Drivers, beware

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

State Sen. Mike Stack appreciates the red light cameras and all of the efforts to make Roosevelt Boulevard safer, but he believes police enforcement is the best solution.
"There is absolutely no substitute for (police) cars on the Boulevard," he said. "That’s what makes people slow down."
Stack (D-5th dist.) was speaking Friday morning at the southeast corner of Red Lion Road and Roosevelt Boulevard. He was joined by state Rep. Mike McGeehan (D-173rd dist.), Traffic Court Judge-elect Mike Lowry, PennDOT’s Nick Martino and officers from the 7th and 8th police districts. The senator called for a moment of silence for slain police officer Chuck Cassidy.
The state officials presented a ceremonial check from the state Department of Transportation for $255,263 to the police department.
The police will use the money to pay overtime to officers to patrol the 12.5-mile stretch of Roosevelt Boulevard from Ninth Street to the Bucks County line.
Local police officials gladly accepted the state money.
"Our officers love doing Boulevard enforcement," said 8th Police District Lt. Susan Farley, speaking on behalf of district commanders who were attending the Police Academy graduation.
Farley and Sgt. Ed Hooven, of the 7th Police District, explained that enforcement efforts are generally weekdays during shifts from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 3:30 to 11:30 p.m. In addition, there’s a pilot program on weekends from 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.
"We’re there," Hooven said. "We usually have two teams out there."
The officers sometimes sit in parking lots to catch speeders or ride up and down the Boulevard. Occasionally, when a stop is made, they find that the driver is intoxicated, unlicensed or uninsured or operating an unregistered vehicle.
Stopping speeding motorists on the heavily traveled Boulevard can be difficult, the police acknowledge.
"When safety’s an issue," Hooven said, "unfortunately, we have to let them go."
The Roosevelt Boulevard Accident Reduction Initiative has been in existence since 2002. The latest grant represents an increase of about $6,000 from a year ago.
The focus on safety followed a report issued by State Farm Insurance listing the Boulevard intersections at Grant Avenue and Red Lion Road as two of the three most dangerous in the United States.
Stack said the police are enforcing the rules of the road at the same time they are protecting drivers and pedestrians who are obeying the law.
It’s a deterrent, Stack said, for motorists to see police writing tickets, impounding cars and making arrests, but the biggest benefit is saving lives.
McGeehan said that a safer Roosevelt Boulevard leads to safer neighborhoods, since fewer motorists will use residential streets if they feel comfortable on the 12-lane highway.
Martino, PennDOT’s District 6 assistant executive for maintenance, said the police patrols are a great complement to all of the state agency’s other safety measures such as signs, coordinated traffic signals and street markings.
In 2001, a year before the increased enforcement started, there were 21 fatalities on the Boulevard. From 2002-06, there were a total of 50 deaths, or an average of 10 per year. Accidents and injuries have also declined.
In April of this year, the city and state designated the Boulevard as a highway safety corridor. Fines are doubled for speeding, careless or reckless driving, tailgating, improper passing and other moving violations. Motorists can’t say they weren’t warned, since there are 14 huge 10-foot-high signs announcing the higher fines.
Next year, Martino said, PennDOT will use money secured by U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-13th dist.) to install signs at 48 intersections that show pedestrians how many seconds they have to cross the street. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com