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Daily Local Update: State Seeks to Reduce Road Noise

The Daily Local News had a recent article written by Gretchen Metz, staff writer on July 6th, 2008, regarding how the State Seeks to Reduce Road Noise.

The article begins:

TREDYFFRIN - This time the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is making the noise, not the traffic.

The commission has filed an application for a variance to a Tredyffrin noise ordinance that was enacted in summer 2006. The ordinance requires the commission to put up more sound walls than the commission wants to as it widens six miles of the turnpike from Valley Forge to nearly Route 29 in the township.

An appeal hearing before the Tredyffrin Zoning Board is scheduled for Aug. 28.

Some 14 areas along the six miles were studied for noise by the company hired by the commission but only 11 were recommended for sound walls, according to the township. The township said all 14 sections should have the sound walls.

The commission’s position is that no one municipality or private-interest group is going to sacrifice the interest of millions of motorists or set a bad precedent for the commission.

read the full article on the Daily Local.

Also, note that this article discusses the use of SOLAR COLLECTING WALLS to produce energy for rest stops and other

…is also working on a secondary solution, a product from the Spanish company Isofoton, sound walls that also that have solar storage capabilities.

… is hopeful the additional funding could be obtained from the Department of Environmental Protection and would be combined with turnpike funding as a way to get the remaining walls approved.

The solar sound walls are already in use at the Munich Airport in Germany. The power generated by the walls could be used to operate turnpike rest stops. If there is extra power generated, that could be sold and the money used to fund highway improvements, the senator said.

Turnpike rest stops?? Wow, what a coincidence. The Peter J. Camiel rest stop at Mile Post 304.8 Westbound is right in the area where all of us reside. My neighbors up the street actually look right onto the toll plaza. According to one Wallace Twp resident, “This would be a win-win situation for the PA Turnpike Commission.” I totally agree.

This Post has been published with BlogDesk.

PA Residents Struggling with Turnpike Noise

Don’t just think the PA Turnpike noise issues are only affecting us in Glenmoore…other communities along the turnpike are voicing concerns to their State Senators and the PA Turnpike Commission. One of these communities is on Boone Way in Lansdale, PA. Residents there are fighting for sound barriers along their section of the Northeast PA Turnpike extension. Last week residents of Boone Way met with Senator Wanderling, Kate Harper and the PA Turnpike Commission regarding how they perform sound decibel tests.

The Reporter, a local newspaper, along with NBC10 reporter, Dawn Timmeny, were on site for interviews and to hear first hand the awful traffic sounds along their residential street. Read the rest of this entry »

What is Highway Traffic Noise?

In browsing around the web this evening I decided to search on “PA Turnpike Traffic Noise barriers”. My search led me to a few pages but then I landed on this one and wanted to share it with everyone.

It is a web page from the US Dept of Transporation Federal Highway Association on the Noise of traffic.

Give it a good read to learn about the constant “hum” of the traffic in our backyards.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/htnoise.htm

Our Efforts are Rewarded

Thanks goes out to all of the residents that attended the August 25th meeting with Sen. Rafferty’s aides and the PA Turnpike Commission. Our efforts have been rewarded, or at least, we have had the first issue resolved–the eastbound pull off has begun to be closed. According to Lois R., resident of Wallace Twp., PENNDOT was on-site this morning beginning to wall of the pull off area across from the Peter J. Camile Service Plaza.

This is good news for the residents of Sycamore Lane and Mapleflower Road, especially those that backup to the turnpike. Hopefully with this barrier installed it will reduce the daily noise of tractor trailers pulling off the road at all hours of the day, reduce the amount of litter from stopping motorists, and make the turnpike somewhat safer to drive by not allowing traffic to pull off and back on to the turnpike.

You can see the related article over on WestGlenmoore.org’s sister blog, www.SycamoreLane.org. Article posted here.

PA Turnpike Meeting was a Partial Success!

Here is a recap from Cathy Poole:

The meeting between Senator Rafferty, PA Turnpike and concerned residents was a partial success for us! Although Mr Rafferty was unable to be present, someone from his office attended. The PA Turnpike reps were at the meeting and about 15 or so concerned residents were there as well!

The one good success was the PA Turnpike promised to have the pull-off removed by December at the latest. That should provide some relief to the intruder and trucker problems. Now we need to have Tim, the zoning officer at the twp office do some official decibel readings for the possibility of a retrofit barrier petition. In addition we will look into ways to get the truckers to turn off their engines while eating at the rest stop and curtail their jake braking.

Thanks to everyone for showing your support! Considering who we are trying to win over, we did very well!

PA Turnpike Meeting Sat, Aug 25th @ 10:30am

Hello fellow Glenmoore Residents,

We wanted to invite/remind you about the upcoming meeting regarding the noise pollution and safety of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

On Saturday, August 25th residents of Glenmoore (Wallace and West Nantmeal Twp) will be meeting at the Sycamore Lane Cul-de-sac (off of Adams Rd/Little Conestoga). Click for map.

The meeting will occur at 10:30am and Senator Rafferty and the PA Turnpike reps will be there to hear our concerns regarding noise and safety of the turnpike.

To recap:

What: PA Turnpike Meeting

Where: 101 Sycamore Lane, Glenmoore, PA

When: Saturday, August 25th @ 10:30am

For more information: Call Cathy Poole at 610-942-3432.

Agenda:

1. Elimination of pull-off: Progress? Was it not he cause of a recent accident with a school bus and a tractor trailor?
2. Fence was replaced, but it is very short and inadequate
3. Noise Barrier: this side of the turnpike could not be feasibly expanded so why wait for an extra lane on this side to do so? We need a sound barrier.
4. We need signs erected for truckers to stop jake braking, it literally shakes our houses when they do so to go into the rest stop.

We’d like to see at least one member of each household be present to show the Senator and PA Turnpike Commission that we are serious. You are also encouraged to bring your children and dogs too!

 

Homeowners don’t like the sound of no barriers

I received this article from Cathy Poole and we thought this gives us more information regarding the turnpike sound barriers and we can share this information at our upcoming meeting on August 25th.

By Jeremy Rogoff/Inquirer Staff Writer

Maria and Steve Moyer’s backyard in Towamencin Township is to be largely taken for the Northeast Extension widening project. They are concerned because sound barriers have not been approved for their area. The cost is too high, officials say.

Maria Moyer has lived with the pounding din of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension for seven years. Her two-story Colonial on Boone Way is so close to traffic that the Towamencin Township resident has seen the grisly results of fatal crashes.

Read the rest of the story here