Aston awards design contract for Dutton Mill Road and Pan Coast Avenue traffic signal as residents press for study details

Aston Township commissioners voted June 17 to award the design contract for a traffic signal at Dutton Mill Road and Pan Coast Avenue to Penoni Associates, Inc., a motion that passed by voice vote.

The design is at an early stage, officials said, but staff told residents the signal will be a full-functioning traffic control operating at all hours because the intersection is adjacent to a school. "It will be a full functioning traffic signal at all hours of the day and because it is adjacent to a school it has to be a full functioning light," planning staff member Megan said, adding the design will include pedestrian crossing controls and a connection to the firehouse so emergency vehicles can preempt the signal when leaving for calls.

At the public-comment portion of the meeting, resident Kathy Pap asked whether a traffic study had been completed and whether the township had considered alternate options such as a flashing or emergency-only signal. "Was a traffic study done there and were there any other potential options considered other than that full traffic light?" she asked. Megan responded that the project is in the very beginning stages of design and that staff will consider intersection operation, pedestrian needs and synchronization with nearby signals as design proceeds.

Commissioners framed the decision as a design-phase contract rather than final construction approval. The design award does not itself approve construction funding or final signal phasing; those will be addressed in later design submissions and, where required, through PennDOT review and approval.

The vote followed routine consent-agenda handling of multiple items at the June 17 meeting. The board approved the motion to award design services by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the discussion for this item at the meeting.