State Police Public Information Officer for Troop L, David Beohm, said on June 29 that the State Police have not observed any speeding issues on Garey Road, Union Township, despite residents’ complaints to the contrary.
He said no warnings or tickets were issued during the five times – from May 19 to June 2 – that police were stationed at Garey Road.
The Union Township Board of Supervisors said residents have recently complained about before and after-school speeding as well as vehicles running the stop signs at Garey Road and Lanie Drive.
Township officials installed the stop signs in February in an effort to slow the vehicular traffic.
Daniel Boone School Board member Andrew Basile said at the board’s May 11 meeting that he was speaking for Union Township residents, who want resolution to the speeding, which is a safety concern.
Basile said residents estimate that vehicles are traveling between 50 and 60 miles per hour on the 35 mph road, and which is a back entrance to the Daniel Boone High School.
“Students and parents – in minivans – are speeding at very high rates of speed on Garey Road,” said Basile.
“Sixty miles an hour is probably not correct,” said Beohm.
“The only person that could estimate [the speed of a vehicle] is a cop. A lot of times it is the residents that are speeding on the road in question.”
“Garey Road has always been like that – for the 23 years that I have been [stationed] in Reading – and 19 years on patrol in Reading. Sure kids are racing. Our guys can run radar, and it generally stops for a while [after warnings and tickets are issued].”
Beohm said despite the absence of speeding or running the stop signs, State Police will continue to patrol the road and monitor the situation.
Union Township is covered full time by the State Police, which does not have a municipal police department.
“Garey Road is unique – we have a 10 minutes before and a 10-minute window after school to look into the residents’ complaints,” said Beohm.
Union Township Manager Michelle Kehoe said at the June 15 Board of Supervisors meeting that Sgt. Devon Brutowsky had spoken several times to high school students and parents before he was transferred from Reading.
“They’re working on it – working with us,” said Kehoe, adding that the township will try to acquire a police presence there again when school resumes in September.
High School Principal Preston N. McKnight addressed the situation with juniors, seniors, and their parents in May and advocated for safe and responsible driving, as well as being a “good neighbor.”
He said a security guard from M&G Security would posted in the area and monitor the situation each morning and afternoon.
“Closing the Garey Road entrance to the High School would require a traffic study to evaluate its effect on Route 345,” said McKnight.
“If someone gets caught speeding, they should lose their parking permit,” said Martino on May 11.
That suggestion was not voted upon by the board.