Traffic Calming & Complete Streets in Abington

Our goal is to work with Township leadership, staff, and police in a constructive way so that resident experiences, data, and existing plans all point in the same direction, calmer and safer streets for everyone.

WHY ABINGTON NEEDS TRAFFIC CALMING:

• A high number of injuries and deaths for people walking and biking on Abington streets that lack safe crossings and traffic calming
• Old York Road, our primary corridor for commerce and public transit, is very dangerous and actively discourages trips on foot
• Residents have no clear, citizen-involved process to make their streets safer to walk, bike, roll and play

The numbers:

In Abington and Jenkintown from 2017-2023 

• 7 pedestrians killed – 4 on Old York Rd 

• 157 pedestrians injured – 57 on OLD York RD

• 46 bicyclists injured – 1 killed on OLD York RD 

That is roughly one person hit every 13 to 14 days, year after year, with no clear downward trend. Behind every data point is a neighbor on the ground and a family who has to live with the consequences and Abington has the staff and tools to start bending those numbers down..

We appreciate the work Township staff and commissioners already do on safety, including efforts like the Abington Jenkintown Connections Plan and the separated bike lanes work. To keep that momentum going, residents are asking Township leadership to take the following steps on a clear timeline.

Our Immediate Requests to Township Leadership:

At the November 13, 2025 Abington Board of Commissioners meeting, residents asked Township leadership to take the following steps on a clear timeline.

1. Release the draft traffic calming policy
   

   Publish the draft that the Police Department shared with the Township Manager within 30 days of November 13, 2025, no later than December 13, 2025, for example in a board packet or on the Township website.

2. Schedule a public meeting on the draft policy

   Within 60 to 90 days of November 13, 2025, that is by mid February 2026, hold a public work session or committee meeting focused on the traffic calming policy draft, with time for resident input.

3. Adopt a traffic calming policy within 12 months

   Commit to adopting a clear, written traffic calming policy within 12 months of November 13, 2025, that is by November 2026, including a simple, transparent process for neighborhoods to request traffic calming and timelines for review and response.

Traffic Calming Policy Timeline we’re requesting

• Draft released to public by December 13, 2025
  • Public work session by February 2026
    • Policy adopted by November 2026

What a Strong Traffic Calming Policy Should Include

• Resident and Township traffic calming process and committee

  • A standing committee including residents, staff, and Police that reviews requests, recommends projects, and tracks progress, building on examples from nearby communities such as Cheltenham) 

• Standard traffic calming zones around high risk places

  • Default toolkits around elementary schools, parks, senior housing, and transit stops, using measures like speed cushions, raised crosswalks, curb extensions, and lane narrowing. (See Cheltenham, Philadelphia) 

• Multi municipal Old York Road study

  • Partnership with Cheltenham, Jenkintown, the Montgomery County Planning Commission, and PennDOT to redesign 611 for people, not just fast car traffic.
     

• Commit as a Township and Police Department to Vision Zero

  • Abington can work toward eliminating traffic fatalities over time. Deaths and serious injuries are not inevitable, and better street design and policy can prevent many of them.

How You Can Take Action

• Email your Abington commissioner (Find yours here) and Township Management 

  • <To> *Your Commissioner*, cchristman@abingtonpa.gov, amcilvaine@abingtonpa.gov

    • CC: info@jenkintownabington.org
  •  

    <Sample Subject>
    Traffic Calming and Active Transportation in Abington

    <Sample Body>

    Hello Manager Christman, Commissioners, and staff,

    My name is [Name], and I live on [Street or neighborhood in Ward # if known]. I am very concerned about speeding and unsafe streets in Abington.

    On my block or route, [your experience]. It often feels unsafe to walk or cross, especially for kids, older adults, and people with disabilities.

    I support the residents asking for a clear, written traffic calming policy and a simple process that parents and neighbors can actually use. In particular, I am asking you to:

    1. Publicly release the current draft traffic calming policy, ie. on the Township website.
    2. Schedule a public work session or meeting on that draft within the next few months so residents can give input.
    3. Commit to adopting a traffic calming policy within the next year, with a straightforward process and timelines for neighborhoods to request changes.

    I appreciate the work you are already doing on safety, and I would welcome any update you can share on the timeline for these steps.
    Thank you for your service and for taking this seriously,

    Thank you,
    [Your Name]

• Speak UP during public comment at MONTHLY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING

  • Thursday, December 11th @7pm (General Public Comment is at end of meetings, generally between 730-8pm)
    • In-Person is best: 1176 Old York Road, Abington PA 19001, Board Room, 2nd Floor
    • or via Zoom (raise your hand to request comment)
    • What you can say – refer to email example above. 

• Sign and share current petitions

  • Glenside – Abington Ave, Kenmore and Woodlawn
  • Washington Lane (From Fairacres to Frog Hollow)
  • Glenside – Easton Rd and Fairhill Pedestrian Crossing

Background and existing plans

The need for traffic calming in Abington is not abstract, it shows up in state crash data year after year.

The PennDOT numbers above mean that in Abington and Jenkintown from 2017 through 2023, someone walking or biking was hit about every 13 to 14 days. The yearly totals are not clearly trending down. In spite of plans and studies, people on foot, in wheelchairs, on bikes and walking to transit have not seen enough safer design on the ground.

Behind every one of these numbers is a neighbor, a co worker, a child walking to school, an elder crossing to the doctor, or a parent getting off the bus. These are not random accidents, they are the predictable result of wide, fast, auto centric streets without enough traffic calming or safe crossings.

Abington has already endorsed multiple planning efforts that point in the right direction, including the Abington Jenkintown Connections Plan, the Vision 2035 comprehensive planning work, and regional guidance from DVRPC on Smart Growth and complete streets. The goals are there on paper, residents are now asking Township leadership to turn those goals into a clear traffic calming policy, a simple process for neighborhoods, and projects on the ground that actually reduce crashes.