Rear-end collisions have plagued the Schuylkill Expressway for years. But new data from PennDOT suggests technology is making a difference in improving safety.
In 2021, PennDOT installed dozens of variable speed limit signs on the 14-mile stretch of the Schuylkill between US 422 and US 1. PennDOT also installed queue warning systems to let drivers know how long their commute would take. The technology cost $10.5 million, officials said.
The speed limit varies from 55 to 90 km/h, depending on weather and traffic, on a section of the highway where 130,000 cars travel every day.
During the five years before variable speed limit signs and queue warning systems, there was an average of 568 crashes per year, according to PennDOT, but after that there were 444 crashes annually, a decrease of 22%.
“We’re really proud of it,” said Din Abazi, PennDOT district administrator for District 6. “We still have more work to do, but this phase of the system is the first phase and it’s working.”
PennDOT said the variable speed limit signs and queue warning system are just part of the Transform 76 plan, which aims to reduce traffic and improve safety on the Schuylkill.
The next phase is widening the highway to create so-called flex lanes, where motorists can use the shoulder as a lane during rush hour. It will be a complex and expensive process, but PennDOT said there will be long-term benefits for drivers like Villanova’s Peter Caperonis.
“Compared to other major cities in the Northeast, the Schuylkill Expressway doesn’t have as much capacity, but it’s not as bad as the traffic in Boston, DC or New York,” Caperonis said. “I would say PennDOT is doing well compared to the other major cities.”
Madeleine Wright
