Plum Officials Still Waiting for Input on Speeding Problem

It may seem like slow going, but the borough is making progress on its attempts to address residents' concerns about speeding on Trestle Road.

Assistant Borough Manager Greg Bachy said at Monday night’s council work session that he had yet to hear back from a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation traffic consultant about the problem.  He said he was expecting to hear back from the consultant last Friday.

Had Bachy received the information in time, the consultant’s recommendations would have been addressed at the borough’s June 13 voting meeting.

Now, that information won’t be discussed until council's July 6 work session for possible action at the July 11 voting meeting.

The consultant’s input would allow the borough to authorize a study, Bachy said.

 “They’re going to use Trestle as a test case,” he said, explaining that traffic-related problems—such as those with speeders on Trestle Road—will be judged based upon a point system.

Though the small group of Trestle Road residents let out good-natured boos when Bachy announced the delay, some sounded hopeful after the work session.

“I’d say this is the closest we’ve gotten,” resident Trish Goshnell said. “We’re making progress.”

Residents have been dealing with the problem of speeders on Trestle Road for a number of years. Most recently, they took up the issue with council at April’s regular meeting, presenting members with a petition signed by everyone who lives along the road.

Residents have said rush hour traffic is a main concern, as many drivers use Trestle Road as a short cut.  With a Wal-Mart possibly moving into the area, residents of the road fear that the amount of traffic and the number of speeders would only increase on the narrow road.

“It’s so tiny, there’s not much room for error,” Goshnell said.

Visibility is another issue residents cite as troublesome, with a deep dip in the short stretch of road– estimated to be about one-third of a mile—which they worry could make for a deadly combination when coupled with high speeds.

“Our fear is that one of the kids is going to get hit by a car or killed,” resident Dennis Savinda said.

There are about a dozen children that live on the street. Most of them are under 12 years old, said resident Mary Beth Held.

“It would have been nice to have something done (in time) for summer with all the kids running around,” she said.