A consultant to the borough recommended that a policy designed to help curb traffic problems be taken to step two with a focus on speed.

Ron Seybert, a Trans-Associates representative, relayed the decision to the State College Borough Council through a presentation complete with data collected during a recent traffic study. He said the East Highlands Traffic Calming Policy was needed.

"We should do something in accordance to the policy," Seybert said. "[We] would benefit from speed traffic calming."

The area in question spreads from Beaver Avenue to Hamilton Avenue and from Pugh Street to University Drive.

Step one in the policy attempted to show whether or not the study should proceed by determining if the volume of vehicles through the area and the speed of the vehicles warranted further consideration.

Seybert said the vehicles traveled at an average of 11 miles over the posted speed limit in the grid. He said it was enough to recommend speed mitigation to the council.

Chris Falzone, the chair of the transportation committee, said that movement toward a solution was preferable.

"We've been sitting on this problem for awhile," he said. "We're at a point where we can achieve something."

Council member Cathy Dauler said she thought the "stumbling block" was trying to determine whether speed or volume should be given priority.

"We have the recommendation from the consultant," she said. "We should take the recommendation rather than spend a lot of time arguing."

Council member Janet Knauer suggested that council not be so hasty when determining whether or not to proceed with Trans-Associates' recommendations.

"We should not use it because somebody voted for it," she said. "[We] should use a policy wisely, not just use a policy. It does not mean we have to accept everything as Gospel."

The study divided the traffic into two groups: "cut-throughs" and trips that took place within the area. "Cut-throughs" are trips taken through the neighborhood when the origin of the trip was not within the neighborhood.

Residents within the area voiced concerns about tactics taken during the study and possible solutions that could materialize.

"When you talk about a cut-through, people coming from Burger King to a store [within the area], you consider it a cut-through," said Richard Becker, who lives on the 300 block of East Prospect Avenue. "I think it's just good judgment in your driving."

Council member Jeff Kern said he wanted to know where the points of origins were for the cut-throughs documented in the study.

"If most of the cut-through traffic is from immediate adjacent apartments or buildings ... we might have a different discussion," he said.

Garner Street was a point of concern because of the high volume of traffic accidents that occurred over the past three years on the corner of Prospect Avenue and Garner Street.

Council member Elizabeth Goreham said neighborhood safety was a "big concern."

She said Garner Street is a high-traffic area for pedestrians and added that school traffic should be taken into consideration when deciding on solutions.

Knauer said she was concerned about the results from survey cards mailed to residents within the area that aided in the study.

She said the cards could be misleading because they only asked residents about the possibility of traffic calming on Prospect Avenue.

"It would have painted a more clear picture if they asked about the entire area," she said.

She added that people might not be aware that if traffic calming was put into effect on Prospect Avenue, that traffic could divert to other streets.

A vote next Tuesday will determine whether or not council will proceed with speed mitigation.