PennDOT using red light fines to fund 11 area projects

Money earned from fines for automated red light enforcement, specifically $13 million, will be used for safety improvements in 35 municipalities including 11 in Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties, PennDOT announced.

This investment brings the total dollars awarded through the ARLE funding program to $141.15 million, funding 576 transportation enhancement projects since 2010.

Pennsylvania’s ARLE program aims to improve safety at signalized intersections by providing automated enforcement at locations where data shows red-light running has been an issue. Grant funding is supplied by fines from red light violations at 34 intersections in Philadelphia.

State law specifies that projects improving safety, enhancing mobility and reducing congestion can be considered for funding. Municipalities submitted 97 applications, totaling $54 million in requests. Projects were selected by an eight-member committee based on criteria such as safety benefits and effectiveness, cost, and local and regional impact.

“This program helps communities across the state make important investments in traffic flow and safety,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said in a press release announcing the funding. “These improvements complement the many road, bridge, and multimodal projects happening in Pennsylvania, and are in line with the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to invest in Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and help keep communities connected safely to opportunity and each other.”

Here are the local projects to be funded:

Berks County

• Wernersville Borough — $3,551.18 for a speed feedback display unit to be installed for borough vehicles.

Chester County

• East Pikeland Township — $367,162 to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Ridge Road and Hares Hill Road.

• London Britain Township — $32,219 for the installation of flashing warning devices on northbound and southbound Route 896 in the vicinity of Strickersville Road and South Bank Road.

• North Coventry Township — $287,100 for traffic signal upgrades along the Route 100 and Route 724 corridors including installation of stop bar and dilemma zone detection, LED signal indication upgrades, and installation of new backplates with reflective strips and installation of ADA compliant pedestrian pushbuttons with LED latching.

• West Fallowfield Township — $95,000 for installation of left turn phases for the Route 41 approaches to Route 10 and related traffic signal upgrades.

Montgomery County

• East Norriton Township — $539,606.93 for a new traffic signal installation at Township Line Road and Hannah Avenue/Townline Drive.

• Lower Moreland Township — $320,100 to upgrade the traffic signals at the intersections of Welsh Road and Valley Road and Welsh Road and Lieberman Drive.

• Lower Salford Township — $86,200 to upgrade pavement markings on various roadways to provide for bike lanes, where appropriate, the installation of on-road bike lane legends and associated signage.

• Salford Township — $346,723 to modernize the signal equipment at Ridge Road (Route 563) and Allentown Road (Route 1001).

• Upper Hanover Township — $205,300 to install overhead Red Signal Ahead Warning Assemblies and retroreflective backplates at the intersection of Layfield Road (Route 663) and Knight Road/Kutztown Road (Route 1033).

• Whitemarsh Township — $26,347 to install protected left-turn phasing along all four approaches at Joshua Road (Route 3014) and Stenton Avenue (Route 3003) and along the westbound approach at Joshua Road (Route 3014) and Flourtown Road (Route 3007).