Cranberry police stay atop speeders with technology
CRANBERRY TWP — For township police Sgt. William Ahlgren, it's all about perception.
A vehicle traveling 30 mph in one of the township's many communities may appear to be moving faster than a vehicle doing the same speed on Route 19, he said. That perception can make it seem as though speeding is a major problem in the township.
On Tuesday, Ahlgren and other township officials met with more than 30 residents curious about how the township deals with speeding and traffic concerns. The event was part of the township manager's coffee series.
Ahlgren demonstrated the perception issue by having an officer drive past those assembled at what appeared to be varying speeds. One pass was noticeably louder with the car's engine revved, while in another the vehicle appeared to coast past.
In all three passes, the officer was driving at 30 mph.
“A lot of times when we're at home or we're in our yard or in our house ... and somebody goes by and you hear that little bit of acceleration, you get startled and think 'they were speeding through my neighborhood,” he said. “They may have been, or maybe not.”
Ahlgren showed how the township tracks speeds, including using stop watches and distances measured on the road and signified by white lines. He said Pennsylvania is the only state that doesn't allow local police to use radar for speed enforcement, which can complicate the goal of keeping speeds low.
However, there are other ways of making sure speeds are kept down on the township's 125 miles of roads.
According to Kelly Maurer, township traffic engineer, 40 of the township's more than 100 neighborhoods participate in the Slow Down Campaign, which aims to alert drivers of their speeds at the beginning and end of the school year. The priorities for enforcement include school zones and major collector roads such as Haine School, Powell and North Boundary roads.
Additionally, the township reviews “traffic calming” measures throughout the year to supplement the campaign.
“It's not only two times a year that people are speeding,” she said.
If residents or homeowners associations believe there is a speeding issue, township officials conduct an engineering study in which traffic numbers are gathered. The early portion of the process also includes a study of the road itself, as Maurer said the makeup of a road can cause issues.
“If we're seeing crashes in an area, we might go out and see if the pavement is slick,” she said, adding milling work and additional signage can be implemented to make the road safer.
The township uses digital speed signs to gather data, with four permanent installations and four portable signs. Maurer said they provide immediate feedback for drivers who may not realize they are speeding. Maurer added the signs also take photos of speeding vehicles, although police are not permitted to write tickets based on those photos.However, the photos and data allow officials to see trends and times for when speeding is happening, which gives police an idea of where to increase patrols and enforcement.The study must determine if 85 percent of motorists on a given road are traveling at least 5 mph faster than the posted speed limit, a state requirement. If that is found to be the case, Maurer said traffic calming measures are considered, including the installation of more digital signs, islands and roundabouts. She added officials can also use a “road diet” to shrink lanes and create larger shoulders.Jason Kratsas, director of engineering and environmental services for the township, said speed bumps and stop signs can't be used as traffic calming measures, as they impact the flow of traffic on roads with high volumes and state standards must be met.“We don't want to over signalize the corridors, because then we gridlock the traffic,” he said.Those in attendance Tuesday also got a chance to see the township's traffic control center, and ask township officials questions about traffic concerns and other matters.
