PA - Police target speeders at intersection

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Police target speeders at intersection
By MICHAEL DIVITTORIO, Daily News Staff Writer
04/07/2009

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Munhall police are cracking down on speeders and other unsafe drivers, especially near the intersection of Eighteenth Avenue and West Street, to make the area safer for pedestrians crossing the street. A crossing light funded by Steel Valley Council of Governments was installed at the intersection in October. It was supposed to deter speeding and allow for safer crossing by those from the Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh and a nearby mental health facility.
Mayor Raymond Bodnar and police Chief Pat Campbell said Monday that some drivers have slowed down, but many motorists continue to disobey the traffic control device. Now they will pay for it with fines and possible points on their license.
"They just glance at it and keep coming like a bat out of hell," Bodnar said. "The speed limit's 25 (mph) in Munhall and they're going 40. (They're) flying up there, especially at 5 o'clock when they're coming over the (Homestead Grays Bridge). Everybody goes through here to go to West Mifflin, Lincoln Place, all the other communities out there. We have extra-heavy amount of traffic there at that time."
PennDOT conducted a traffic study and GAI Consultants performed engineering work before the light was installed.
Bodnar said PennDOT will not approve a regular traffic light there due to the decline in traffic throughout the day.
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[supercowpowers]

Bodnar said PennDOT will not approve a regular traffic light there due to the decline in traffic throughout the day.
To read this and all the stories in today's Daily News, eligible subscribers can register for our Electronic Edition.

So make it a controlled intersection when it needs to be and a blinking yellow the rest of the day.