The South Heidelberg Township Police Department conducted a series of high-visibility traffic enforcement details throughout July and August, targeting speeding, aggressive driving and pedestrian safety across several western Berks County communities.
Officers conducted targeted patrols at intersections and along heavily traveled roads in South Heidelberg and Heidelberg townships and the boroughs of Wernersville and Robesonia.
Among the locations receiving additional enforcement were Furnace Road and Franklin Street in Wernersville, where officers spent more than seven hours across nine details, and Balthaser Road and South Arthur Drive in South Heidelberg Township, where nearly seven hours of enforcement were conducted across nine details.
Additional patrols were conducted at East Wilson and North Reber streets and Lincoln Drive at Werner Street in Wernersville, as well as Roxberry Drive and Ivey Lane, Glen Tilt Avenue and Beckley Street, and Slater and Carriage drives in South Heidelberg Township.
In Robesonia, officers spent more than five and a half hours focusing on crosswalk safety in the 100 block of East Penn Avenue, including crossings at Linden, Robeson, Brooke and Wayne streets. Police also maintained a presence along Big Spring Road, Mountain Avenue and Penn Avenue to discourage speeding and other unsafe driving.
Aggressive driving enforcement
From July 6 through Aug. 16, the department also participated in aggressive driving enforcement funded through PennDOT Highway Safety Network Grants.
At Route 419 and Brickplant Road in Heidelberg Township, South Heidelberg police worked with Pennsylvania State Police during four hours of enforcement. Police issued 24 citations and five warnings.
At Fritztown Road and Old Fritztown Road in South Heidelberg Township, officers issued 14 citations and one warning during four hours and 15 minutes of enforcement.
Five citations and seven warnings were issued during five hours of enforcement at East High Street and Conrad Weiser Parkway in Heidelberg Township. Another seven citations were issued during two hours of enforcement in the 200 block of Furnace Road in Wernersville.
Speed trailer tracks traffic in Robesonia
The department also released data collected by its speed trailer along westbound East Mountain Avenue in Robesonia.
The trailer monitored traffic for 23 days from Aug. 30 through Sept. 21 in an area with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. During that period, 7,244 vehicles were recorded, an average of approximately 315 vehicles per day.
Police said the average recorded speed was 27.06 mph, while the 85th percentile speed — the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles traveled — was 32.62 mph.
According to the department, the trailer’s interactive driver feedback display had a 45.1% effectiveness rate in encouraging approaching motorists to slow down.
South Heidelberg police said additional high-visibility enforcement details will continue throughout the year. The department reminded motorists to follow posted speed limits, yield to pedestrians at marked crosswalks and avoid distracted driving.
