Upper Gwynedd votes ahead traffic studies

Two traffic trouble spots could soon see close study, as township officials have voted ahead changes to a third.

The township heard a preview of those two studies on last month, voting ahead a closer look at parts of Sumneytown Pike and North Wales Road.

“We can evaluate these concerns from every angle,” said township Manager Sandra Brookley Zadell.

Last fall, the commissioners approved funding in the township’s 2025 budget for extra police staffing, which police chief David Duffy said at the time would help his department create a traffic safety unit that could tackle trouble spots around the township. About six months ago, the manager said, administration began operating a traffic safety committee comprised of administration and public works staff, police public safety officers, and the town’s traffic engineer which have started to look at those trouble spots and discuss possible fixes.

“If we’re talking about putting in a sign somewhere, our traffic engineer tells us if it’s legal or not legal. Often people will ask for a sign like, ‘Children at play,’ but that’s not actually a sign that’s approved by PennDOT,” Zadell said.

At that group’s most recent meeting, two requests were fielded and discussed for further study and possible fixes, according to the manager. The first will examine the right-turn-only lane on Sumneytown Pike at Supplee Road, which leads to a signalized intersection at the Gwynedale development.

“This should be called the ‘Chief Duffy right turn only lane’ — if you’re turning into Gwynedale, the right lane quickly becomes a right-turn-only lane, and residents and visitors to the township often cut across to the other lane, and it’s a safety issue for us there, which Chief Duffy works diligently to teach people … via tickets and warnings,” she said.

Staff have reported there are six to eight signs along that stretch of road meant to warn drivers about the lane, but those signs might be ignored by drivers watching the road.

“One of the recommendations that one of the safety officers recommended is: actually printing the ‘Right turn only’ on the roadway,” Zadell said. “That’s different, easier to see further back; printing that further back in the lane to help people know that hey, coming up, you’re going to need to switch lanes.”

The second targeted area would be on North Wales Road near Pennbrook Middle School, just south of Hancock Street: kids often walk to and from that school and the adjacent Gwyn Nor Elementary, and added signage could warn drivers to slow down, with a ‘Student crossing’ and/or flashing light sign possible.

“It’s another area where we require nearly constant enforcement activities, to get people to recognize the school zone,” Zadell said.

    A driver makes a right turn from Sumneytown Pike onto Supplee Road in Upper Gwynedd, where township officials have proposed a traffic study to investigate possible safety upgrades, on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
 By Dan Sokil | The Reporter   

Costs for making those upgrades would be provided as part of the studies, and the traffic engineer would apply to “the various permitting agencies” such as PennDOT to determine what can be done.

“The signs themselves are not expensive, it’s generally just the cost of the permitting, but we just wanted to gauge the board’s interest,” she said.

Commissioners President Katherine Carter asked if the township would need PennDOT approval for any or all of the changes, and Zadell said that’s what the study would identify. Duffy added the department issued two citations for the right turn lane “just today, but it’s gotten a lot better” with a recent enforcement push, and “to extend the school zone is really complicated, and does involve PennDOT,” thus the suggestion to add more signs first.

“We try to be very visible there all the time, especially when the elementary school kids are crossing” on the north side of the intersection nearest Gwyn Nor, Duffy said. “A sign facing the drivers, with a yellow light, would be an additional warning.”

Commissioner Rebecca Moodie asked if the study would also include possible signs on Hancock Street, and Duffy said that’s considered a different school zone with fewer kids crossing there. Commissioner Liz McNaney asked if any new sign on North Wales Road would be similar to a new crosswalk installed last year at a trail crossing farther south on North Wales Road at Moyer Boulevard, and Zadell said the hardware would likely be similar, depending on the traffic engineer’s recommendation.

“There will be one slowdown area, and then you’ll hit another. It’s a heavily-traveled pedestrian area,” the manager said.  

Brake retarder ban requested

During the same meeting, the board also announced plans to hold a hearing March 10 on an ordinance modifying the township codebook to prohibit brake retarders on a stretch of Valley Forge Road, an item first discussed at the board’s February meetings.

“The township has received several complaints from Upper Gwynedd residents regarding the noise caused by the brake retarders, along South Valley Forge Road” between Whites Road and Sumneytown Pike, said commissioner Rebecca Moodie.

“It’s a state-owned and -maintained roadway, so we requested that PennDOT evaluate this, and they did an evaluation and determined that all of the PennDOT criteria for prohibiting brake retarders were met,” she said.

All signage would be installed and maintained by the township, and the public hearing was required to amend the township’s codebook to add that prohibition. “A couple of other roads” in Upper Gwynedd carry similar prohibitions, according to assistant manager Megan Weaver, and a similar hearing and approval would be held by Towamencin Township since that township owns half of the roadway. Towamencin held that hearing during their Feb.12 meeting and approved their code change with no discussion, and a hearing will be held by Upper Gwynedd’s board on March 10 to formally field input and vote.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.