Borough takes over maintenance and timing of Tyrone’s traffic signals

Tyrone will now look after its own traffic signals. On May 8, Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-05, accepting a Traffic Signal Maintenance Agreement from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation that gives the Borough the authority to maintain and time the traffic lights located within Tyrone. Council had already approved signing the agreement earlier in the meeting, under the Borough Manager’s report; the resolution formally puts it on the record.

What the agreement covers

In Pennsylvania, a traffic signal sits at the intersection of state and local responsibility. Even where a signal stands on a state route, the municipality is generally the entity legally responsible for keeping it operating and for setting how long each phase stays green, yellow, and red — but only under a maintenance agreement that PennDOT issues and the municipality formally adopts. The agreement Council approved is that authorization. It allows the Borough to perform routine upkeep on the signals and to adjust their timing, rather than depending on the state for that day-to-day work.

Why timing matters

“Timing” is more than a technical detail. The length of each phase, and the way nearby signals are coordinated, determines how smoothly traffic moves through town, how long drivers wait, and how safely pedestrians can cross. Holding the agreement locally means the Borough can respond to a malfunctioning light or a timing problem directly, and can fine-tune signals as traffic patterns change, without waiting on a separate state process for each adjustment.

The signals remain part of the Borough’s traffic regulations under Chapter 190, Vehicles & Traffic of the Tyrone Borough Code.

On record: Resolution No. 2023-05 and the signed Traffic Signal Maintenance Agreement are part of the public meeting record at the Borough Office, 1100 Logan Avenue. Learn more about the state’s role in signals and state routes at PennDOT.