Upper Dublin committee recommends $32,250 traffic study for proposed transportation facility amid community safety questions

The Upper Dublin School District Finance Committee on March 13 recommended that the school board advance a traffic study proposal for a proposed district transportation facility to the legislative agenda.

Finance staff said two proposals were considered and recommended Traffic Planning & Design at a cost of $32,250, based on the scope of services in the packet. The presenter noted the proposal relies in part on a September 2018 traffic study as a baseline and that some items may require additional evaluation beyond the quoted price. He said solicitor-reviewed contract language is included and township approval will be required for any land development steps.

The administration highlighted an optional add-on: including an access road aligned with Spark Drive in the study, which the consultant estimated would cost about $3,000. Staff said they will hold an intake meeting with the consultant to confirm study dates and the specific times of day that will be covered during regular school traffic.

Several board members asked procedural and technical questions, including whether the study would be a single day or repeated observations, how weather or construction traffic would be handled, and whether crash-history data would be included (committee members were told crash data is not included in the current proposal but can be requested during intake).

At public comment, a resident warned against siting a bus depot in a residential area and questioned whether a traffic study done while the township building is under construction would be accurate. "We don't want a bus depot in a residential area," one speaker said, urging the district to consider outside experts and to prioritize alternative facility options.

Administration said the study is a requirement for land development and recommended moving the consultant agreement forward to the legislative meeting so the district can complete necessary analyses and present findings to the township. The legislative meeting will be where the board votes on any contract or next steps.