PENNSDALE - Muncy Township supervisors on Wednesday discussed a solution to help drivers at intersections when traffic lights stop working.
In a power failure, traffic must be maintained when the signal does not work, so fire police and volunteers stand out, sometimes in the rain, to direct drivers.
Chairman Paul Wentzler suggested attaching split stop signs near the traffic signals that would permanently be there, but unseen until needed. A volunteer would drop it down so people would know to stop before proceeding.
Whenever a traffic signal does not work, it is an automatic four-way stop, Supervisor Tom Schaech said. While that is a basic driver's education lesson, he said many people forget. Instead of stopping, they speed up through the intersections.
By having the stop signs that only would be visible when needed, crashes could be reduced. Fire police and volunteers also could be used to respond to emergencies.
Ideally, the supervisors want to purchase battery back-ups, but they are expensive and grants are not available for them, Wentzler said.
In other news, the supervisors voted for a $1 million bond, which Wentzler described as an "insurance policy."
The bond is renewed annually as a way to protect the township, in case of theft or malfeasance. Because there is more this year to cover, the higher bond was deemed necessary.
