READING, Pa.- Parked cars. Fast traffic. And now, white lines marking where parking is going away on Hampden Boulevard in Reading.
The road has been the scene of several serious crashes over the years. PennDOT says the issue is line of sight, that parked cars near intersections block drivers and pedestrians from seeing each other. But neighbors we spoke with say the real danger is speed.
“It makes matters worse. The speeding still persists. And now they opened up the road even wider, so maybe they can run four abreast and race instead of just two abreast. The speeding is incredible around here, absolutely incredible,” said Anthony Carrozza.
Some business owners say they understand the safety concern but worry about losing customers.
“I think the line they make is good to prevent accidents. But I think they take too much from the sidewalk, and that’s going to affect my business, my customers, because they don’t have a place to park. I think the line is too far away,” said Eduard Salvador, a business owner along Hampden Boulevard.
City leaders say their options are limited because the road is controlled by the state.
“This is obviously a state road, so what we can do is very limited, and we definitely encourage residents to reach out to PennDOT and voice their concerns directly to the state,” said Reading Managing Director Jack Gombach.