At the Oct. 13 Bath Borough Council meeting, residents commented on the alleged speeding that takes place on Green Street, adjacent to Keystone Park.

They said speed signs do not work. It was said the electronic speed signs that tell a driver what speed they are driving sometimes cause the driver to speed up.

The residents requested speed humps. Because the street runs parallel to Keystone Park, speed humps can be put in to slow traffic.

“We need speed humps to protect our kids,” one resident said.

Bath Borough may have to navigate a strict multistep engineering, legal and community process to get permission to install speed humps.

Under state rules, such as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Traffic Calming Handbook, municipalities cannot simply place asphalt speed humps on streets without studies and approvals.

Typically, the process a small borough follows to successfully get speed humps consists of several phases. There is an initial request and petition for the speed hump. A successful petition usually requires 75% or more signatures from the requested area.

The borough then investigates if the area meets basic eligibility criteria for a speed hump(s). The street must be a locally owned, borough-maintained street, not a state road.

Speed humps are strictly restricted from being placed on steep hills, sharp curves or within 250 feet of a traffic signal. A speed hump is generally only allowed on residential streets with a posted speed limit of 25 mph or less.

If the street is eligible, the borough’s engineer must conduct an official traffic study to measure actual vehicle speeds. To legally justify a physical speed hump, data must prove the 85th percentile speed is at least 5-10 miles over the legal limit.

The borough must then coordinate with police, the fire department and EMS because speed humps can delay emergency response times and can jar large firetrucks. Emergency services must sign off on the design or route.

The engineering and any other findings are then presented to council during a public meeting. If council approves the hump(s), they must allocate funding. Some boroughs use their liquid fuel or general funds.

The hump(s) must be constructed to exact regulatory specifications, usually 3 inches high and 12 feet long. Standard “street bumps” are illegal on public roadways.

The borough will also be required to install advance warning signs, advisory speed plaques and highly reflective pavement markings alerting drivers that they are approaching a speed hump.

In other business, Mayor Fiorella Reginelli Mirabito noted she spoke with Pennsylvania State Police-Troop M leader Lt. Jason Troutman, who reported things are going well in Bath. Reginelli Mirabito said the recent Coffee with the Cops event was a success, as a large number of police officers attended. The mayor noted she was grateful for the number of police there, but she wants to see the number of residents attending these events increase.

Reginelli Mirabito said the Treats with a Trooper event is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31 outside of borough hall, 121 S. Walnut St., during the official Halloween trick-or-treat hours.

The fire department reported there were 31 fire calls during September. Total fire department calls for 2025 so far are 347.

The next borough council meeting is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 16 in borough hall. It is a hybrid meeting, with both in person and online options. Visit bathborough.org to review the meeting’s agenda and to access the recording.