Demand that the Osceola Mills Borough Keep the current Traffic Signal in Place.

Osceola Mills Borough

Mayors Office

206 Curtin Street

Osceola Mills, PA 16666

                                                                                                                       January 20, 2017

Attn. Karen Michael, P.E., District Executive,

Penndot Engineering District 2-0,

Dear Ms. Michael,

I am writing to request your immediate attention to the Traffic Signal issue in the Osceola Mills Borough.  I ask that you immediately discontinue the traffic study that was requested by the Osceola Mills Borough for the traffic signal located at the intersection of Curtin and Stone Streets on State Route 53 in the Borough of Osceola Mills. It is my understanding that the borough council officials have requested a traffic study of this intersection and expect to receive results of the study by May or June of 2017.

This intersection needs a traffic signal for a number of reasons, it's too dangerous, and there is never a break in traffic to allow someone to cross during rush hour.

According to YOUR PennDOT publication Revision to Publication 149, Chapter 20 (Criteria for the Design of Traffic Signal Supports)

- March 2009 Edition

A traffic light is warranted at this intersection because it meets several of these criteria:

*Excessive volume in eight- and four-hour periods.
*Rush-hour congestion.
*Pedestrian delays.
*School crossing hazards.
*Traffic flow problems.
*History of collisions.

Since the traffic signal is on a State Highway, and located in the business district of the community, it affects not only the motoring public but also the pedestrians and elementary school children who walk to and from school and other pedestrians who use this intersection, the borough plans to tap into federal, state, and county resources to make the necessary upgrade and repairs to the traffic signal at this intersection.

Due to various deadlines (depending on which grants for which they may choose to apply) the upgrades to the traffic signal and the pedestrian crosswalk button could take some time. Then the town should be able to incur the cost of the electric bill to keep in running which has been an average of $41 month.

Also, According to criteria outlined in this publication the light should NOT have been placed on flash mode because some factors which may preclude instituting programmed flashing operation during periods of low volume include inadequate sight distance, an increase in the number or severity of crashes, an observed increase in vehicular conflicts, undesirable increases in traffic speeds, which are ALL factors at this intersection.

Furthermore, The PennDOT Publication also states under 3.3 Application (c) that stop signs should NOT be used with a traffic control signal during flashing operations, and they did indeed place additional stop signs on Curtin Street.

In conclusion, I again ask that you respectively turn the light back to steady mode with normal timing as it was prior to 12/30/2016, and give the borough the time and the opportunity to obtain the additional funding necessary to make the upgrades that may be necessary.

Thank you in advance to your immediate attention to this matter. If you feel the need to contact me for any reason, I can be reached at any of the phone numbers listed below.

Phone (814) 626-0312 (office), (814) 339-7535 (home), (814) 592-5278 (cell)       

Sincerely,

Osceola Mills Borough,

Mayor, Ida Reams

 cc Jim Roman, P.E., Penndot District Traffic Engineer

 cc Senator Wayne Langerholc

 cc State Representative Tommy Sankey