Tempers Flare With Discussion of Dangerous Intersection

Though about 50 concerned parents and residents waited patiently to speak at the June 16 meeting of the Lower Macungie Township Board of Commissioners, several left before they could express their opinions because of a lengthy hearing prior to the public comment section of the meeting.

Their concerns involved a 6-year-old child who was hit by a car June 3 at the intersection of Willow and Sauerkraut lanes.

Many people attended the festival at that evening. 

Commissioner President Roger Reis immediately agreed that, “Any accident involving a child is a sad event,”  before he proceeded to give an account of the accident:

• The child crossed Willow Lane holding his father’s hand.
• An individual stopped at the four-way stop sign and waited until he believed they were clear of the intersection after crossing.
• The child let go of the father’s hand and darted back into the street at the same time the car began moving.
• The car and child collided.

“Anybody who has children knows how fast they are,” Reis continued. “They know how quickly [and] in a second something can go bad; so I think this was an accident that I don’t think was preventable.”

Letters from residents Barbara Garcia and Donna Jurado requesting a traffic light and school zone signs at the intersection were read at the meeting. Jurado also requested a light at the Mill Creek Road and Sauerkraut Lane intersection, the other interesection near the elementary school.

At the meeting, Garcia's husband, Anthony, questioned the commissioners as to why there is neither crosswalks nor signs at Willow Lane Elementary School.

William Erdman, township engineer, said that when the school was in the planning stages, the said there would be no walking students, that all would be bused.

"However, circumstances have changed,” Erdman said.

Resident Jonathan Berger said that Willow Lane Principal Anthony Moyer actually sent out an email before the school's June 3 festival asking parents to walk to events because of the limited parking. 

Berger said someone should have been directing traffic for events at the school. “We were lucky this time. People frequently go thru the stop signs,” Berger said.

Bruce Fosselman, township manager, said he will relay all the concerns to the East Penn School District superintendent.  He also noted the Lower Macungie fire police usually are at the school to direct traffic for events, but they had a prior commitment on June 3. 

Berger then responded by saying the school should have provided someone to direct traffic.

The fact that there are no school zone signs on the streets around the school also concerned parents.

Sean Brown, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation press officer, told Patch last week that to get such sigs there, “A school zone must be requested by the East Penn School District first, and a traffic study would then be done.  They did not make a request when the school was built.”

Both the East Penn School District and Willow Lane's Moyer declined to comment on the school zone issue or any part of the June 3 incident last week.

There was some talk that the school would be become a “walking school,” but Mike Policano, a member of the East Penn School District School Board who attended the meeting, said that busing will continue at Willow Lane.

"It has not changed," he said.

Though school zone signage would help, Garcia went further to say that a light is needed at the intersection. 

“There are cars 10 to 15 deep at the stop signs at 4 p.m.”

Commissioner Joseph Pugliese didn't take well to the suggestion. 

“What if you start a collection to fund the light. You know, the light’s going to cost a couple million dollars," Pugliese said.

The actual cost would be up to $400,000, according to one of the other commissioners who quietly added as the dialogue -- and volume -- between  Pugliese and Garcia escalated.

“I really take offense to you saying I should take up a collection. That's what I pay taxes for.  That was out of line,” Garcia said.

Reis verbally stepped between them to clarify.

“You’re asking for a $300,000 traffic light for a problem that occurs only twice a day for maybe 30 minutes each time. The way you solve a problem is first to study it," Reis said. 

Lt. Edguardo Colon of the Pennsylvania State Police, who had other reasons for attending the meeting, agreed with Reis, saying the intersection at Willow and Sauerkraut lanes is not a “hot spot.” 

“We are not aware of any area with a major issue [in the township],” Colon said.

For now, Reis said, “We are getting some crosswalks painted in there, and we're going to talk to the school district about getting some flashing lights for a school zone."

Sara Pandl, township planning director, said she is working on applying for grants and options to help make schools safe.