East Highlands residents recently formed a Traffic Calming Committee to help State College with its speed mitigation efforts in the East Highlands neighborhood.

The committee was formed after Trans Associates, a consultant hired by the borough, did a traffic study targeting speed and volume that resulted in a plan for speed mitigation in the East Highlands area, which is the area south of East Beaver Avenue.

Highlands Civic Association President Bob Seibel said he would represent his neighborhood and the association while on the committee.

"I expect we'll be exploring ways of slowing down traffic," he said. "Traffic is moving too fast through the neighborhoods."

Seibel said the area being considered for speed mitigation is fenced in by Foster Avenue, Easterly Parkway, University Drive and "at least to Garner [Street]." He added it might also include Garner Street in the future.

The consultant recommended that the community move forward with speed mitigation because the study showed that vehicles traveled an average of 11 mph over the posted speed limit in the study area, which was outlined by University Drive, South Garner Street, East Hamilton and East Foster avenues.

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

The committee is part of the borough's ongoing effort to reduce "cut-through" traffic and speeders in the neighborhood.

"Cut-throughs" are trips that are taken through the neighborhood that do not originate within the neighborhood.

"We want to keep it a neighborhood," said Kate Delano-Poorman, a recently chosen member of the committee and Highlands resident. "It's being overrun with cut-through traffic."

A letter written by neighbors on Prospect Avenue set the traffic-calming project in motion with the traffic study as the first step.

The letter requested a traffic reduction in the area, but the traffic study found that only speed would be further addressed.

The committee was formed to allow Highlands neighborhood residents to be involved in the project. Only Highlands' residents were eligible to apply for the committee.

"The goal is to reduce speed in the Highlands," Delano-Poorman said. "There are plenty of kids, plenty of elderly ... in the area."

The committee will be working with the Transportation Commission to find a solution to the speed problem that the East Highlands neighborhood is facing, said Transportation Commission Chair Chris Falzone.

"[The committee] is a liaison between the community and the Transportation Commission," he said.

Transportation Commission member Paul Jovanis said, during an earlier meeting, that the diversity of the neighborhood makes the traffic more of a problem.

He said the area includes single-family housing and student housing, like fraternity houses and apartment complexes.

Delano-Poorman said she had not been contacted yet since the members were chosen last Tuesday.

"My understanding is we'll have meetings with them and review different options with the consultants," she said.

Falzone said committee members would be given "some presentation," where members could give recommendations as their initial input, sometime in mid-March, although an exact date has not been set.

State College Borough Council member Elizabeth Goreham said the Transportation Commission meets on the third Tuesday of every month.

Goreham, who is also council's liaison for the Transportation Commission, said the committee would most likely meet with the Transportation Commission on the fourth Tuesday of every month.