Walnutport hopes to get a grant to improve safety at a dangerous intersection.

On a 6-0 vote, borough council on Thursday agreed to have the borough contact the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to take the necessary measures to authorize left turn indicator lights be placed at the traffic light at the intersection of Route 145 and Main Street.

Before the vote, borough engineer Jason Newhard said there needs to be five reportable crashes due to left turn conflicts in a 12-month period just for PennDOT to begin looking into it.

Newhard said they were going to look for a Green Light — GO grant.

Borough police Chief Jason Nothstein said they’ve been getting a lot of citizens complaints about it.

Nothstein mentioned most of the complaints pertain to traffic backups, along with family members who were involved in it that felt if there was a turn arrow, could have avoided it.

“There’s been so many close calls,” Nothstein said. “It’s a safety issue, and I think it would be great if we could get a grant.”

Borough grant coordinator Michael Wentz said the borough has spoken to state Sen. Nick Miller and state Rep. Zach Mako about it, and they are in full support of it.

Wentz said the borough is eligible for a Green Light — GO grant, which would pay for it as long as PennDOT approves it, and then there would have to be a traffic study.

It was then suggested that it be put on next month’s meeting agenda to apply for the grant.

Councilman Harold Greene was absent.

After the meeting, Nothstein said that since June 1, 2024, he believes there have been eight reportable crashes at that intersection due to the left-turn conflict.

Wentz said after the meeting that the traffic has increased at the intersection, and added, “This has been a bad subject for a while.”

He noted that the borough previously received a grant for the light several years ago.

But, Wentz said at that time they couldn’t put the arrow on because PennDOT wouldn’t allow it.

He said that while it is the borough’s traffic light, Main Street and Route 145 are PennDOT’s.

In April 2019, the then borough council agreed to pay an additional $5,500 to have C.M. High Inc., proceed with the bad traffic loop sensor.

Newhard said at that time the LED and preemption work was completed at the light.

It was announced earlier that month that a whole new control system, new lights, emergency preemption, wiring and poles have been installed.

In March 2019, it was stated that upgrades to the light would cost more than anticipated after C.M. High Inc. hit a snag while doing the work.

Borough council had previously awarded a quote to the Myerstown firm in the amount of $12,150 for upgrades to the traffic light.

But, Newhard said at that time that in doing the work, it was discovered that the northbound Route 145 loop sensor wasn’t working.

That resulted in the additional cost of $5,500.

The borough had been awarded a $25,000 Green Light — GO program 50/50 matching grant.

Newhard said at that time he would submit everything to the state Department of Transportation for the grant reimbursement, adding that hopefully PennDOT would pay.

The control panel was replaced by an insurance claim.