It may not be 50 shades of grey, but traffic signals at several Township intersections are at least a few different shades of cranberry.
A new plan aims to standardize those signals to one solid color – while saving money in the process.
The 14 signals were originally painted the cranberry color about a decade ago as part of a recommendation from a citizen’s advisory board. Over time, however, the paint has faded differently on different poles. Some signals have multiple shades of the color due to touch-up attempts.
The Township’s Public Works department worked with manufacturers and paint experts to determine the color used is heavily impacted by UV rays, and does not fade consistently in sunlight. It also does not stay consistent on different surfaces.
Public Works officials spent five years looking at solutions to the issue, and ultimately determined the poles would need to be entirely repainted once every five years, resulting in a large cost to the Township. That would be in addition to the work needed to simply get all of the poles cleaned and primed and at the same starting point for new paint. Even then, there is no guarantee the same deterioration wouldn’t happen again.
Instead, officials have decided to choose a new black glass paint that will fade more consistently and is more resistant to UV rays.
The first such signal was installed recently at the intersection of St. Francis Way and Route 19. Additionally, a left turn signal from Cranberry Mall onto Route 19 was added to help reduce backups from that exit.
Moving forward, the remainder of the signals will be prioritized and re-painted. Any new signals that may be constructed would be painted with the new black.
By making the switch, officials said they will be able to better maintain the signals, which will not fade as quickly or unevenly.
That, ultimately, will help keep the Township in the “black” for years to come.