Coraopolis council refers Ridge Avenue traffic data to engineer; police chief urges residents to call 911 after service change

Coraopolis — Borough officials at the May 6 council workshop said they will send Police Department traffic data for the 1400 block of Ridge Avenue to an outside engineering firm for further evaluation, and the police chief urged residents to begin calling 911 as the borough prepares to transition to direct 911 service.

Council President Michael Harris said the borough has received numbers from its Police Department related to traffic on the 1400 block of Ridge Avenue and will ask Lennon Smith to evaluate whether a formal study is warranted. At the meeting staff confirmed that the policy step being taken is to have the traffic engineer assess whether to move to Step 2 of a traffic study process.

Chief Stewart said multiple contacts advised against installing an exterior phone near the building entrance and recommended instead posting a sign directing people to call 911; he said the department prefers that the entrance remain locked when no staff are present. He also told listeners the borough is on track to go live on June 1 with 911 service and asked residents to begin calling 911 once the switch occurs.

Valley Ambulance reported 114 calls in the previous month (107 medical calls, 7 fire standbys) with 56 patient transports, and its representative encouraged residents to keep current ambulance subscriptions. Manager McCutcheon also reported the borough has received a rise in Right‑to‑Know requests, particularly regarding the Police Department, and that legal fees have increased when the borough consults attorneys about records requests.

Harris said the Police Department data will be forwarded to Lennon Smith for review; Ms. Heinmann asked for clarification on whether that referral constituted the start of a formal traffic study, and Manager McCutcheon said the engineer’s evaluation determines next steps under borough policy.