Henry Avenue carries 23,000 vehicles each day through East Falls. Several of its intersections are prone to auto accidents that result in serious injuries and fatalities. A review of accident statistics from the last five years show that the intersection of Schoolhouse Lane and Henry Avenue is one of the top three dangerous intersections in the Fourth Council District.
In recognition of the danger posed by the high volume of traffic in the area, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation proposed a plan in 2012 for safety improvements along the road, but East Falls Community Council’s Traffic Committee argued that the plan wasn’t sufficient to slow traffic in the area.
Earlier this year, PennDOT released an Alternatives Analysis Report that considered five different options for improving the 1.4 mile stretch of Henry Avenue. PennDOT officials rejected community member ideas to narrow the roadway to one lane in each direction or place roundabouts at intersections to slow traffic because those alternatives would slow traffic flow too much and require the purchase of additional land.
The Community Council was quick to contest the “faulty metrics” in the report, saying that “we didn’t care that it would be slower. . . we want it to be safer.”
Although no satisfactory agreement was reached this summer, PennDOT is listening to community concerns and has once again delayed the start of road improvements, which were initially slated for 2015. Henry Avenue’s Alternatives Analysis report will be reviewed along with the community’s critique of the metrics used in the analysis. The new report should be released in 2017 and construction on Henry Avenue is now scheduled to begin in 2018.
At Kline & Specter, PC, we are dedicated to fighting for safety improvements for our clients in Pennsylvania and throughout the US. We often demand not only financial compensation for our injured clients, but also concessions that prompt important policy changes and safety improvements, such as required inspections of all fire escapes and inspection, repair, and replacement of electric power lines.
If you or your family member has been severely injured in an accident, please call the experienced injury attorneys of Kline & Specter for a free case consultation. You can contact our law firm online through this website or by calling 800-243-1100 today. We represent clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and across the nation.
