The issue of speeding along a busy stretch of roadway in West Penn Township remains a concern for one resident.

Larry Stival, of Summer Valley Road, asked supervisors Monday morning if anything has changed concerning the speed limit on Route 895.

“There’s a double-yellow line, people pass,” Stival said. “You’re just waiting for a T-bone to happen.”

Stival said he previously contacted the township’s police department, and that he sees police sitting at Leiby’s.

“Let’s put up an electronic sign,” Stival said. “I don’t see any police activity on 895.”

Supervisor Glenn Hummel told Stival that police do patrol 895.

Supervisor Tim Houser said he understands Stival’s concern.

“It’s happening all over the township,” Houser said.

Stival then asked whether the township could get no passing signs.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti said the issue is that it isn’t a township road.

“Part of the problem, it’s not our road,” Prudenti said. “We can ask PennDOT.”

In April 2019, resident Gary Steigerwalt told the board he’d like to see the speed reduced on Route 895.

Township solicitor Paul J. Datte said at that time there were two possibilities: If the homes are along a significant stretch, then the township is permitted to declare it a residential district; other than that, he said the township would need to conduct an engineering study.

Houser said then that he agreed with Steigerwalt that the speed limits on township roads should not be 55 mph.

The board announced earlier that month that a traffic study must be conducted in order for the speed limit to be reduced along Route 895.

Supervisors said the township had received a response from the state Department of Transportation that the township would have to conduct a traffic study for Route 895 and Summer Valley Road.

Nicole Bailey asked supervisors in May 2020 to have the speed limit reduced along that portion of 895.

The township had to tell PennDOT what speed it would like to see it reduced to.

Township secretary Katie Orlick previously said she requested 45 mph and a no passing zone from Route 309 to Dorset Road.

PennDOT said that speed limits are typically established based on recent crash history, as well as the 85th percentile speed, which is the speed at or below which 85 percent of the motorists are driving under normal roadway conditions during daylight hours.

In October, supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution to lower the speed limit to 25 mph on the section of Fort Franklin Drive between Blue Mountain Drive and the Schuylkill County line.

In June, supervisors dropped the speed limit to 25 mph on Zions Stone Church Road.

That came after Datte in May cited a study that was conducted in 2001.

Datte said the vehicle code permits the establishment of a 25 mph speed limit in a residential district if the road is not a numbered traffic route (Zions Stone Church Road is not a numbered traffic route) and is functionally classified by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

He said the entire length of Zions Stone Church Road could be classified as a residential district, and a 25 mph speed limit could be established.

A resolution was needed to establish a residential district.

How to slow drivers down on Zions Stone Church Road has been an issue for several years.