The Amity Township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved to accept the Roadway Sufficiency Analysis report prepared by Bogia Engineering, Inc., Wyomissing, during the Aug. 21 meeting. Supervisor Richard L. Gokey was absent from the meeting.
Acceptance of the report’s findings regarding current and future projected conditions of the township’s roads, will allow the Planning Commission to move forward with calculating the necessary capital improvement costs.
After nearly 10 years of residential and some commercial growth, the traffic impact fees paid by developers has amounted to $1.4 million for Traffic Service Area North and $144,000 for TSA South.
Township Solicitor Brian F. Boland said the funds must be contracted to roadway capital improvement projects beginning in 2015 through 2018.
Gregg Bogia, president of Bogia Engineering, said 17 different intersections were evaluated on the number of minutes needed to make the permitted turns.
That data was then calculated to future development and traffic projections in 2026.
The data was also used to ‘grade’ the intersection on an A though F scale, with extreme wait times receiving the Level F, or failing grade, and which need to be fixed.
Bogia said the recommended ‘possible improvements’ would improve the failing turns to a Level E.
Possible improvements that have been previously discussed by the township include aligning Weavertown and Blacksmith roads and installing a traffic signal, installing a traffic signal at Old Swede and Pine Forge roads, aligning Nicholson and Toll Gate roads at Old Swede Road and installing a traffic signal.
New recommendations include: a traffic signal at Benjamin Franklin Highway and Toll Gate Road, the addition of a right turn lane from northbound River Bridge Road onto eastbound Benjamin Franklin Highway, and the addition of a left turn lane on eastbound Route 422 to northbound River Bridge Road.
Bogia also recommended adding left and right turn lanes on westbound Route 422 at Old Airport Road and a left turn lane in the median for traffic turning left onto westbound Route 422. Turn lanes at that intersection would alleviate the ‘stacking’ problem.
Supervisor Paul R. Weller suggested at the June 11 Planning Commission meeting to add a second lane in the median at Old Airport Road for vehicles waiting to turn left onto eastbound Route 422.
The Limekiln and Monocacy Creek roads intersection issues would be resolved with the installation of a southbound and northbound ‘left only’ lanes, in addition to the straight and right turn lanes.
The board unanimously approved the appointment of Phillip Anesty, Pottstown, as an equipment operator at the Amity Township Wastewater Treatment Plant, Old Philadelphia Pike.
Anesty’s start date is Aug. 25 at $19.48 an hour. Township Manager Charles E. Lyon told the board that Pasquale N. Mascaro, Sr., has committed the final money needed to finish bathroom fixture work and landscaping on the Boyer Memorial Pavilion at Amity Community Park, Weavertown Road.
Lyon said the $10,000 donation was made following publication of an article in the Aug. 13 Southern Berks News, which mentioned the need for additional funds.
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