Lower Mac Commissioners Discuss Road Safety

Lower Macungie Township Commissioners heard one resident's plea for intervention regarding a child safety issue in the townhouse area of the development at its July 7 meeting.

Township Manager Bruce Fosselman read a letter from David Shockley of 5654 Greens Drive in Wescosville, in which Shockley mentioned “rude and dangerous drivers…flying down the road without care or concern for anyone who lives there.” 

And though the speed limit is 25 mph in the townhouse neighborhood, he estimates drivers to be doing at least 40 mph.

Since many children live in the neighborhood, one parent recently purchased a sign in hopes of slowing down the traffic—a heavy plastic, bright yellow life-size cutout of a small child. The sign on the yellow plastic says, "Caution: Children at Play."

But not everybody gets the message.

On June 22, Shockley said he witnessed a driver who deliberately hit the sign dragging it hundreds of yards along the road.

While standing outside with his neighbors, he said in the letter, he saw a car come “flying down the road, while we were on it.  We asked the driver to slow down and he said he was doing 20 mph.” 

Shockley and his neighbors dispute that, saying he was actually doing over 40 mph. 

“Once he passed where we were standing,” continued Shockley, “he revved the engine, peeled out and was easily doing 60 mph by the time he reached Krocks Road.”

Neighbors bought a new sign and mounted it on a wooden base so it cannot be as easily hit again.

The Pennsylvania State Police have been notified of the speeding problems, he wrote.  The letter stated residents now write down the license plate numbers of violators and turn them into the police.  Neighbors said they will continue to be involved with state and local officials until the situation is resolved.

Terry Henry, who lives on Greens Drive with his young son, said neighbors plan to attend the township’s Public Safety Committee meeting at 7 p.m. July 19 in the township building. They intend to bring a petition with them signed by the residents which asks the township to lower the speed limit in the townhouse area, he added.

“People are just driving too fast,” Henry said.  “I didn’t see the man hit the child silhouette, but neighbors say he deliberately hit it after they told him to slow down.”

He would like to see speed bumps placed in the road; however, according to the township, speed bumps cannot be plowed over when it snows.

Henry said he has located a company which makes removable speed bumps.  “They could be placed on the road in spring and removed in the fall,” he said.  “The most dangerous time for the children is in that time period, when they are not in school and play outside…riding bikes.”

The commissioners were concerned not only about the speeding, but that a driver could be so malicious as to purposely hit the silhouette and cause serious harm or damage. 

Commissioner President Roger Reis, noted that the placing of signs onto a roadway by private citizens is illegal, however, all the commissioners agreed this is a serious and dangerous situation. 

“It will be discussed at the July 19 meeting,” Reis said.