West Penn Township deliberated this week on the best way to curtail speeding on Zion’s Stone Church Road.

Township solicitor Paul J. Datte mentioned a study that was conducted in 2001.

Datte said the vehicle code permits the establishment of a 25 mph speed limit in a residence district if the highway is not a numbered traffic route (Zion’s Stone Church Road is not a numbered traffic route) and is functionally classified by PennDOT. He said the entire length of Zion’s Stone Church Road suggests that the road can be classified as a residence district, and a 25 mph speed limit can be established.

A resolution is needed to establish a residential district.

Another alternative, Datte said, would be to do a new traffic study if the township wants to establish the speed limit at 35 mph. If the traffic study supports the 35 mph, then the board would have to adopt an ordinance for 35 mph based on the traffic study.

A final option, Datte said, is that if no changes are made, then the speed limit on Zion’s Stone Church Road West of the existing 25 mph residence district would remain at 55 mph.

Supervisor Tim Houser said he was in favor of the residence district.

Datte suggested it may make sense to make the whole road 25 mph.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti suggested that Datte create a resolution for the speed limit to be 25 mph in a residence district.

Prudenti asked the township roadmaster to get a price quote to see how much the signs would cost.

Resident Gary Steigerwalt told the board he believes the signs would be a waste of time and money unless they’re enforced.

Houser said he understood, but added this would give the township at least some safe footing.

“It’s not that we want to punish them,” Houser said. “We’re trying to do a little bit of preventive maintenance.”

Supervisor Glenn Hummel said it’s merely a way to try to fix the problem.

How to slow drivers down on Zion Stone Road has been an issue the township has faced for several years, dating back to 2020.

The matter was originally brought up for discussion in March 2020 in an attempt to slow drivers down on the roadway.

The board had asked then police Chief Brian Johnson to see what he could do to slow drivers down on Zion Stone Road.

That came in response to several requests the board fielded to reduce the speed limits in 2019.

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

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 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 895 and Summer Valley Road.

That issue was with regard to a request by Nicole Bailey, who asked supervisors in May 2020 to have the speed limit reduced along that portion of 895.

Per PennDOT’s response, the township had to tell them what speed they 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 noted 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.