Proposed Parking Changes Near 'Intersection of Concern' Tabled

A proposal to limit on-street parking near what police chief Robert Shupp has labeled an drew criticism at Hellertown Borough Council's Feb. 6 meeting, and council ulimately decided to table consideration of the recommendation pending additional review.

At the meeting, Shupp told council members that his proposal to further limit on-street parking near the intersection of Penn Street, Durham Street and Delaware Avenue is not a knee-jerk reaction to an accident that occurred there following a snowstorm in late January.

Rather, he said the intersection has been problematic for years, and that an informal traffic study he recently conducted there confirmed that on-street parking is causing cars to cross over a double-yellow line and potentially into oncoming traffic.

"This is the main route that is used by our emergency services vehicles," Shupp said of the Durham/Penn route, which leads directly from Main Street (Route 412) to  on Durham Street.

"I'm one for preventing accidents," he said. "I would hate to see a head-on collision between a firetruck and a family."

Shupp told council that he would like the south side of Durham Street made a "No Parking" zone west of 326 Durham Street, which is where the zone currently ends.

Doing so would help improve visibility at the nearby intersection where Durham, Penn and Delaware all meet, he said, and further restricting parking along Penn Street would also help, he added.

"The real problem intersection there is where Penn meets Durham," Shupp said, referring to the "triangle" point just to the east of .

In addition, Shupp said he would like to see a wiggle in the double yellow line on Durham east of the intersection removed.

"I...would like to realign it and just make it a straight line," he said.

Shupp acknowledged that further restricting on-street parking in the densely populated neighborhood will be an "inconvenience" for some residents, but he argued that the increased safety of motorists and emergency services personnel should trump that fact.

"If you save one person I guess it's worth it, right?" he said.

Residents and council members, however, did not appear totally convinced by the need to take what councilwoman Gail Nolf called a "drastic measure."

Nolf, who said she wanted council vice president John Bate and councilman Mike McKenna to be present for the discussion (both were absent from the Feb. 6 meeting), said she had "a problem with taking this much parking away" and added that motorists need to be personally responsible for their behavior.

"Sometimes you have to wait," she said. "And sometimes you have to park behind. And sometimes you close the road."

Nolf also said that, in her opinion, similar parking restrictions could be enacted along numerous other borough roadways where visibility at intersections is an issue.

Sherrie Cruz, a resident of the 300 block of Durham Street, was one of several residents at the meeting who voiced opposition to the proposed removal of parking.

"Parking is an issue, and if the parking situation were to change with no parking on...Durham Street, we would be taking away parking from people who have already established their parking," she said.

Shupp, during the discussion about the proposal to remove parking, noted that an "all black" motorcycle has frequently been parked on the street in the vicinity of where the changes would take effect, and said it has been a source of concern to authorities as a "safety hazard."

When police have asked the owner of the bike--who Cruz identified as her husband--to voluntarily remove it from the street, he has consistently refused to do so, arguing that it is legally parked on the street, Shupp said.

Cruz responded by stating that the motorcycle is no longer parked on the street.

"It's gone," she said. "It's totally off the road now."

Another resident who spoke before council questioned whether making Delaware Avenue one-way heading north would help to alleviate problems at the intersection.

Council president Phil Weber said that idea was discussed about 10 years ago, and councilman Tom Rieger expressed hope that it will be explored again.

"Let's look at the whole picture," he said, in making a motion to table the decision.