Keeping stop signs visible is one Millcreek man's mission

Kenneth Kueshner has been looking for stop signs partially obscured by trees, bushes and more since witnessing an accident in his neighborhood.

Kenneth Kueshner witnessed a crash in his Millcreek neighborhood several years ago and wondered if a stop sign partially obscured by a tree branch was to blame. Since then, he’s been looking for other signs that drivers might not see in time to stop at intersections.

He is also looking for ways to encourage homeowners to trim trees and shrubs away from stop signs and to encourage drivers to report fallen or hard-to-see signs to Millcreek Township.

He also hopes to encourage school bus drivers to report problems.

Kueshner, 62, is a retired air traffic controller and drove school buses in the Fairview and Millcreek Township school districts.

“My whole life has been about security,” he said.

In search of security

Last year, Kueshner reported a half-dozen signal problems to Millcreek Township Supervisor Jim Bock, and those issues were quickly resolved, Kueshner said.

Kueshner has since reported other partially hidden stop signs, but says they represent only a small part of the problem.

“I can guarantee there are a lot more than just those seven signs in my neighborhood,” Kueshner said. “Millcreek is a big city.”

Kueshner recently shared his concerns with Millcreek Township supervisors, who said issues are addressed as they are reported by the public, police and other township employees.

“We don’t have staff that goes out full time to check (for signage issues),” said Kim Clear, chairwoman of the board of supervisors. “We don’t have that kind of staff.”

How to report a problem

Signs that are down or difficult to see can be reported to the township at 814-833-1111. The public can also report a problem on the public works department’s follow-up request form on the township’s website at millcreektownship.com, Clear said.

Once the report is received, the owner will be asked to remove the obstruction.

“We give the homeowner the opportunity to trim the foliage first,” Bock said, “because in the past there have been disagreements between homeowners and our staff about where they can go and where the right of way is, etc.”

If obstacles on the public domain are not removed within a prescribed or reasonable time, the municipality may remove them.

Kueshner points out that a municipality could be held liable for obstructions that cause injuries, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“…Shrubs obstructing an intersection or tree branches blocking a stop sign in the street right-of-way may be considered negligence in maintaining streets in a reasonably safe condition,” according to the department’s “Vegetation Control Guide for the Safety of Local Road and Street Maintenance Personnel.”

More calls to action

Kueshner suggested publishing a notice in an upcoming issue of the township’s quarterly magazine encouraging residents to trim bushes and trees away from street signs and to point out hard-to-see signs from a safe distance.

He’s also talking to First Student Inc., which operates buses for the Millcreek Township School District, about offering an incentive to school bus drivers to report hard-to-see signs. Kueshner hopes to offer a gift card that could be given away in a drawing among drivers who report the obstacles.

It can also be helpful to keep a record of what obstacles the municipality has removed and when they were removed, Kueshner said.

“When you cut down trees, most of them will grow back the following year,” Kueshner told supervisors. “If you have a log of when a tree was cut down and when, you know when to check again.”

The township will work with Kueshner to explore those suggestions and other ways to ensure stop signs are visible, Clear said.

“Maybe we could brainstorm some ideas,” Clear said.

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Contact Valerie Myers at [email protected].