(1/2025) Traffic safety was the focus of public comments during the December Carroll Valley Borough Council Meeting.
Steve Semiatin, a former member of the council, suggested council add reflectors to the borough’s main roadways. He acknowledged adding street lights would be an expensive endeavor, but hopes the reflectors are a more budget-friendly alternative.
Semiatin also sparked discussion about a topic that has emerged several times in the past 20 years–the safety of the intersection of Routes 116 and 16.
Semiatin, as many others before him have, proposed a light or stop sign where the borough’s two main highways meet. Council members agreed with him, however the road is controlled by the State of Pennsylvania. Borough Manager Dave Hazlett said PennDOT only pays attention when, not if, someone dies.
"Unless there is a fatality, those intersections don’t become a priority," he said.
Hazlett said PennDOT may be more open to a conversation if the borough agreed to fund the project. Hazlett estimated a traffic signal would cost $250,000 but emphasized that number was only a guess.
Police Chief Clifford Weikert told the board that he and his officers will increase enforcement at the intersection of Routes 116 and 16. He will also place a borough-owned speed sign that shows drivers how fast they are traveling. Weikert confirmed Pennsylvania law prohibits the borough from installing electronic speed enforcement.
Laird Resolution
The council unanimously supported a resolution supporting a state law named after one of their own. State Sen. Doug Mastriano recently introduced "Joshua’s Law," which will extend first-responder death benefits to those who lived in Pennsylvania at the time of their death and perished in the line of duty in another state. The bill is named after the late Carroll Valley resident Joshua Lair, who lost his life from injuries sustained while battling a house fire Aug. 11, 2021 in Ijamsville, Md.
"This is the last place of all places that we should be splitting hairs when we have someone who dies of heroism, whether it is in Pennsylvania or Maryland," Councilman John Schubring said.
Hazlett noted the bill would extend to Carroll Valley residents who volunteer for Fairfield and Fountaindale volunteer fire companies. Since the borough is on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border, volunteers from those departments often respond to incidents when additional manpower is needed.
Mastriano first introduced the bill in October 2021. He plans to reintroduce it during the Pennsylvania General Assemblies 2024-25 legislative session.
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