Officials eye safety upgrades at Tarentum spray park amid vehicle crashes

Tracy Tressler is a regular at the Tarentum spray park.

Most days in the summer, she walks the few blocks from her job at Kiddieland on East Fourth Avenue with her students so they can run around and cool off.

Hearing the borough is eyeing safety upgrades at the splash pad was welcome news.

Tarentum Council has announced a plan to add traffic bollards — thick posts — outside of the fence.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Tressler said.

The move comes as a direct result of vehicle accidents at the spray park, Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf said.

“The most recent incident (this spring) was severe enough that, had the park been open, it could have seriously injured children,” Boddorf said.

The spray park is a popular area for borough residents and others from across the Alle-Kiski Valley. Most days, the park is full of young kids and their families. With the addition of an adjacent pavilion, people eat lunch or celebrate special occasions there, council President Scott Dadowski said.

“Unfortunately, there have been several accidents in the past few years involving either cars speeding down First Avenue, running the stop sign or both,” he said. “The black aluminum fence has been damaged and replaced several times.”

All of the incidents happened when the spray park has been empty, but Dadowski worries about the next one.

“The installation of these bollards will be a necessary safety precaution to help protect the young children and families if an accident occurs during the daytime,” he said. “It’s a small price to pay to ensure the safety for everyone that uses the park.”

Tressler applauded the idea. She said it will make her more comfortable, especially since there are days when the water pad is shoulder-to-shoulder with young kids.

“I even think they should fence in the playground area to block it off a little,” she said.

Security cameras also will be replaced at the park during the project. Three cameras are damaged.

“One was hit during a storm, another had its line cut and a third was on a telephone pole that was struck by a vehicle,” Boddorf said.

Officials will meet with the engineers to decide on the number of bollards needed and appropriate spacing to determine a project cost.

The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

“We care greatly about the safety of residents and visitors to Tarentum, especially in spaces used by our most vulnerable populations,” Boddorf said. “Given the park’s proximity to a truck route, we are taking proactive steps to ensure the protection of the area.”