West Goshen’s $13,109 Boot Road signal repair proposal

West Goshen Township’s November 5 meeting packet proposes a $13,109 repair to the communications system at Boot Road and Greenhill Road. The stated problem involves getting that traffic signal’s equipment to communicate properly with the signal at the Route 202 ramp.

Township Manager Christopher Bashore’s November 5 memo says replacing the existing controller with a matching Q Free controller is necessary. The memo identifies Charles A. Higgins & Sons, Inc. as the township’s traffic signal maintenance contractor.

The meeting agenda, item 11, listed discussion and possible approval. An agenda entry establishes what was scheduled for consideration. It does not establish the result of a vote or a completed installation.

What the quoted price covers

The contractor’s October 9 proposal, attached on page 2, includes three components:

• Replacing the existing signal controller.
• Modifying the cabinet that houses the equipment.
• Replacing the communications switch.

The quote says matching the controller at the next intersection is required for the radio to communicate properly. It gives a combined price of $13,109, without an itemized equipment and labor breakdown or a controller model number.

That is the contractor’s stated compatibility requirement. The written proposal supplies no comparison of alternative configurations or installation timetable.

Why communication between signals matters

PennDOT’s Traffic Signal Maintenance Manual, section 5.3, explains that coordinated signals aim to synchronize intersections, reduce stops and support traffic flow at a target speed. Maintaining communication between controllers is part of keeping a coordinated system operating as intended.

The manual treats timing, detection and communications as separate checks. Its controller checklist covers signal timing, response to detector inputs and communication with a master controller where applicable. Its communications checklist on the following page calls for checking connections between components, network switches and wireless signal strength.

Those distinctions help explain the scope of this repair: the township is addressing how equipment communicates. The documents do not quantify a reduction in delays or establish the present condition of every signal function at the intersection.

What to look for in the follow through

A useful completion record would identify the installed controller and firmware, document that communication with the ramp signal works, and show that the operating settings were checked. PennDOT’s checklist specifically calls for recording controller make, model, firmware version and serial number.

Residents can follow the West Goshen agenda center for subsequent minutes and supporting documents. Approval, an installation date and test results remain unverified here. A signed authorization and completed maintenance record would answer different questions from the original quote.

Elsewhere in Chester County, the West Whiteland Route 100 proposal involves detection upgrades, backup power and a planned PennDOT network connection. Those are separate project records, useful for comparing the different pieces of traffic signal technology. More local reporting is available in the Chester County coverage hub.

Photo: cody reed on Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. Illustrative stock photograph of traffic lights, not the Boot Road intersection or the proposed equipment.