Residents demand fixes after chicanes added to Grays Lane; staff says measure cut speeds about 5 mph

At the Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors meeting, a large group of Grays Lane residents pressed supervisors to remove or redesign temporary chicanes installed to calm traffic, saying the painted curves and delineators were implemented without adequate notice and create hazards for buses, large vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

“These controls were implemented without public notification causing confusion and chaos,” resident Dave Sherman told the board, describing the installation as a “botched communication.” Multiple speakers said the markings eliminate street parking in places, cause school buses and trash trucks to have difficulty, and in some cases have resulted in property-damaging impacts to vehicles.

Township staff and the highway safety unit defended the decision as a temporary engineering test intended to reduce speeds and protect students and other residents. The township’s traffic engineer reported an initial follow-up speed study and said “it was effective. The speed had been reduced by at least 5 miles per hour,” a typical result for the type of traffic-calming measure deployed.

Officer Michael Jenkins of the highway safety unit summarized past enforcement and education efforts, saying targeted details in 2023 and 2024 produced a series of stops and warnings but did not produce a sustained change in behavior. He noted much of the speeding observed during enforcement was by township residents.

Residents pushed back on the measure’s effectiveness and safety. A school-bus driver said the chicane layout leaves too little room for buses and could prevent two vehicles from passing safely. Several parents and pedestrians described feeling less safe near the painted swerves and asked whether the township had considered moving bus stops, installing speed humps or relying on increased enforcement instead.

Board members and staff repeatedly apologized for the failure to deliver mailed notice before installation and acknowledged that communication “should have happened” sooner. Staff said the project was included in the capital investment plan and that parts of the installation — signage and delineators — were installed in-house. The board reported an approved project cost of $7,578.42 for the chicanes.

Officials also explained limits imposed by state rules: PennDOT requires that stop signs and many permanent speed-control devices meet warrant criteria, and Pennsylvania law largely prohibits automated speed cameras outside a few narrow circumstances. Staff warned that installing unwarranted stop signs or nonconforming permanent devices could risk state funding (liquid fuels) or increase the township’s liability.

Multiple residents asked for a formal study comparing available alternatives and for clearer processes to gather neighborhood input. In response, supervisors said the township will bring the matter back to the public safety committee for further data collection, community engagement and consideration of alternatives before making a permanent decision.

The meeting ended with no immediate action to remove the chicanes; board members said they would continue to gather data, monitor the installation’s effects and schedule follow-up conversations with residents and the public safety committee.