Engineer and committee weigh safety, visibility for proposed Malvern School mid‑block crosswalk

Jeff Heberman, an engineer for Malvern School Properties, told the Montgomery Township Committee that a planning‑board resolution requires the applicant to provide a mid‑block crosswalk on Brecknell Way near the school site but that the crosswalk must be accepted by the township governing body because it is in the public right of way. He described the current design as including a concrete refuge island, ADA curb ramps and RRFB flashing beacons and said the proposal connects sidewalks from nearby developments to the school entrance.

Heberman said he was not opposed to pedestrian safety improvements generally but expressed reservations about placing a mid‑block crossing on a short, curved block. He noted the block is approximately 400 feet long—short of the roughly 600‑foot block length commonly cited in traffic‑engineering guidance for mid‑block crossings—and said the site’s curve, street trees and existing landscaping reduce driver sightlines. “I think this area is a little bit of a redundancy with the flow of traffic,” Heberman said, and suggested moving the crossing closer to the Malvern driveway or relocating beacons to a more visible location.

Committeewoman Keenan pressed for stronger remedies, pointing to an existing sidewalk on the corner that she said will encourage pedestrians to shortcut across the roadway toward the blind curve. “People walk the closest way…this is a very, very, very bad thing,” Keenan said, warning that without additional traffic‑calming measures or changes to the adjacent sidewalk people, including families, could be at risk. Several committee members said the township should coordinate with the property owner (Charbel/Charbelle) and the township traffic engineer to find a safer plan.

No formal decision was made. Heberman said the applicant will need to comply with the planning‑board condition if the committee accepts it, and he offered to work with township traffic staff—Mark Herman was named during the discussion—to identify alternative placements or beacon locations. The committee directed staff and the applicant to continue coordination and indicated the item would return for further consideration once the township traffic engineer and relevant property owners have been consulted.