Some Farmington Township residents are not happy with the safety of the roadway they live on and they want the Farmington Township Supervisors to do something about it.
Residents who live on Kahle Drive attended the township’s regular meeting June 7 to request the township install speed limit signs on the roadway.
“I have a problem with people who are speeding to beat the traffic on (State Route) 66,” Township resident Lori “Lou” Berlin said.
Township roadmaster Robert Payne informed Berlin he had talked with PennDOT Municipal Services Specialist Marc Skarbek about installing signs on the roadway. Skarbek informed Payne that in order for the township to legally put up road sings they would have to hire their engineering firm and have them do a traffic study on the road. The engineers would determine the safe speed then the township could post signs.
Payne said he asked Skarbek what would happen if the township just put up the signs without the traffic study being done. Skarbek informed him those signs would not be enforceable.
Township Supervisor Chairman Matt Sherbine also issued a word of caution to Berlin.
“Even if we do spend the money and get a traffic study done and put the signs up, the state police has made it known numerous times they will not enforce our ordinances,” Sherbine said.
Berlin said that she and her family use the Kahle Drive for recreation such as riding horses and walking and she says she and her young grandchildren have had to jump out of the way of speeding traffic.
Berlin asked if she would be penalized if she put up a small sign on her property urging motorists to slow down.
Another resident in attendance asked if the township could oil the dirt roads to keep down the dust.
Sherbine said the township wasn’t legally allowed to oil the roads or put down brine water as they had in the past due to ecological concerns. Sherbine said the township is allowed to put down calcium water but the calcium water is so expensive that he couldn’t see putting it down.
Berlin stated she had asthma and when cars speed down Kahle Drive it kicks up dust and triggers her asthma. She asked if there was some leeway to allow the township to put down brine water due to her medical condition. Sherbine told her there was no exceptions for those with medical conditions.
Another resident had a complaint about the ATVs and UTVs which travel up and down her road.
Sherbine informed her it was illegal for ATVs and UTVs to travel on Farmington Township roadways and he said it is not usually enforced by the state police because it is on a township roadway.
Payne interjected that the law could be enforced other ways.
“You’re probably not going to get the state troopers out here but the way I understand it is that any law enforcement agency in the state of Pennsylvania can enforce the ATV code,” Payne said.
Berlin also asked if the township could do something regarding the Rail 66 Country Trail that crosses Kahle Drive twice. She said she has witnesses someone almost getting hit by a car when they were crossing the roadway on the trail.
The supervisors informed Kahle she should reach out to Rail 66 Country Trail President Vince DiStefano or Vice President Greg Borland.