ROAD WATCH/RANT for May 2—With VIDEO of Rosemont Ave. Bridge in U.D.
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. PennDOT has announced a new comprehensive motorcycle safety campaign, Live Free Ride Alive, as part of its effort to reduce the number of motorcycle crashes and fatalities on state roads.
More than 3,700 crashes involving motorcycles occurred on state roads in 2009, resulting in 204 fatalities. The number of licensed motorcyclists increased in 2009 by 12,000, while the number of registered motorcycles increased by 3,000. As of late 2009, there were a total of about 828,000 licensed motorcyclists and about 393,000 registered motorcycles.
“While Pennsylvania marked a decrease in the number of motorcycle crashes and fatalities in 2009 – the first decrease seen in several years – we believe even one crash or fatality is still one too many,” said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler.
The campaign’s interactive Web site, www.LiveFreeRideAlive.com, is designed specifically for motorcyclists. The Web site challenges riders to accept personal responsibility for their own safety.
Important messages include obeying the speed limit and not drinking and riding, as speeding and alcohol use increase the risk of being killed or injured in a crash.
The Web site also emphasizes the importance of being properly licensed to operate a motorcycle and encourages the use of protective gear when riding.
Taking an approved motorcycle safety training course also decreases the chances of a rider being killed or injured in a crash. New and seasoned riders can take advantage of free basic and experienced motorcycle safety courses through the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program. For more information and to register for a course, visit www.pamsp.com.
As part of the campaign, PennDOT is urging all motorists to share the road and watch out for motorcyclists. All motorists should respect a motorcycle as they would a full-sized vehicle – with the same rights and privileges as any other vehicle on the road.
Road Rant of the Week (Check the Video!)
Readers recently complained that the Rosemont Avenue Bridge over the Darby Creek in Upper Darby is collapsing. Not so, according to Delaware County Public Works Director Dennis Carey and a recent check by the Road Watcher. The #73 bridge between Bishop and Bloomfield avenues was built by the county in 1921, not PennDOT.
However, I observed that the top of the bridge approach walls over land are in bad condition in some sections and Carey said they are scheduled for masonry repairs. These are not part of the bridge’s support superstructure below and the bridge meets all the necessary criteria of the Federal Highway Administration for its posted 12-ton weight limit, he said.
Also, the four holes at road level opposite each other at the bottom of the walls are scuppers – a marine term for the drainage sections on a top deck – which are for water runoff – and not signs of deterioration, Carey said.
The bridge is on the first quarter of the county’s 12-year highway program for engineering design and replacement at a ballpark estimate of $1.5 million, he said.
I asked Carey if the drainage holes could be covered with some kind of screening or grate, since they are only big enough for a child’s foot to get stuck in – not that it’s a safe place for a child to cross on foot. He said that would cause debris to collect and possibly clog up the holes, but added he would check into it.
Few pedestrians use the narrow bridge which often only has enough width for one large SUV or box truck – no tractor-trailers permitted -- to pass through while another driver courteously waits. Still, some idiots force their way through almost sideswiping each other.
Granted, the top walls of the bridge are deteriorating in spots and look like hell in this picturesque setting, but it’s not ready to come crashing down any time soon.
U.S. Route 202 Project
PennDOT announced the award of a $19.3 million transportation economic recovery project for the rehabilitation/improvement of U.S. Route 202 in West Goshen and Westtown, Chester County.
The federally funded project will upgrade 4.3 miles of Route 202 from the Route 100 Interchange to the intersection of High Street.
Construction is expected to start in June and finish in August 2011.
Route 1 – Concord
The Chester Water Authority will close one lane in each direction on Route 1 between Brinton Lake Road and Evergreen Drive in Concord from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays through May 21. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the area.
The authority will be doing storm sewer and water main installation and constructing a right turn lane on Route 1 North.
Special Session
Gov. Ed Rendell has called for a special legislative session 1 p.m. Tuesday to solve immediate and future transportation funding problems and ensure the safety of Pennsylvania travelers.
He is requesting the session as a result of Act 44 not providing a substitute revenue source to replace the proceeds from the anticipated tolling of I-80 if federal approval was not obtained. On April 6, the Federal Highway Administration rejected the commission’s application to toll I-80.
“As a result of this federal decision the Commonwealth immediately needs to replace $472 million in transportation system improvement funds in Fiscal Year 2010/2011 or forego making significant bridge, road and transit capital improvements and reduce the incremental increases in transit operating subsidies provided for in that fiscal year,” Rendell said.
Also, as a result of this federal decision, $60 billion over the life of Act 44 that would have been available for improvements to the state’s transportation system will not be available to the Commonwealth, he said.
Correction
In the last column, the “Limited Sight Distance” sign cited in Road Rant of the Week posted before a blind spot on a bridge is located on Bowman Avenue, not Wynnewood Road, at Baird Road in Lower Merion. The accompanying video, however, is captioned correctly.
Green Your Commute
To help residents explore the many alternative transportation options available across the state, PennDOT recently launched the PACommutes Web site: www.PACommutes.com.
An array of topics are covered including how to begin a biking or walking routine, how to set up a car or van pool, and what services are offered for older residents and people with disabilities.
Traffic Delays
Route 491 (Naamans Creek Road) – Concord, Upper/Lower Chichester and Bethel, tree clearing between Route 202 and the Delaware state line 7 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
Also, Naamans Creek Road in Bethel, PECO utility installation at Zebley Road and Garnet Mine Road, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
I-476 North/South (Blue Route) – Radnor, Haverford, Marple, Springfield, Nether Providence, Ridley Township, vegetation control with intermittent lane restrictions between I-95 and the Montgomery County line 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
U.S. Route 202 – Concord and Chadds Ford, one lane closed in each direction between Route 1 and Dilworthtown Road for pavement marker installation 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday.
Pennell Road (Route 452) -- Aston and Middletown, Sunoco pipeline repairs between Glendale Boulevard and Route 352, 8 p.m.-5 a.m. weekdays through May 6.
Radnor — Goshen Road, road work costing $1.3 million, closed/detoured 24 hours daily between Darby-Paoli Road and Hunt Road for roadway reconstruction and realignment to remove a sharp curve through Aug. 21. Work began March 1. Goshen Road will be detoured over Darby-Paoli Road, Bryn Mawr Avenue, Route 3, Route 252 and Goshen Road.
Radnor — Radnor-Chester Road, Aqua utility installation, closed/detoured between Lancaster Avenue and Conestoga Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 29.
Concord – Baltimore Pike, bridge replacement with lane restrictions on bridge over Chester Creek 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 2011. Work began September 2009.
Baltimore Pike (U.S. Route 1) — Middletown and Chester Heights, bridge replacement with lane restrictions between Darlington and Station roads, 24-hour restrictions through June 2011. Work began Oct. 12.
Road Watch appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.

Road Watch for April 25, w/ROAD RANT VIDEO
(Rock-throwers, Beware: It’s a deadly game deserving stiffer penalties.)
It was just a little blurb – or two-paragraph “wrap” as we call it in the newsroom – in Tuesday’s paper: “Stone-thrower hits windshield,” but it’s an issue that needs more attention and stronger penalties.
It never seems newsworthy until a driver or passenger is seriously or fatally injured. Fortunately, in the incident about 10:36 p.m. April 16 on I-95 in Ridley Township, a Swarthmore man wasn’t injured when a rock smashed his windshield. Some idiot had tossed a rock off the MacDade Boulevard overpass.
Years ago, there was a rash of such incidents off the numerous overpasses along I-95 in Chester, which eventually subsided. In June 2007, state police had investigated several incidents. Two juveniles dropped a rock off the Potter Street overpass, shattering a West Chester man’s sunroof, but he was spared injury.
Two other vehicles were damaged in another incident that month near Highland Avenue. Both cars were in the southbound lanes of I-95.
The latter incidents occurred between 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m.
Several years ago, five young men were arrested in North Carolina for throwing rocks from bridges onto I-95 in 24 separate incidents. The men damaged at least two dozen vehicles, but miraculously no one was injured. They were charged with misdemeanor injury to personal property. Fortunately, no one lost control of their car.
Last June in California, a Ventura woman’s skull was fractured by a rock thrown from a freeway overpass and required brain surgery. A softball-sized rock crashed through her car’s sunroof one night while her husband was driving north on Highway 101, according to the California Highway Patrol. The family offered a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the rock-thrower.
On Jan. 3, 2003, Dennis Gumbs, then 15, threw an 18-pound chunk of ice from a bridge on to U.S. Route 22 in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, killing Elaine C. Cowell, 33, in a minivan with her husband and three children. He was judged delinquent of third-degree murder and sentenced to a maximum-security juvenile facility. He was released in May 2008 when he turned 21.
These incidents of rock-throwing onto passing motorists below are a far cry from just a case of vandalism or criminal mischief. These rocks in the hands of juveniles or young adults are virtually lethal instruments of crime and anyone who throws them should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law – the least we can do in Elaine Cowell’s memory.
How about making such actions a felony, irregardless if no injury occurs? Don’t these rock-tossers realize what deadly consequences their actions can cause?
I can’t imagine how startling it must be to an innocent driver or his or her passengers when they become such defenseless targets.
Anyone who spots such suspicious activity should call 911 or state police immediately at 484-840-1000.
Road Rant of the Week
This week’s Road Rant from the Road Watcher focuses on my favorite road sign – “Limited Sight Distance” -- which I have never spotted during my travels in Delco, not saying there couldn’t be one.
However, I discovered this diamond-shaped, yellow sign, along with a “15 mph” square sign below it, while approaching a blind spot on an overpass on Bowman Avenue at Baird Road in Lower Merion, Montgomery County.
I’m sure there are many other blind spots on hills in the county that should have such a sign, but don’t!
For example, going west on Wynnewood Road as it becomes Eagle Road in Delco at Haverford Road in Haverford at the Route 100 High Speed Line overpass, there’s no such sign. But it’s a real blind spot before you go over the hill and suddenly see vehicles at the bottom of the hill, waiting in the turn lane to go left on to Earlington Road at the traffic light.
The cost of a measly sign surely wouldn’t break PennDOT’s budget.
Make sure you log on to the Road Watch blog to see this video.
In my travels, I’ll show you some other peculiar road signs in future columns. Do you know of any local roads that are in dire need of similar signs? Just e-mail me at the address below.
Welcome Center to Close
PennDOT will close the I-95 Welcome Center in Lower Chichester along I-95 North just north of the Pennsylvania/Delaware border for construction of a new expanded facility starting 6 a.m. May 1.
Signs were posted Friday to advise motorists of the rest stop’s upcoming closure. The site and its access ramps will be completely closed to the public for about one year.
The project will cost $5.9 million and is expected to finish by the May 1, 2011, opening date.
A new 8,500-square-foot building will have four total restrooms – two men’s and two ladies’—instead of the current total of two restrooms.
The current Welcome Center rest area building along I-95 North was opened in 1971 and the Welcome Center building was opened in 1990. It served about 133,000 visitors in 2009.
An electronic message board will advise motorists that food and fuel are available at the next two exits, which are Exit 1, Chichester Avenue, and Exit 2, Route 452 (Market Street). Restaurants and gas stations are located near these exits.
Ben Franklin Bridge Closing
The Ben Franklin Bridge will be closed to traffic in both directions 8-10 a.m. today for the annual New Jersey Chapter March of Dimes “March for Babies,” according to the Delaware River Port Authority.
Also, on Monday and Tuesday, the two right-hand westbound lanes will be closed between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for routine maintenance.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the two right-hand eastbound lanes will be closed between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for routine maintenance.
Bridge Inspections
Monday, the right lane will be closed on the Platt Bridge ramp to I-95 South 9 a.m.-3 p.m. for bridge inspections.
Thursday-Friday, the left lane will be closed on I-95 North between Island and Enterprise avenues 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
I-95 Bridge Work
I-95 motorists will face lane closures weekdays traveling over the Girard Point Bridge and Broad Street Viaduct for bridge construction during off-peak hours. The southbound right lane will be closed on the I-95/Broad Street Viaduct 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays and 9 p.m.-5 a.m. for concrete resurfacing.
On the nearby I-95/Girard Point Bridge, I-95 North/South will be reduced from three lanes to two 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays and 9 p.m.-5 a.m. weeknights for concrete resurfacing and bridge painting.
Traffic Delays
Baltimore Pike (Route 1) – Concord, road widening with lane closures between Brinton Lake and Evergreen roads 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. May 3.
Pennell Road (Route 452) -- Aston and Middletown, Sunoco pipeline repairs between Glendale Boulevard and Route 352, 8 p.m.-5 a.m. weekdays through May 6.
Chester Heights – Stoneybank Road, road widening with restrictions between Baltimore Pike and Great Oak Drive 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through April 30.
Radnor — Goshen Road, road work costing $1.3 million, closed/detoured 24 hours daily between Darby-Paoli Road and Hunt Road for roadway reconstruction and realignment to remove a sharp curve through Aug. 21. Work began March 1. Goshen Road will be detoured over Darby-Paoli Road, Bryn Mawr Avenue, Route 3, Route 252 and Goshen Road.
Radnor — Radnor-Chester Road, Aqua utility installation, closed/detoured between Lancaster Avenue and Conestoga Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 29.
Concord – Baltimore Pike, bridge replacement with lane restrictions on bridge over Chester Creek 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 2011. Work began September 2009.
Baltimore Pike (U.S. Route 1) — Middletown and Chester Heights, bridge replacement with lane restrictions between Darlington and Station roads, 24-hour restrictions through June 2011. Work began Oct. 12.
Road Watch appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.

For April 18, ROAD WATCH/RANT…
(Work Zone Awareness Week)
Work Zone Awareness Week is observed this week along with the emphasis on the need for motorists to drive safely through road construction zones, PennDOT said.
Pennsylvania is gearing up for a big construction season with numerous highway work zones, and motorists are urged to stay alert for rapidly changing traffic conditions.
According to PennDOT, work zone crashes and worker fatalities increased in 2009 from 2008.
There were 1,513 crashes in which four workers and 19 motorists died last year, compared to 1,417 crashes and two fatalities in 2008.
The most common factors include speeding and tailgating, which fall under the category of aggressive driving.
PennDOT combats aggressive driving by channeling grant funds to police for enforcement.
The above deaths highlight “…the sudden tragedy that can occur when motorists fail to slow down and stay alert for rapidly changing traffic conditions,” said PennDOT Secretary Allen Biehler.
“The men and women who are dedicated to improving our roads and bridges should not have to risk life and limb simply because motorists are distracted or in a hurry,” he said.
A traveling memorial will be on display in Harrisburg from Tuesday through Friday, with 78 posts topped by hard hats and draped in safety vests that represent each PennDOT employee who died in the line of duty since 1970.
To reduce the risk of work zone crashes, motorists must follow the posted speed limit and pay close attention to signs and flaggers. If signs instruct you to do so, drivers are required to turn on their headlights. Finally, motorists should avoid tailgating and use four-way flashers when stopped or traveling slowly.
“Although these tips may seem like common sense, highway workers continue to see speeding and distracted drivers passing through work zones, often just a few feet away,” Biehler said.
Motorists caught driving 11 mph or more, above the posted speed limit in an active work zone or who are involved in a crash in an active work zone and convicted for failing to drive at a safe speed, automatically lose their license for 15 days.
Nearly 500 motorists had their license suspended for work zone violations last year.
In addition, fines for certain traffic violations, including speeding and driving under the influence are doubled when they occur in active work zones.
Road Rant of the Week
This week’s Road Rant from Ed Karpyn of the Folsom section of Ridley Township focuses on the busy, hazardous intersection of MacDade Boulevard and Fairview Road in the township. (Make sure you see the video.)
His major complaint is that either going east or west on MacDade Boulevard and making a left turn on to Fairview Road is often dangerous because when there are cars in the turn lanes “there is no way to see cars coming until the last second and more times than not, an accident usually occurs.”
Karpyn wants the elimination of the green light signal for a left turn if you yield and says only the left-turn green arrow signal should remain – otherwise you can’t turn left.
He says this should be done “before someone gets killed.
“The intersection of Fairview Road and MacDade Boulevard scares me daily for the simple fact that it is legal to turn on green after the (green) arrow times out,” he says.
He points out that further along MacDade at Morton Avenue there is a left turn on the green arrow only signal “even though you can see clearly up and down MacDade and a thousand times more clear than MacDade and Fairview.”
Many major intersections in the county only allow a left turn on the green arrow signal. Once that arrow turns off, you have to wait until the arrow lights up again.
It’s an interesting point that Ed brings up. And I’m sure there are many intersections in need of a left-turn green arrow like when you are westbound on Baltimore Pike at Oak Lane and have to wait for traffic coming in the opposite direction over the hill at Burlington County factory.
Responding to our video at the Media Bypass/Route 1 ramps on and off at Providence Road (Route 252), Jurij Burka says PennDOT has received his complaint a couple of years ago with “no action.” He said, “two years ago I was hit by a driver on the cell phone who was very eager to pass on the right side to get ahead of four vehicles making a left turn.”
Burka is “sick and tired of seeing signs ‘Beware of Aggressive Drivers.’” The signs should say, “Aggressive Drivers Will Not Be Tolerated.” I’ll second that motion. I think instead, short and simple, they should say, “Aggressive Drivers, Beware.”
The stretch of Baltimore Pike (Route 1) between Valleybrook Road (Route 261) and Pennell Road (Route 452 in Middletown is the major gripe of Tony Ieradi.
“It gets so bad, that people turn on Valley Road (near the Wawa Dairy) and travel through “million-dollar row” to try and get some relief, Ieradi says.
“There are so many cars traveling the back roads you’d think they were giving away money,” he said. “And if we think it’s bad now, wait till the developers of the Franklin Mint (property) try and sue Middletown for a zoning change so they can build their new CITY. They promise over 1,000 new residential homes and have promised no road improvements on Route 1. Cant’ wait…let the party begin!!”
Keep your Road Rants coming, folks, but don’t road rage like that guy who allegedly shot at a woman recently on hectic Route 422.
DVRPC Grants
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission recently announced the following Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation and Community Development Initiative Grants.
Marcus Hook will receive $50,000 for its Transit Revitalization Investment District. The borough will undertake several tasks to complete the TRID three-phase process. The borough will continue with outreach to stakeholders, DVRPC said.
Millbourne will also receive $50,000 for its Station Area TOD Planning. These funds will provide the borough money to create a TOD plan highlighting bicycle and pedestrian links, an official map and market research to create an overlay zone near the train station.
New SEPTA trains
SEPTA displayed two new Silverliner V trains at Suburban Station last week.
The remainder of the growing fleet of cars is being assembled at the Hyundai Rotem plant in South Philadelphia. Up to 200 mechanics, electricians and supervisors will work on turning the shells into state-of-the-art Regional Rail cars.
Each 85-foot-long car will seat up to 109 passengers and upgrade the Regional Rail fleet. The first Silverliner Vs are expected to be placed in service later this year.
The new trains will feature larger windows, wider aisles, an enhanced seating arrangement and the latest in climate control technology. They fully comply with Americans with Disabilities requirements and Federal Railroad Administration passenger car strength and safety requirements.
Traffic Delays
Chester Heights – Stoneybank Road, road widening with restrictions between Baltimore Pike and Great Oak Drive 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through April 30.
Radnor — Goshen Road, road work costing $1.3 million, closed/detoured 24 hours daily between Darby-Paoli Road and Hunt Road for roadway reconstruction and realignment to remove a sharp curve through Aug. 21. Work began March 1. Goshen Road will be detoured over Darby-Paoli Road, Bryn Mawr Avenue, Route 3, Route 252 and Goshen Road.
Radnor — Radnor-Chester Road, Aqua utility installation, closed/detoured between Lancaster Avenue and Conestoga Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 29.
Concord – Baltimore Pike, bridge replacement with lane restrictions on bridge over Chester Creek 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 2011. Work began September 2009.
U.S. Route 1 (Baltimore Pike) — Middletown and Chester Township, bridge replacement between Darlington and Station roads, 24-hour restrictions through June 2011; work began October 2009.
Baltimore Pike (U.S. Route 1) — Middletown and Chester Heights, bridge replacement with lane restrictions between Darlington and Station roads, 24-hour restrictions through June 2011. Work began Oct. 12.
Road Watch appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.

Road Watch for April 11…(View our Road Rant Video)
Daytime lane restrictions are scheduled on Naamans Creek Road (Route 491) between U.S. Route 202 and the Delaware state line in Concord, Bethel, Upper Chichester and Lower Chichester from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays for tree clearing and utility relocation.
The work is being done in advance of PennDOT’s $9.8 million project to reconstruct, mill and pave Route 491 between the Delaware state line and Route 202, a distance of 5.5 miles.
The project also calls for drainage, signing, pavement marking, driveway, sight distance and turn radius improvements. Road shoulders will also be stabilized.
PennDOT’s improvement project will be completed in two phases with separate detours. Under phase one, Route 491 through traffic will be detoured over Route 261, Delaware Route 92 (Naamans Road) and Route 202.
During phase two, traffic will be detoured over Route 261 and Delaware Route 92.
The detours are expected to take effect in spring 2011 and spring 2012, respectively.
Road Rant of the Week
This week’s Road Rant focuses on the need for signs or additional signs along hazardous curves on the county’s roads.
For example, in Haverford, one of the most dangerous/busiest bends in the road is located along Lawrence Road going south towards Ellis Road – where a stop sign is located – before reaching West Chester Pike (Route 3) further down. Although there is a curve-arrow sign and 30 mph designation on the right just before Marilyn Drive, it’s a good way from Ellis Road and may be disregarded.
There also should be chevron signs – with black v-shaped lines – closer to the intersection of Ellis Road, to alert approaching motorists.
One morning recently I couldn’t believe all the vehicles doing well over the 30 mph speed limit as they approached the curve and a near miss involving a car pulling out from the stop sign and vehicles going in opposite directions on Lawrence Road. Too bad I didn’t have the video set up in time as I was exiting my vehicle.
I’ve seen curves on local roads that aren’t as bad as the Lawrence Road curve, which have three or more chevron warning signs. It’s about time Lawrence Road got more curve-warning signs. It’s a major link to the nearby Blue Route (I-476).
In the future, I’ll track down one of my most favorite practical signs in Montgomery County that’s rare in Delco and needed here.
Keep those e-mails coming on your least favorite traffic spot or hazardous condition. I’ll try to get to them as soon as I can. Don’t forget to check out my latest video on the Road Watch blog.
Commuter’s Choice
SEPTA has kicked off its Commuter’s Choice Campaign with a series of events around Philadelphia promoting the program’s benefits for commuters.
Commuter’s Choice offers four programs for employers who want to provide transit discounts for their workers. The programs include ComPass, TransitChek, Wage Works and WiredCommute.
Federal Tax Code 132F now allows for employees to receive double the savings as a tax-free benefit. Employers can help their staff members get to work on SEPTA stress-free with more money in their pockets.
The events are being held in front of various business sites during lunch time to promote to area awareness about the program. A SEPTA hybrid bus fully wrapped in a Commuter Choice Ad showcasing the many perks of the program will be on site at each event.
The events 11:30-1:30 p.m. will be at the following locations: The Shops at Liberty Place, 16th and Chestnut streets, on April 14; Reading Terminal Market, 12th and Filbert streets, on April 20; and University City, 36th and Chestnut streets, on April 28.
A special raffle will highlight each event, providing commuters with the opportunity to win Phillies tickets and a $15 I-tunes download gift card. SEPTA employees will also be on hand to hand out Commuter’s Choice Program brochures, giveaways and refreshments.
For more information, visit www.TheCommuterChoice.com.
I-95 Weeding
Lane restrictions are scheduled Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on I-95 North/South between Philadelphia and the Delaware state line in Upland, Eddystone, Ridley Park, Tinicum, Upper Chichester, Lower Chichester and Chester for a moving weed control operation.
Also, on the same days and times, a lane closure is scheduled 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on I-95 North/South between the Bucks County and Delaware County lines in Philadelphia.
DVRPC Grants
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission recently announced the following Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation and Community Development Initiative Grants.
Marcus Hook will receive $50,000 for its Transit Revitalization Investment District. The borough will undertake several tasks to complete the TRID three-phase process. The borough will continue with outreach to stakeholders, DVRPC said.
Millbourne will also receive $50,000 for its Station Area TOD Planning. These funds will provide the borough money to create a TOD plan highlighting bicycle and pedestrian links, an official map and market research to create an overlay zone near the train station.
Traffic Delays
Chester – I-95 North, core boring with the right lane closed between U.S. Route 322 and I-476 (Blue Route), 9 p.m.-5 a.m. weeknights.
Tinicum – Route 420 East, right lane closed between I-95 and Route 291 for core boring, 9 p.m.-5 a.m. weeknights.
Ridley Township – I-95 North, core boring, left lane closed between I-476 and Route 420, 9 p.m.-5 a.m. weeknights.
Chester Heights – Stoneybank Road, road widening with restrictions between Baltimore Pike and Great Oak Drive 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through April 30.
Radnor — Goshen Road, road work costing $1.3 million, closed/detoured 24 hours daily between Darby-Paoli Road and Hunt Road for roadway reconstruction and realignment to remove a sharp curve through Aug. 21. Work began March 1. Goshen Road will be detoured over Darby-Paoli Road, Bryn Mawr Avenue, Route 3, Route 252 and Goshen Road.
Radnor — Radnor-Chester Road, Aqua utility installation, closed/detoured between Lancaster Avenue and Conestoga Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 29.
Concord – Baltimore Pike, bridge replacement with lane restrictions on bridge over Chester Creek 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 2011. Work began September 2009.
Ridley Township — Route 13, bridge replacement with lane restrictions between Morton Avenue and Acres Drive 9 a.m.-3 p.m. through April 16.
U.S. Route 1 (Baltimore Pike) — Middletown and Chester Township, bridge replacement between Darlington and Station roads, 24-hour restrictions through June 2011; work began October 2009.
Baltimore Pike (U.S. Route 1) — Middletown and Chester Heights, bridge replacement with lane restrictions between Darlington and Station roads, 24-hour restrictions through June 2011. Work began Oct. 12.
Road Watch appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.

Our first Road Rant tipster, Jonathan Marshaleck, 27, of Media, recently e-mailed me about the hazardous, congested intersection of Providence Road (Route 252) near the Route 1/Media Bypass exit/entrance ramps in Upper Providence.
Make sure you check out our video of this busy traffic spot and our reader’s complaint on our Road Watch blog.
A nearby employee said several vehicles have flipped over at this intersection over the years.
For your information, there is a traffic light for vehicles on Route 252 turning on to Route 1 North and headed to the Blue Route (I-476), otherwise drivers headed south on Route 252 would have a hard time making a left turn on to the entrance ramp.
However, there is no traffic light at the Media Bypass exit ramp on to Route 252, so this can be hairy turning off. They probably don’t have a light there because it would be too close to the other traffic light, and the one at Rose Tree Road, and could cause traffic backups.
Got a traffic or road problem you want to rant about? Then why don’t you e-mail me – jroman@delcotimes.com – and include your phone number and the details?
P-L-E-A-S-E don’t send Road Watcher out on a wild-goose chase to videotape a measly pothole that’s only an inch or so deep – just craters only!
But I got to admit: driving eastbound on Baltimore Pike before Wallingford Road in Swarthmore, not far from the Springfield Mall, there’s some choice potholes that make for a real bumpy ride.
Road Rant – don’t just mumble to yourself, fill us in and I’ll videotape the location with or without you and add your rant. Hopefully, it will get the attention of PennDOT or your local municipal highway department.
National Donate Life Month
With April marking National Donate Life Month, PennDOT reminds driver’s license and ID card holders that they can help another person live a fuller and longer life by registering online as an organ donor.
“Citizens considering adding the organ donor designation to their driver’s license or identification card can do so at any time – they do not have to wait for their renewal notices to take action,” said Kurt Myers, PennDOT’s deputy secretary for safety administration.
“With a very small investment of their time, an individual can have the potential to save or enhance lives by visiting PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services Web site and saying ‘yes’ to organ donation,” he said.
Currently, nearly 45 percent of driver’s license and ID card holders are registered organ donors – more than 4.2 million Pennsylvanians. Nearly 3,700 Pennsylvanians have used the online registration service since it began in 2006.
More than 7,100 Pennsylvanians currently await organ transplants.
Card holders and registered vehicle owners can also support the organ donation programs by donating one dollar to the Robert P. Casey Memorial Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Trust Fund at the time of application and/or renewal.
It only takes 90 seconds or less to add the organ donor designation to a driver’s license or ID card by visiting www.dmv.state.pa.us and selecting the Online Services link.
New Bus Driver Policy
A Road Watcher salute to state legislators and PennDOT for announcing a timely change in PennDOT policy last week regarding driving record background checks for school bus driver applicants.
This action was spurred by the fatal crash Feb. 17 involving Frederick Poust III, 38, a school bus driver for the Perkiomen Valley School District. The collision claimed the life of a passenger in a car.
Poust, who allegedly failed to come to full stop at 10 stop signs before turning in front of another vehicle, faces charges of homicide by vehicle in Montgomery County.
The latest crash has raised questions about how someone who has been involved in a prior fatal crash in 1999 was able to get a job driving school buses.
Poust had obtained a Commercial Driver’s License despite the fact that he was involved in another fatal accident in 1999, when distracted by his hand-held cell phone, he drove through a stop sign into an oncoming car, killing a 2-year-old girl.
Since Poust was only cited back then for careless driving, a summary offense, his driving record and a background check would not show that he was charged with a crime.
PennDOT will change its policy to expand accident information contained on a driver record. The severity of the accident will be included on all driver records regardless of the type of license an individual holds.
School districts will receive the entire driver history at no cost and school bus contractors have the option of paying $5 per record or an annual fee of $200 for unlimited access.
Among the legislators who pushed to make this policy change were state Reps. Josh Shapiro, D-153, of Montco, and Bryan R. Lentz, D-161, of Swarthmore, backed up strongly by Montco D.A. Risa Vetri Ferman.
“Parents trust that the state is doing everything to ensure that the school bus drivers hired to transport their children to and from school are qualified,” Lentz said.
Shapiro said he was pleased that PennDOT has responded to the legislators’ request so quickly.
These changes will be implemented no later than October.
This is quite a surprise for a state bureaucracy and Harrisburg honchos known mostly for their quintessential foot-dragging on public issues that need to be addressed ASAP, like banning the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.
Revenue Loss
The federal government has warned Pennsylvania that proposed legislation to exempt farm vehicles from an upgrade of motor carrier safety regulations, if enacted, could cost the state $28 million in annual federal aid.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has notified PennDOT Secretary Allen Biehler that the proposed legislation would put the commonwealth in violation of federal motor carrier program requirements. The legislation seeks to exclude farm vehicles and drivers of those vehicles from the new safety rules.
By meeting the March 31 compliance deadline, Pennsylvania avoids federal penalties, including the loss of about $6 million in federal funds that support State Police Motor Carrier Enforcement.
“These funds are critical for continuation of our safety enforcement program,” said State Police Commissioner Col. Frank E. Pawlowski.
“Loss of this program poses a significant safety hazard for all drivers and passengers,” he said.
The most significant changes in the updated state rules affect truck-trailer combinations exceeding 17,000 pounds. The new rules do not allow drivers under 18 to drive such combinations on public roads. The rules do not apply to farm tractors.
Traffic Delays
Radnor – Goshen Road, road work costing $1.3 million, closed/detoured 24 hours daily between Darby-Paoli Road and Hunt Road for roadway reconstruction and realignment to remove a sharp curve through Aug. 21. Work began March 1. Goshen Road will be detoured over Darby-Paoli Road, Bryn Mawr Avenue, Route 3, Route 252 and Goshen Road.
Radnor – Radnor-Chester Road, Aqua utility installation, closed/detoured between Lancaster Avenue and Conestoga Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. starting Monday through June 29.
Concord – Baltimore Pike, bridge replacement with lane restrictions on bridge over Chester Creek 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 2011. Work began September 2009.
Ridley Township -- Route 13, bridge replacement with lane restrictions between Morton Avenue and Acres Drive 9 a.m.-3 p.m. April 5-16.
U.S. Route 1 (Baltimore Pike) – Middletown and Chester Township, bridge replacement between Darlington and Station roads, 24-hour restrictions through June 2011; work began October 2009.
Baltimore Pike (U.S. Route 1) – Middletown and Chester Heights, bridge replacement with lane restrictions between Darlington and Station roads, 24-hour restrictions through June 2011. Work began Oct. 12.
Road Watch appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.