By RODNEY L. SHERMAN
Clarion News editor
Clarion Borough will work with PennDOT, Clarion University and industries around the former glass plant in an attempt to control semi-truck traffic near the university.
Patrick Reed attended the March 2 meeting of Clarion Borough Council to express his concerns about heavy truck traffic in Clarion Borough but was not heard because he is not a resident of, nor a taxpayer in, the borough.
Reed returned this month to speak on behalf of Charles Motter, a property owner in the borough whose property has been damaged by trucks making turns on borough streets.
Limited to three minutes under council’s public comments policy, Reed, an employee at Clarion University, said he wants the borough and possibly other entities to act by regulating the paths of the large trucks and by installing signage along approaches to the borough.
Reed said his concerns center on tractor-trailer trucks traveling along Wood Street through Clarion University to gain access to the growing industrial park at the former glass plant site along Grand Avenue and the Clarion Industries storage warehouse, also near the former glass plant along Grand Avenue.
Reed acknowledged he has met with borough officials since the March council session and believes some progress has been made.
“He’s right, there is an issue with trucks,” said Peck.
But just what the borough can do is subject to limitation.
Local deliveries cannot be banned and Peck noted Wood Street through Clarion University is open to all traffic.
“Unless council changes that, as long as the drivers are obeying all other traffic laws, there’s not much we can do,” said Peck.
Peck said added and improved signage might help the situation, especially with truck drivers who do not know the area who are looking to get back to Interstate 80 after making a delivery to Clarion University or the warehouses at the former Owens-Illinois glass plant.
Peck said police and university officials monitored the truck traffic along Wood Street on campus and determined about 30 trucks per week used the street.
Reed disagreed with that estimate.
Peck said with better signage and improved communications with truck drivers, he hopes Reed’s concerns will be addressed.
“We’re working on it,” countered Peck. “It will take some time.”