Road Watch col. For April 19…
Here we go again, another local government trying to usurp the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code’s authority and PennDOT’s. Now Philadelphia honchos are getting into the act in the wake of smaller municipalities that also passed their own ordinances banning handheld cell phones.
They tried it in Lower Chichester (2003) and some other town where it didn’t fly.
City Council – apparently looking for another way to rake in revenue under the guise of traffic safety – on Thursday passed the ban, which has to be signed by Mayor Nutter.
Violators would face a fine of up to $300. The ban would also apply to skateboarders, bicyclists and in-line skaters.
I have nothing against such a ban by the proper authority – PennDOT, which regulates motor vehicles – but having a patch quilt of different municipalities with such a law makes no sense.
Are motorists then expected to zig-zag through different towns that want to have such a ban, when it should be statewide as I have been crusading for in this column since who knows when.
State Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, has been advocating such legislation since 2006 with no success. But finally, in February he saw some light in the tunnel when 70 bipartisan co-sponsors joined him when he reintroduced House Bill 538.
Come on, Philly, you already have the red-light cameras – what more do you want?
This type of legislation banning yakking and holding a cell phone while driving – instead of focusing on traffic conditions – definitely should be the state’s call.
Why should Philly get this extra revenue soon as some careless yakker crosses the suburban boundaries – including Delco’s – into the city? Let’s make DUIC – driving under the influence of conversation (or texting) – a motor vehicle violation by enacting it in Harrisburg.
Holiday Traffic Toll
State police investigated 477 crashes during the three-day Easter holiday driving period in which 13 people died and 167 others were injured.
State Police Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski said seven of those killed were not wearing seat belts. Fifty-five of the 477 crashes, including four of the fatal crashes, were alcohol-related.
The official three-day Easter driving period April 10-12 resulted in state police issuing 3,651 speeding citations, charging 266 people with DUI, and citations to 270 people for not wearing seat belts and 31 citations for not securing children in safety seats.
During the Easter holiday driving period last year, 14 people were killed and 202 others were injured in 508 crashes investigated by state troopers.
Pawlowski said the statistics cover only those crashes investigated by the state police and do not include incidents to which other law-enforcement agencies responded.
Two Aqua Projects
Starting Monday, Aqua Pennsylvania will close two roads in Haverford for water main installation.
Aqua will begin a $1.7 million project to replace 9,800 feet of 4-, 6- and 8-inch water mains with new 8- and 12-inch ductile iron mains on Coopertown Road between Quaker Lane and College Avenue, on College Avenue between Coopertown Road and a point 400 feet east of Spring Mill Lane, and on the Tunbridge Road circle between both intersections of College Avenue in Haverford.
Construction crews will work weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. during which time the roads will be closed except for local residents, emergency vehicles, school buses, mail and trash service.
By July 2009, Aqua expects the main installation, individual service connections and side street tie-ins to be completed, with final road restoration completed in August.
Both roads will be detoured over Darby Road, Ardmore Avenue and Haverford Road.
In Newtown, on Wednesday, Aqua will begin a project to replace 3,331 feet of 6-inch cast iron water main with new 8-inch ductile iron mains along Echo Valley Lane between Goshen Road and Meadow Lane.
The new mains and service connections are expected to be completed in June, with final road restoration done in July. The road will be closed 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays with the same traffic restrictions as the above project in Haverford.
Traffic Delays
Oak Lane -- Collingdale, Folcroft and Glenolden, CSX Railroad grade crossing replacement, closed/detoured between Ashland and Lafayette avenues, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Concord -- Baltimore Pike (U.S. Route 1), paving between Route 452 (Pennell Road) and Red Roof Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through April 30. Work began April 13.
Media Line Road -- Marple and Newtown, Aqua utility installation, closed/detoured between West Chester Pike (Route 3) and Gradyville Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through May 1. Work began March 30.
Springfield -- Thomson Avenue, Aqua trench restoration, closed/detoured between Baltimore Pike and Sproul Road (Route 320) 9 a.m.-3 p.m.weekdays through May 8. Work began March 30.
Radnor – Lancaster Avenue (Route 30), traffic signal construction, right lane closed between Old Eagle School Road and Radnor-Chester Road, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
Media Line Road – Marple and Newtown, Aqua utility installation between Route 3 and Gradyville Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through May 1. Work began March 30.
Marple – Media Line Road, Aqua installation between Lovell Avenue and Highland Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m weekdays through May 29. Work began Jan. 12.
Springfield – Thomson Avenue, Aqua trench restoration between Baltimore Pike and Sproul Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through May 8. Work began March 30.
Chester — Flower Street, ramp construction with a new traffic pattern at Fourth and Second streets, 24-hour restriction through 2011. Work began Jan. 12.
Also, Norris Street, ramp construction with lane restrictions at Front Street and Delaware Avenue, 24-hour restriction through 2011. Work began Jan. 12.
Ridley Park – Ridley Avenue, Aqua utility installation, closed/detoured between Constitution Avenue and Cresswell/Tasker streets 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays and through Aug. 28. Work began March 9.
“Road Watch” appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.