A Newtown Twp resident said in an email to me: "Hi John, attached is a picture of the Bypass & Newtown-Yardley Road intersection. We need overhead signs by the traffic lights that show that both lanes turn to the left. Many people are unaware that this intersection allows both lanes to turn left. So many times the driver in the left lane proceeds to drive immediately into the right lane after turning unaware that another car turned beside him. I've avoided an accident many times anticipating this. This is the intersection where the new Wawa is proposed. A sign depicting double turning lanes is necessary when I'm sitting at the light on Newtown-Yardley Road turning left towards Shady Brook Farm."

What do you think?

Take my survey: https://forms.gle/WkqWQnPhy9B6kJfd7 

The Municipal Liquid Fuels Program funds a range of projects to support the construction, reconstruction, maintenance, and repair of public roads or streets.

The amount of a municipality's allocation is based on its population and miles of roads on its approved liquid fuels inventory. To be placed on the system, a road must have a minimum of 33-foot right-of-way in a township and 16 feet in a borough. The "cartway" (drivable surface) must be a minimum width of 16 feet, and the road must be a minimum of 250 feet in length.

Newtown Township has 67.29 miles of roads that meet these criteria.

In 2022, Newtown will receive $558,474.88 in liquid fuels funds vs. $552,277.09 in 2021 – only a 1.1% increase.

Meanwhile, in 2019, the township received $611,209.38 in Liquid Fuels funds [LINK: https://sco.lt/6cVfMG] A PSATS video [LINK: https://youtu.be/tCtMp0qejRw] explains that the amount of liquid fuels funds have decreased in recent years "due toe the growth of alternate fuel vehicles and more fuel efficient cars."

“We appreciate that PennDOT recognizes that local government is an important partner of the transportation network in Pennsylvania, being responsible for 2/3 of the road miles in the commonwealth,” said Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) Executive Director David Sanko. “This liquid fuels distribution is an integral part of local funding, but by no means enough to cover the costs of building and maintaining our portion of the network.”

******UPDATE (February 25, 2022)******

The third time was NOT the charm! PennDOT returned Arcadia 3rd HOP application seeking responses to more comments including asking plans for the area to be dedicated to PennDOT as right-of-way. I am not a traffic engineer, but that is essentially what the township traffic engineer confirmed. Download PennDOT's Response to Arcadia and see the comments for yourself. 

Arcadia at Newtown Holdings, LP, (Arcadia Holdings) has been approved to develop a 60-unit single-family home residential community (known as the “Wynmere-Karr Residential Development”), located on the southwest corner of the intersection of the Newtown Bypass (S.R. 0332) and Buck Road (S.R. 0532) in Newtown Township.

But there are sticking points related to traffic safety concerns. How are future residents of the development going to safely access Buck Road and the Bypass? Will the access to and from the development be safe?

As part of a Stipulation and Settlement Agreement between Arcadia Holdings and Newtown Township an Access Evaluation Process (AEP) was performed by McMahon Associates, Inc., the developer's traffic engineers. This study considered four access options, but only one option – a controversial U-turn at Mill Pond Road – was the only option pre-approved by PennDOT. The U-turn is controversial because many residents – and the Township – feel it would be unsafe. [For background, read “Controversy Regarding Proposed Arcadia Newtown U-Turn Option”; https://bit.ly/3CaZju2]

In 2021, Arcadia filed two Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) applications to PennDOT to approve the U-turn option. On October 29, 2021, PennDOT returned the second application for further revisions. [See PennDOT’s Response Letter”; https://bit.ly/ArcadiaHOPresponse ]

Arcadia filed a third HOP application in response to comments from PennDOT and Newtown Township. Below, I present selected comments and responses from McMahon Associates.

Will the third time be the charm?

Learn more about the application and see comments from the township submitted as part of the application...

Governor Tom Wolf today announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will distribute approximately $12.9 million in Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) funding to 22 municipalities statewide to fund 28 safety projects.

Grants through this program may be used for a range of safety and mobility projects.

Grant funding is supplied by fines from red light violations at 32 intersections in Philadelphia. State law specifies that projects improving safety, enhancing mobility, and reducing congestion can be considered for funding. Municipalities submitted 132 applications, totaling $48.3 million in requests. 

Grant Recipients Include:

• Falls Township: $756,881 for intersection safety improvements to seven intersections throughout the community.
• Cranberry Township: $300,000 for the installation of a new warranted traffic signal at the intersection of Route 19 and Progress Avenue.
• Upper Darby Township: $107,370 to improve to improve pedestrian safety along the Providence Road corridor at Penn Pines Park by installing a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB), installing ADA accessible curb ramps and crosswalk striping. There will also be striping improvements at the intersection of Penn Pines Boulevard to help manage turning movements and improve sight distance.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that fatalities, injuries, and crashes decreased overall at 26 roundabouts at 23 locations in the time since they were built, according to department data.

"The modern roundabout is simply safer than the traditional intersection," said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. Department data based on police-submitted crash reports spanning the years 2000 through 2020 shows that fatalities at [these roundabouts] were reduced by 100 percent and the total number of crashes decreased by 22 percent.

Additionally:

• Suspected serious injuries were reduced by 81 percent;
• Suspected minor injuries were reduced by 36 percent;
• Possible/unknown severity injuries were reduced by 76 percent; and
• Property damage-only crashes increased by 13 percent.

In addition to the 26 roundabouts meeting the selection criteria, 36 other roundabouts have been built on state routes with 19 more in construction and 20 in final design.

The Bucks County roundabouts included in the review are at the following intersections:

• Route 2043 (Trevose Road) and Somerton Road
• Route 213 (Bridgetown Pike/Maple Avenue) and Route 2010 (Bridgetown Pike)

Roundabouts are frequently installed to address intersections with safety issues but may also be installed to improve traffic flow as well as other reasons such as traffic calming, and to facilitate pedestrian mobility.

To educate Pennsylvanians on how to navigate a roundabout, the department created a video on how to use both single and multi-lane roundabouts whether in a vehicle, on a bicycle or on foot. The video can be accessed by visiting the roundabout page on www.penndot.gov or by visiting the department's YouTube channel.

On September 9, 2021, Francis Hanney, Senior Manager - Traffic Services Division/ADA Coordinator at PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT) - hosted an online meeting with residents to discuss road improvements to facilitate access and egress to the recently approved Arcadia Green development at the intersection of Newtown Bypass and Buck Road. For background, read “Newtown Residents Lash Out Against Arcadia Settlement.”

At least 4 options with variations have been proposed by the developer and by residents in the neighboring communities. For an explanation of the options, read "Controversy Regarding Proposed Arcadia Newtown U-Turn Option."

In this 21-minute audio snippet from that meeting, Mr. Hanney explains why he is opposed to all the options other than the U-turn option at Mill Pond Road. He also discusses criteria that must be met before the limited access restrictions on the Bypass may be lifted.

[Image shows the controversial U-Turn option pre-approved by PennDOT.]

Arcadia at Newtown Holdings, LP, proposes to develop a 60-unit single-family home residential community, located on the southwest corner of the intersection of the Newtown Bypass (S.R. 0332) and Buck Road (S.R. 0532) in Newtown Township.

One sticking point: How are future residents of the development going to access Buck Road and the Bypass?

As part of a Stipulation and Settlement Agreement between Arcadia Holdings and Newtown Township an Access Evaluation Process (AEP) was performed by the developer's traffic engineers - McMahon Associates, Inc. This study considered four access options.

According to PennDOT's Access Alternatives Response Letter dated June 7, 2021, "of the four alternatives presented in the Access Evaluation Study, the Department finds that Alternative 4 – Buck Road U-turn Improvement is the only acceptable option."

Meanwhile, over 500 Newtown Crossing residents have signed a "Tell PennDOT no U-turn at Millpond & Buck Rd." petition to request a review of this decision by PennDOT.

Read more, including a summary of the Access Evaluation Process and resident reactions…

We, the undersigned residents of Newtown Crossing, hereby request a meeting between our Homeowner’s Association representatives, Newtown Township representatives and responsible officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to discuss a decision regarding planned changes to an intersection at an entrance to our development.  We believe the planned changes will create a dangerous interchange for traffic in our community.

Access the petition...

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites the public to a virtual plans display regarding the Swamp Road Bridge Rehabilitation Project, located over a Tributary to Neshaminy Creek in Newtown Township, Bucks County. This project will rehabilitate the bridge by reconstructing a stone masonry retaining wall and repairing the existing stone masonry bridge components.

Traffic Impact
During construction, traffic will be detoured around the project area. The proposed detour route will use Worthington Mill Road to Route 413 (Durham Road) to the Newtown Bypass.  Vehicular access to the neighborhoods and homes on Swamp Road will remain available when the detour is in place.

Project Schedule
The project is currently in preliminary engineering and construction work is expected to begin in fall 2024. Following the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts, a virtual plans display is available for review and comment online from August 1, 2021, to August 30, 2021.

More...

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has turned down Arcadia’s request for direct access to the Newtown Bypass as part of its plans to build a new housing development at Buck Road and the Bypass.

The agency also rejected a secondary suggestion that would have allowed left turns from the development onto northbound Buck Road.

Newtown Township Solicitor David Sander announced the decisions at the township’s July board of supervisors meeting.

What it has agreed to, said Sander, is allowing a U-Turn at Mill Pond Road and Diamond Drive at the entrances to the Eagle Ridge and Crown Pointe developments that would allow traffic from the new development to double back for access to the bypsss and destinations north of the bypass.

In its letter to the township, PennDOT said it will “not allow” a new direct driveway access to Route 332 (Newtown Bypass), which would require a break in the Limited Access Right of Way. Additionally, it said the Department “will not permit” left turns out from the Service Road onto Buck Road as proposed in Alternatives 2 and 3.

PennDOT said it “has significant concerns with the safety and efficacy of the potential access options and movements, in particular the weaving movement that would be introduced on Route 332 in Alternative 1 and allowing lefts out from the Service Road onto Buck Road in Alternatives 2 and 3 especially given the increased turning movement volumes at that intersection due to the development as well the very close proximity of the Service Road intersection to the Route 332 signalized intersection combined with few gaps and long queues on northbound Buck Road.“

After studying all the options, PennDOT said the U-Turn option is the only “acceptable” alternative.

Read more...

The following is an email message sent to the Newtown Township Supervisors and several other elected officials from Fred Kachuk, a concerned Newtown Twp resident.

Hello neighbors,

Warmer weather and sunshine are finally here! Please consider taking the PENNDOT Transportation Survey before Wednesday, April 14.

This is an opportunity to comment about those daily annoyances that you would like to have fixed. I’ve submitted several comments online, and below are two which may also interest you.

TAKE THE SURVEY

On July 27, 2018, PennDOT officials met with Newtown Township officials and agreed to provide the following upgrades to Swamp Road at the intersection of Twining Bridge Road:

1.     Shifting double yellow along the center line 2 feet to the east to provide wider inside shoulder through the curve in the southbound direction. 

2.      Install “SLOW Curve Marking” legends in both directions to provide additional warning to the motorists.  

3.      Install “Raised Pavement Markers” to enhance the visibly of roadway alignment at night and/or during inclement weather. 

4.      Stabilize the shoulder with 2A aggregate to address pavement edge drop off from ST project.  

5.      Replace existing warning signs with larger doubled up advance warning signs for additional conspicuity.

6.      Replace damaged roadside delineators to define the edge of road.

7.      Bucks County Maintenance will evaluate the area to address drainage concerns