Council rejects $5,750 traffic study for Educational Drive stop sign after debate

White Oak Borough Council debated whether to fund a $5,750 traffic study from Worcester & Associates to evaluate installing a stop sign on Educational Drive and ultimately voted against the study on Oct. 20.

Amanda DeFolome, planning and zoning director, said the borough received three quotes and that Worcester & Associates was the lowest-cost proposer at $5,750 to complete a traffic study. Several council members and residents argued the borough should consider less costly alternatives such as a solar-powered speed monitor or speed bumps. A council member also referenced a Gibson Engineering letter that had concluded the previous stop-sign placement did not follow state guidelines.

During public comment and council discussion, speakers noted that a stop sign had been in place for decades and later removed, and some residents said they expected a sign would be reinstalled. Opponents emphasized that stop signs are not permitted as a primary speed-control device and questioned whether a study would lead to a different outcome.

A voice/hand roll-call vote was held; the minutes record a tally described in the meeting as "5 yes votes and 2 no," after which the chair declared the motion failed and recorded the result as "5 to 2." The transcript contains inconsistent vocal labels during the vote; the official recorded outcome in the meeting minutes was that the motion failed.

Why this matters: The decision leaves the borough without a funded engineering study to re-evaluate traffic controls at the Education Drive location; council members suggested lower-cost traffic calming options and left open the possibility of future action.

Next steps: No study was authorized; council members discussed tabling or making a new motion if they wish to pursue alternative approaches or funding for hardware such as a speed monitor or speed bumps.