A traffic study done at the intersection of Church and Main streets has shown less dramatic results than expected for Macungie Borough. According to borough engineer Ryan Kern of Barry Isett & Associates, the results of the traffic study may warrant submittal to PennDOT but it is likely a traffic light would be rejected.

Only two of PennDOT's warrants used for determining the necessity for a traffic light apply to the intersection. Warrant 3 is the Peak Hour, referring to traffic volume in one of the 12 hours in the traffic study. Warrant 8 is also applicable, says Kern. It is a subjective warrant that asks whether the traffic signal would improve the roadway network and traffic flow. Kern says they have determined the answer to be yes, but reminded council this is subjective. Kern explained that it was assumed the traffic signal would generate more traffic through that point at peak hours. Currently he posits that fewer cars use that intersection because of the inherent difficulty in making left-hand turns onto Main Street.

The traffic study showed traffic volume of 12,689 cars, 1,006 trucks, and 142 pedestrians at that intersection. Council president Chris Becker said he found these numbers startlingly lower than he expected, considering a prior traffic study done in 2004 for the Southwestern Lehigh County Revitalization Plan that yielded above 15,000 vehicles. Becker was uncertain of the exact numbers but stated later that some research would be put into doing a comparison.

Even if PennDOT approves the traffic signal, Macungie is under no obligation to install one. The issue can be tabled or the council can decide the signal is not needed yet. At any rate the traffic study would have to be conducted again, as PennDOT considers all traffic studies outdated after two years.

Kern also did some research on accidents at the intersection and found only two or three accidents in the last five years. The intersection does not meet the warrant's criterion for five or more crashes susceptible to correction by a traffic light within a year period. This aroused some surprise from council members who recalled more accidents at the intersection but nothing official was determined on that point.

Kern says that Church Street rather than Main Street would need more traffic to get a light at the intersection. Council member Jean Nagle and Becker agreed that it was not the right time and to take a look at the study again later. The traffic signal will remain on council's agenda as unfinished business.

In other business, Joe Devine of the Devine School, now under construction on Lumber Street as of June 17, appeared before council to discuss a new issue pertaining to the temporary walking path originally agreed upon in the property plans.

The cinder walking path is only temporary, allowing walking access for students from the bus drop-off and pick-up area on Lehigh Street to the school at Lumber and Main streets. Devine pointed out that the plan agreed upon last year designates the path alongside Lumber Street, a proximity he is concerned about when time comes for construction work to begin on the street itself. In addition, the disused lumber yard is covered intermittently with a fine gravel, including large patches throughout the outer edge of the property.

Devine proposes moving the walking path away from Lumber Street to the area of existing gravel, explaining that this would take advantage of resources already available rather than hauling in new gravel to cover up existing grass.

Devine proposed a five-foot-wide path marked by rope boundaries, but council didn't like that idea. Nagle was concerned the ropes may prove a safety hazard to small children. Instead, council and Devine agreed that the path would be delineated with stones of a different color than the current gray gravel covering the site. The temporary path will follow the creek bed along the western edge of the property from Lehigh Street up to the new building. As construction on Lumber Street proceeds, most likely early next spring, construction on the permanent sidewalk will commence as well and eventually the walking path will be removed.

Macungie was ap-proved for $50,000 in Community Development Block Grants to cover 14 handicapped ramps in the borough, but borough manager Chris Boehm says she'll need $6,000 more to cover the shortfall of the grant. The agreement will come before council before the manager can act on it.

Boehm also asked Macungie residents to remember not to put out garbage before 6 p.m. on Sunday evenings. Borough Hall has received complaints and no garbage is to be put out for Monday pick-up before that time.