road on a daily basis, said Michael Silvestri, Peters manager.
Suggested speeding deterrents designed by Michael Mudry, an Upper St. Clair traffic engineer who works with Peters on traffic matters, include installing raised speed humps, center-line rumble strips, constructing a raised intersection at Thompsonville Road and placing radar detectors at various points.
“Speeds are definitely up,” Mudry said.
To better gather input from residents, the township gave those in attendance a survey about Old Washington Road traffic conditions that asks if there is a speeding problem and whether it is caused by motorists who either live in the township or outside the area. The survey also asks if using the road as a cut-through is problematic. And finally, the survey asks what sort of speed deterrent residents favor, such as a landscape divider, speed humps, rumble strips or signs.
Depending on the kinds of responses received, the township will decide how to proceed. But, Silvestri said, something should be done to slow drivers this summer.