Ferguson Township Awarded State Funds for Intersection Improvements

Ferguson Township will receive $80,000 for upgrades at two signalized intersections in the Northland area.

According to a news release from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office, the funds will be used to upgrade bicycle and motorcycle detection by installing dilemma zone and digital radar detections at the Blue Course Drive intersections with Circleville Road/Teaberry Lane and Havershire Boulevard.

Dilemma zone detection is used to minimize the number of vehicles that cannot stop or continue before the light turns red. Digital radar has become increasingly used around the United States for detecting when bikes approach an intersection to be recognized by the signal.

The money comes from the PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement funding. Under state law fines from red light violations at 30 intersections in Philadelphia supply funding for projects statewide to improve safety, enhance mobility and reduce congestion.

Ferguson Township is one of 38 municipalities to be awarded ARLE funding this round and one of two in Centre County. Huston Township will receive $25,000 to improve safety on Route 3040/Alt 220, to the east of Julian, by installing a new solar-powered flashing warning sign on pedestal support pole.

Statewide, $15.4 million in ARLE funding will be distributed.

“This program helps communities across the state make investments in traffic flow and safety,” Wolf said. “These improvements complement the many road, bridge, and multimodal projects happening in Pennsylvania.”

Ferguson Township has received state funding from both the ARLE program and the state’s Green Light Go program for the past several years to upgrade to radar detection at signals around the township.