By Amy Batista, Special Writer
FLORENCE — The council on Nov. 12 discussed traffic-calming measures, which includes a street-striping detail for Fifth Street.
Assistant Township Administrator Thomas Sahol mentioned concerns regarding speeding on Fifth Street raised at the last council meeting by residents.
”There is still a perception that there a speed issue on Fifth Street,” Mr. Sahol said. “I know the Police Department worked on a detail about a way to passive-calm the motorists on that roadway, and I wanted to make sure that this went on the agenda.”
He said the last time a street-striping detail was used, it really didn’t work out the way it should have.
”This time, it was done in coordination with the Police Department Traffic Safety Unit . . . and the recommendation you have before you is something that has been used elsewhere, and the county actually uses this where you don’t even realize it,” he said.
He said the technique is to use letter strips in some spots and hash marks to make motorists feel as though they are going faster even though they are not, he said.
The markings would be put on the westbound side of the road, he said.
”So the striping on Fifth Street (would be) coming from the circle at Oak Street coming down Fifth Street,” Mayor Craig Wilkie said.
He said the main issue is the number of children crossing it.
”We have one crossing guard at a time, and they are obviously crossing at Cedar Lane or they are crossing further down,” Mayor Wilkie said. “So this would create better, obviously, markings for the crosswalks.”
He questioned how the other markings in the area would work in the township or if they were needed.
”I’m just trying to understand the purpose,” he said.
Acting police Chief John Bunce and Capt. Brian Boldizar joined the council during the meeting to provide feedback on the situation.
”It will give you the perception that you don’t have as much room when, realistically, you do, but the lines make you think that,” Capt. Boldizar.
He said the spacing of the markings on the side of the road will make motorists feel they are going faster than they are because the spacing gets smaller.
”The gap between them comes together, which, again, gives you the perception that you are traveling at a faster speed, and, if nothing else, it makes the driver look down, hopefully, at their speedometer and see how fast they are going and, hopefully, slow down,” he said.
The speed limit on Fifth Street is 25 mph.
Mayor Wilkie questioned the markings by the railroad tracks where it splits.
”Are those people going to have the perception that they can’t park in front of their houses with the line coming down?” Mayor Wilkie said.
Capt. Boldizar said it would be a shoulder line that will give the distance of a parking space.
”I just want to make sure that the residents and any of their guests won’t feel that they can’t park there,” Mayor Wilkie said.
He also questioned using something similar to rumble strips.
”I don’t want to call them rumble strips but it’s a little bit heavier so if they are coming across, they need to slow down,” he said. “I know we don’t do the speed bumps. I’m just talking about a rumble strip, but I don’t know what that does to the neighbors.”
Capt. Boldizar said the last time it was discussed, it was a concern because of the sound made when cars drive over them.
Councilman Jerry Sandusky questioned whether local motorists — as opposed to someone coming into town for the first time — eventually would realize the lines mean nothing, and it’s just a typical road.
Capt. Boldizar said that was a good point.
”For the people who travel that every day, they do start to get used to lane markings and all,” he said.
But he felt they still would “feel a little bit more confined as they are riding down the road every day.”
Councilman Sandusky questioned if the Police Department could take a photo of the license number of the car speeding.
”Are we looking into anything of that nature?” he asked.
Acting Chief Bunce said there are patrol units that do that, but they can’t be used them “as enforcement tools because they have to actually observe the violation on the radar,” he said.
Capt. Boldizar said a traffic survey was done twice at the intersection of Pine and Fifth streets.
”We bought a radar unit, but it doesn’t take pictures of the license plate, but what it does is, it mounts on the side of the telephone pole, and what it will do is take speeds in both directions,” he said. “We will put it out there for a one- or a two-time period, and nobody knows what the box is.”
He said he “believes” the average speed was 29 mph, “which is not that far over.”
”What would happen if we just tried a four-way stops?,” said Councilman David Woolston, adding something is better than nothing.
Mr. Sahol said they would have to make a request to the Department of Transportation. After that “few-months process,” there would be engineering costs, then an ordinance would have to be adopted.
Capt. Boldizar said four-way stops “are not as effective as people think. In this area here, I don’t know that I would suggest a four-way stop at every intersection, but, maybe, the one that we would do is, maybe, Pond Street because we have a school crossing there, and it’s kind of in the middle where you have people slow down and then restart up.”
”This (the striping) is what we thought was the most effective way without having to go through ordinances and all that,” he said.
Council Vice President Paul Ostrander suggested putting the radar box up again after the markings are done and collecting data again to see if the average speed was reduced.
”It will give you some data whether it’s effective or not,” he said.
