Dear neighbors,
Please read the notes below for an update about the traffic issues in our neighborhood. The first set are from a meeting the traffic/entryway committee had with a few township officials. The second set is a summary of the history of the traffic issues from Gwen Douse, a neighbor. Please note the information about the plan for 202 in #1 in the first set.
Gwynedd Knoll has been added to the agenda for the August 21st Board of Supervisor’s meeting in the township building at 7:30 p.m. Kate Harper, our state rep, will be in attendance. You are all invited to come and be updated on the 202 plans and the township’s response. As the notes state, we need to get involved at the state level to combat the bigger underlying problem of Rt 63 backups. Just to clarify, the objective of this meeting is not to just pursue the porkchop intersection at Hancock…but to be sure the officials know the whole neighborhood is concerned about the traffic now and the potential for more with the 202 construction. Looks like we will need a taskforce of concerned residents to carry this up another level. Please be thinking about whether you would like to get involved. Hope to see you there on the 21st.
Thanks,
Carol Pfister
Here are the meeting notes from the 8/1 meeting with the township officials.
Attending: Bob and Linda Callegari, Neil and Andrea Daeubler, Kris and Tom Beckman, Rosemary Hsieh, Carol Pfister
Township: Ed Brandt (Chairman), Larry Comunale (Township Manager), Al Comly (Fire Marshall) and John Scholly (Police Chief)
1. We spent some time discussing the plans for the 202 parkway. We confirmed that the road will narrow to 2 lanes from 4 at Sumneytown Pike and then widen to 4 again at Hancock and north. We asked the township to help protest that plan – they seemed to be in agreement. The road needs to be 4 lanes wide the whole way. Otherwise, the backups that are sure to occur will only serve to encourage more people to cut through our neighborhood. (Ed Brandt, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, commented that he, too, would be very concerned if he were in our position.)
2. Neil explained that the Community Ambulance did not object to the porkchop in conversations with them. We established that North Penn fire company is for Evans rd and north and Foulkeways is our first responder. The fire person did not like the idea of driving over a porkchop with a big truck but it wouldn’t be impossible. We talked about how our neighborhood has 5 entrances for access. The township officials continue to deny the porkchop option due to emergency access problems.
3. Speed bumps to control speed were rejected as an option due to our winding streets…not sufficient room. Also, the state requires that the owners of the homes in front of which such bumps would be placed have to be given a voice in that approach. Several of our neighbors who live along the roads that are conducive to speed bumps were polled by the state and they provided feedback indicating that they do not want speed bumps. So, this option is off the table.
4. They highly recommended meeting with the state elected officials to ask for 202 news and changes and to ask for funding for improvements to Welsh Rd. There is an existing task force within several townships but no money available. If Welsh rd was fixed, much of the need for cut through traffic would be eliminated. They volunteered to help us get a meeting with the appropriate representatives: Harper, Greenleaf, and Taylor. The also recommended discussing the situation with Allison Schwartz. During the next three months these representatives will be helping to decide where federal and state funding will be applied. We need to make our issues clearly known to them as soon as possible so that the funds for 63 (and 202) can be allocated.
5. While they did not agree to the porkchop, they did agree to check a few things…The entrance at Tanglewood and Evans…blocked by weeds currently. They will consider a no right turn sign at Rose and Stonington at evening rush hour time.
History and current notes from Gwen:
OBJECTIVE:
Township commitment to take steps to significantly reduce cut-through traffic through Gwynedd Knoll which is an immediate concern due to the expansion of route 202
On November 10, 2000, CKS Engineers provided a traffic report to the township concerning cut-thru traffic in Gwynedd Knoll. Following their investigation, they determined that Gwynedd Knoll was being used by as a cut through to avoid heavy congestion on 63 and 202. Several recommendations were made including:
· Installation of no-left turn signs
· Signage alternative-Time of day/type of restriction (ex.: no turning into Gwynedd Knoll at 202/Hancock between 7-9 a.m.)
· Close Hancock Road
· Creation of porkchop island in Hancock Road-allowing traffic moving northbound on 202 to turn into Hancock/people in neighborhood could turn right
· Traffic calming measures-installation of raised, painted crosswalks, intentional narrowing of roadways through actual reconstruction of curb lines and/or installation of planters
Following these recommendations, the township voted to put no-left turn signs in our neighborhood at Hancock/Lindsey and Hancock/Turnbury forcing traffic around to Tanglewood in the morning, but took no action to address the problem of volume/speeding as traffic cut-through our neighborhood in the afternoon. At a summation to the report in June 2003, CKS Engineers determined that there was some reduction of traffic in the morning, as a result of these signs but much less improvement in afternoon since no action was taken. In 2005, a no left turn sign was added at Cambridge and Tanglewood during morning commute hours.
Since 2003, other factors have occurred/or are proposed which have significant impact on Gwynedd Knoll, further eroding our safety and security, including:
- The burglaries over the last several years, which affected our neighborhood at a much higher level than any other neighborhood in the township, mainly attributed to the 5 access roads that we have
- Proposed closure of Gwynedd View Road at 202, forcing neighbors into our neighborhood (more traffic!)
- Traffic delays due to construction, with drivers looking for cut though to avoid delays (more traffic!)
- Increased volume with the 4 lane proposed highway, especially, if funding is not fully provided, if it narrows to 2 lanes between Hancock and 63, creating a bottle neck, with more people looking to Gwynedd Knoll as a cut-through (more traffic!)
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In a recent e-mail correspondence with Kate Harper and other township officials, many neighbors described frightening tales due to the cut-through traffic speeding/increase volume in which busses with red blinking lights are being passed by careless drivers, a dog was killed by a speeding driver, pedestrians have had to jump on the curb to avoid being hit themselves.
Over and over again through the years, we are told, well if we help you, we will just push the problem elsewhere. This response has done NOTHING to improve the safety and security of the over 170 families that live in Gwynedd Knoll. Although no turn signs are being considered for afternoon rush hour, this intervention is NOT ENOUGH to translate into a real SOLUTION for our neighborhood. We SHOULD NOT have to bear the brunt of the 202/63 traffic and have our neighborhood roads used as a major corridor for the township.
As our elected officials, you have a responsibility for the safety and security of all the township neighborhoods including Gwynedd Knoll. Please help us by implementing comprehensive solutions.
