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Residents press Springfield supervisors for action after repeated crashes, board orders speed surveys
Summary
Neighbors in the Old East York area urged the Springfield Township Board of Supervisors to address speeding and cut-through traffic after multiple recent crashes; police assigned extra patrols and staff said traffic speed surveys and permit-driven calming measures are the next steps.
Neighbors at the Springfield Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Oct. 24 urged the board to act after repeated crashes and near-misses in Old East York.
"Cars have been in my front yard twice," resident Aaron Catherman told the board, describing a recent T-bone collision and other incidents near a neighborhood bus stop. Chief (unnamed) confirmed two recent accidents at that corner and said officers were assigned to the area for at least a two-week patrol period to reevaluate enforcement needs.
The meeting included several residents’ accounts of dangerous driving. Steve Rice said a family member’s parked vehicle was rear-ended while still in park and described a neighbor’s dog that was killed by a speeding car. "They're flying through our neighborhood," Rice said, urging the police to consider enforcement or technology-based solutions.
Township staff described policy and technical limits. Manager Mark told residents that posted neighborhood speeds cannot be set below 25 mph under current rules: "25 is the minimum posted speed that we're allowed." He said the township has a speed-table policy that requires resident signatures and noted that lowering posted speeds or installing physical traffic-calming measures also requires traffic studies, permitting and a community agreement because some changes (one-way streets, closures) can inconvenience residents.
Several speakers asked whether cameras or radar could be used to ticket speeders; the chief and engineer clarified that local police have limits on radar enforcement and that cameras are not allowed in the way some residents suggested. The chief said officers would continue targeted patrols while staff schedule speed surveys, which may come up in three to four weeks depending on the list of requests.
The board did not adopt an immediate hardware solution but directed staff to gather speed-study data, provide the speed-table policy to residents on request, and continue interim patrols. Manager Mark said staff would work with residents to identify appropriate timing for enforcement and would follow up with the neighborhood after the surveys are completed.
The board closed the discussion by asking staff to report back with survey results and any permit requirements needed to implement calming measures.
