Motorists driving in South Whitehall may one day travel through roundabouts rather than standard signalized intersections in some locations.

At the Sept. 16 commissioners’ meeting, Township Engineer J. Ralph Russek Jr. reported on a preliminary Penn DOT study focused on roundabouts.

Russek said roundabouts are free-flowing traffic circles with no stop signs and no electronic signals, only yield signs.

“If there are any accidents, they will be less severe because of a softer impact,” Russek said, adding roundabouts are 100 percent federally funded.

The PennDOT study identifies the Hamilton Boulevard/Lincoln Avenue intersection near Dorney Park as a possible conversion to a roundabout.

Russek said PennDOT lists a corridor starting with Tilghman Street/Cedar Crest Boulevard extending west to Parkway Road and south to Broadway, in which each intersection could have a roundabout.

He noted the next step will be feasibility analyses for each intersection under consideration.

Board President Christina Tori Morgan, who serves on the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission where the study was presented, commented on the matter.

“PennDOT claims roundabouts reduce accidents because they slow the traffic,” Morgan said. “PennDOT is looking at this across the entire state.”

In other business, Sharon Holden, 1909 Walbert Ave., addressed the board regarding a lighting issue on her street.

She said the Quick Stop Mini Mart installed lights which shine directly on her house.

“It’s so light I don’t need to turn any lights on any more. I cannot sleep,” Holden said, adding a night light, which is supposed to go on when it gets dark, doesn’t go on anymore.

Her husband, Don, said Kalb Photo has lights on poles in front and back of the business and Lily sushi Asian Bistro restaurant has lights on the door.

“Everyone wants to protect himself at other people’s expense,” Don Holden said. “This is a neighborhood problem.”

Township Manager Howard Kutzler asked for the Holdens’ phone number to report back to them on the matter.