Five municipalities address safety issues at roundtable

Compliance with speed limits highlighted

LEWISTOWN -- Speeding and limited police enforcement emerged as common concerns Thursday as representatives of five Mifflin County municipalities gathered to discuss transportation safety.

Officials from Wayne, Union, Menno and Oliver townships and Lewistown Borough participated in a municipal roundtable organized by the Mifflin County Planning and Development Department. Representatives agreed that additional safety measures might be necessary if motorists continue to disregard posted speed limits.

The department is developing a countywide Safety Action Plan to identify transportation concerns, reduce serious injuries and fatalities, and prioritize future improvements. The plan is funded through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program and could position the county and its municipalities to pursue additional safety funding.

Planning Director Jim Lettiere said the meeting gave municipal leaders an opportunity to identify concerns in their communities. Eleven of the county's 16 invited municipalities did not send representatives.

Randy Waltermyer, regional service lead of planning at Bowsman, also attended. The firm is working as a subconsultant with Michael Baker International, the county's lead consultant.

Feedback from the roundtable will be incorporated into the project and presented to the plan's advisory committee.

Representatives said enforcing speed limits can be difficult in municipalities with limited police coverage. One official said the municipality's police department is short-staffed, while another noted that the township does not have its own department.

Several officials also expressed frustration with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Union Township Manager Michelle Shirey said the township asked PennDOT to lower the speed limit through town from 35 mph to 25 mph but was told the request did not meet the necessary criteria.

"The state is our biggest problem," Menno Township Supervisor Harry Clever said. "They won't do any speed control within our communities because of how the system is set up, and we are trying to change that."

Lewistown Mayor Deborah Bargo raised concerns about pedestrian crosswalks and the enforcement of laws governing electric bicycles. She said parents can be cited for allowing children younger than 16 to operate e-bikes. Some riders have also begun carrying passengers on bicycles designed for one person, she said.

The borough is working to develop an ordinance addressing the issue, Bargo said.

She also discussed a roundabout planned for Juniata Street next year.

"There's some concerns there, too, about pedestrians walking, and we're hoping to talk to PennDOT about it," Bargo said.

Bargo also identified the pedestrian crossing between Dollar General and Sheetz as a safety concern, saying some pedestrians do not follow the designated walking path.

Officials received maps on which they could mark dangerous locations and proposed improvements. Representatives from Menno and Oliver townships each identified two areas needing transportation improvements.

Residents may submit concerns through an online map at wikimapping.com/mbakerintl/mifflin-county-safety-action-plan⁠. The map allows users to comment on specific locations or identify intersections and roadways they consider unsafe.

An in-person public meeting will also be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Mifflin County Courthouse Annex Building. Residents will be able to speak with officials and mark areas of concern on paper maps.