Irwin plans crackdown on speeders
Public complaints about speeders zipping along Pennsylvania Avenue in Irwin have prompted borough officials to crack down on drivers who ignore the speed limit, which is 25 mph through Irwin.
A short-term answer might come through using a mobile radar sign, with a pending change to state law potentially delivering a long-term solution, police Chief Roger Pivirotto told council this week.
A solar-powered radar sign, which displays the speed of an oncoming vehicle, would cost more than $3,000, Pivirotto said. The cost drops, he said, if such a device is battery powered or connected to an electrical outlet.
“It deters people from speeding and makes them realize they are speeding,” Pivirotto said Wednesday.
Not only would the unit display a vehicle’s speed, but its software would keep count of the number of vehicles traveling that section of road along with recording the average speed and time of day, Pivirotto said.
The unit could be moved to other sites when needed, Pivirotto said.
Complaints about speeding along Pennsylvania Avenue were lodged during a Nov. 13 town hall meeting. Pivirotto said police do conduct traffic enforcement measures along the road.
Money is available in the budget to buy the equipment, said Shari Martino, borough manager.
While officials ponder that option, Pivirotto noted another could be on the horizon: the General Assembly is considering a bill that would give local police departments the ability to use radar. Under existing law, only state police are permitted to use the radar guns.
The state Senate this spring passed a bill overwhelmingly to permit police across the state to use radar as a deterrent to speeders. Senate Bill 607 is in the House Transportation Committee. The House version of the bill prohibits a motorist from being convicted of speeding unless their vehicle is traveling 10 mph above the speed limit on a highway, or 6 mph above the speed limit on a highway with a posted speed limit of 70 mph.
Under the House version, local police using radar could only issue warnings in the first 90 days of its use.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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