ATTENTION MOTORISTS: New school safety zone

Posted on February 5, 2025 by The Dunmorean

After careful planning and consideration, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has approved the Borough’s permit to establish a School Safety Zone in the 300 Block of Chestnut Street. This school Zone affects the area of the 300 Block of Chestnut Street where Saint Mary’s Elementary School is located.

The school zone modifies the normal, residential speed limit from 25MPH to 15MPH from 7:30AM – 8:30AM and 2:00PM – 3:00PM, Mon-Fri.

Please be mindful of other laws that are designed to protect students: The passing of School Busses with flashing red lights and stop signs is prohibited, even when traveling in the opposite direction of the School Bus. Pedestrian crosswalks are enforced at all hours of the day. Motorists are reminded that they are required to yield the right-of-way (come to a complete stop and wait) to any pedestrian in any crosswalk.

Our patrol officers will be increasing patrols in the 300 Block of Chestnut Street during the hours where the safety zone is in affect, and will be enforcing the 15MPH speed limit.

PennDOT now holding Driver Improvement School course

Posted on September 6, 2022 by The Dunmorean

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced that select drivers facing a suspension due to accumulation of points on their driving records or for a conviction of excessive speeding now have a chance at redemption through successfully completing the newly-instituted Driver Improvement School (DIS) offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

“This new training program offers people whose driving privileges are in jeopardy a chance to avoid losing their license,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “For many, losing the ability to legally operate a motor vehicle means not just a loss of mobility, but a loss of income and independence as well.”

As drivers are convicted of certain moving violations, points are assigned to their driving record. Once a driver’s record has been reduced below six points and for the second time, shows as many as six points or has a conviction for excessive speeding, that driver is required to attend a departmental hearing.

At the departmental hearing, a driver meets with a Driver Safety Examiner (DSE) to review their driving record and discuss the driving habits that resulted in the hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, a determination will be made whether serving a 15-day suspension or attending PennDOT’s DIS would be most beneficial for the driver to assist in making better decisions while behind the wheel.

An individual who attends and successfully completes the DIS due to their record showing for the second time as many as six points, will have two points removed from their record and avoid a 15-day suspension. An individual who attends and successfully completes the DIS due to a conviction on excessive speeding will avoid having to serve a 15-day suspension. If an individual does not successfully complete the course or fails to attend, they will be required to serve a 60-day driver’s license suspension.

The DIS curriculum focuses on safety and addresses poor driver behaviors and judgment exhibited in “high risk” drivers. This six-hour course focuses on educating and assisting problematic drivers to identify why they engage in risky driving behavior and how to utilize strategies for behavior modification to assist in improving their driving habits to prevent future violations and crashes.

For more information, visit the Driver Improvement School page on the Driver and Vehicle Services website.

PennDOT Inviting Students to Paint a Plow

Posted on May 3, 2022 by The Dunmorean

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is inviting high school students in the northeast region to participate in the annual Paint the Plow art outreach.

The program challenges youth to take a predetermined theme and incorporate it into an original mural that they paint on one of PennDOT’s snow plow blades to promote winter driving safety and foster appreciation for school art programs and student creativity. The 2022 theme, “Put Down the Device in Snow and Ice,” was chosen to draw attention to the need for motorists to give themselves ample time for travel during wintry weather in order to arrive safely to their destination.

Paint the Plow was piloted in Cambria County in 2015 and later expanded to several surrounding counties and across the state. In the northeast region last year, students in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties participated.

Students in public and private schools are eligible to participate, though school officials must make the arrangements. Plow delivery and pick up dates vary by county. The program categories may be modified based on participation numbers.

Additional information on the program, including the guidelines for participation, can be found online at www.penndot.pa.gov or may be obtained by Jessica Ruddy at jeruddy@Pa.gov or 570.963.4044.

PennDOT cannot provide financial support for supplies or travel expenses connected with this program but does make every effort to publicize the contributions of the schools and the students. This will include, but is not limited to, social media postings, postings on the PennDOT website, media press releases and public displays at a local PennDOT facility.