New Britain Borough residents told council Aug. 14 that North Shady Retreat Road has grown dangerous, blaming apartment construction and a new traffic signal for turning the narrow, curved street into a commuter shortcut shared with cement trucks and school buses.

Four residents addressed council at the meeting, Central Bucks Now reported. Janet Moore, of 155 North Shady Retreat Road, said drivers speed through and use the street as a throughway. Chelsea Lane, another resident, said she cannot walk to her mailbox without encountering speeding traffic. Linda Demusz, who has lived on the road for 47 years, asked council to consider making it one-way.

"The road's so skinny, you can't even put a line down the middle of it," Demusz said at the Aug. 14 meeting.

Residents proposed a stop sign near the road's sharp curve, a dead-end conversion, one-way traffic, speed humps and more police enforcement. Borough officials said each option carries complications.

Pennsylvania law does not allow stop signs solely for speed control. A dead end would require a cul-de-sac with a 60-foot radius, and officials said nearby streams and properties leave no room. One-way traffic could encourage faster driving because motorists would no longer watch for oncoming cars, an official warned. Speed humps drew mixed reactions over effects on ambulances and fire trucks, added noise and municipal liability.

Council agreed to several short-term steps: advisory speed signs near the curve, a request for VASCAR pavement markings so police can conduct speed enforcement, increased patrols and temporary deployment of the borough's electronic speed-display sign. A traffic study would be needed before any major road changes, officials said.

Borough Manager John Wolff acknowledged the problem directly, telling residents at the meeting that the road is tight and the bend is dangerous. Council members said they would review the traffic study prepared for a previously approved apartment project to see whether it supports additional safety measures.

The concerns extend beyond current conditions. Council in July unanimously approved a mixed-use development at 471 E. Butler Ave. with up to 102 apartment units. Access to that project will come exclusively from Shady Retreat Road. Residents said it could add hundreds of daily vehicle trips. Construction could begin in 2027 and last about two years, according to the Aug. 14 meeting discussion.

Three days later, council tabled a separate 98-unit apartment plan at 625 E. Butler Ave. for one month. That project by Berger Communities would place another driveway near the curve. Council President Tom Price said at the Monday, Aug. 17, meeting that the borough has an obligation to slow traffic on both Iron Hill Road and Shady Retreat Road as development increases.

Council asked the borough's traffic engineer and the developer's traffic consultant to attend the next meeting to address access points and neighborhood safety.