Residents press council on speed bumps and neighborhood trash cans; borough outlines engineering and funding limits

Several residents told the council during citizens forum they want speed bumps installed on Rundell and better trash-can coverage in neighborhoods to reduce litter.

"I would like to see speed bumps on Rundell. It is a high-traffic area," resident Jo Moore Richard said, noting repeated collisions at Rundell and McDade. She also asked whether the borough budget includes funds for trash cans or pole-mounted receptacles.

Mayor Roland Heptons and staff explained the process and constraints. Borough staff said speed bumps require an engineering review and that PennDOT controls liquid-fuels eligibility for devices that impede traffic, noting PennDOT prefers traffic to flow and requires that speed hump designs be plowable and maintainable. "It's definitely going to be a traffic study," a staff member said. Staff suggested alternative approaches, including targeted enforcement and digital speed signs; Public Works said a digital speed sign is currently deployed on McDade between Bell and Church.

On trash cans, the mayor recounted a prior pilot on the 700 block where several large trash cans were installed and helped somewhat but did not eliminate litter. "Conventional wisdom is more trash cans, less trash — maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't," the mayor said. Public Works said staff will evaluate a targeted pilot and recommended residents also use the borough survey for Safe Streets grant input.

Council directed staff to research feasibility, funding options and the engineering review process for speed-calming measures and to consider a limited trash-can pilot to assess behavior change before broader rollout.