Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Teen petition and neighborhood complaints push traffic safety onto Bethel Park council’s agenda
Summary
A 16‑year‑old student presented more than 1,000 signatures calling for a stoplight at a crash‑prone intersection; another resident urged physical traffic‑calming on Jordan Street, saying no‑parking signs and uneven enforcement have left neighbors at risk.
At public comment on June 8, 2026, two Bethel Park residents urged the council to take faster, more physical action on local traffic hazards.
Sixteen‑year‑old Scarlett Stockhausen told councilors she has lived near the intersection of Broughton and Willis Road since childhood and that the crossing is “one of Bethel Park’s most dangerous intersections.” She said there have been 16 confirmed crashes there since 2021 and that she is carrying more than 1,000 petition signatures asking the municipality and PennDOT for a stoplight. "Will you protect the lives of Bethel Park citizens, faster solutions in meetings with PennDOT, or will you continue to ignore the issue?" she asked. "I don't wanna die 15 yards from my house," she added.
Catherine McCarthy, a Jordan Street resident, described chronic speeding and said that in September 2024 municipal crews installed several no‑parking signs (including one leaning sign outside her house) after a traffic study. She said enforcement has been inconsistent and that on one occasion an officer told residents parking was not allowed on the side of the street they had been directed to use. McCarthy urged the council to fund physical traffic‑calming measures — such as speed bumps — rather than rely on signage alone: "Please act now to make Jordan Street safer."
Councilors who handled traffic and public‑works items that evening approved installation of a stop intersection at Barnes and Centerman Avenue during the same meeting, and they repeatedly referenced prior traffic studies and ongoing coordination with state agencies. The transcript does not record a specific commitment to immediate signal installation at Broughton and Willis or funding for Jordan Street speed bumps; residents requested that council escalate talks with PennDOT and pursue physical calming measures.
The council did not take a direct vote on the petitions during the meeting; follow‑up would require staff coordination with PennDOT or a future agenda item for funding and design work.
Next steps: Residents requested faster scheduling with PennDOT and additional municipal enforcement or capital investment; the council approved other traffic changes (stop signs) and staff follow‑up on capital projects but did not record a decision on either petition during this meeting.
