WYALUSING -- The speed limit on Route 706, or Taylor Avenue, in Wyalusing is 25 miles per hour, but sometimes you wouldn't know that by watching some vehicles drive by.
Don McNeil lives along Taylor Avenue and is tired of drivers speeding by. He's scared for his safety.
"Sooner or later it has to be established somewhere in Pennsylvania that the first obligation of government is public safety," McNeil said.
State police sometimes patrol Taylor Avenue, but not enough in McNeal's opinion. So recently he took matters into his own hands and bought this electronic speed monitoring sign.
"It's a win for the safety of the neighborhood," McNeil said.
McNeil keeps the sign on his property. He says when drivers see it, they slow down.
"The average is down to 40 and the good people are driving about 25," McNeil said.
McNeil's neighbors agree that people drive too fast on Taylor Avenue.
Some neighbors with small children get nervous living so close to the road because of how fast some people drive.
"With kids and with the way I know how people like to fly up by it makes me really nervous when they're out here playing," Sheyanne Fassett said.
But PennDOT officials are telling McNeil he needs to take down his sign.
"It encroaches on their authority," McNeal said.
McNeal bought the sign legally from a company in the State College area, but a representative from PennDOT says, "Mr. McNeil's sign violates the state law, Title 75 PA Consolidated Statutes Section 6122. Official traffic control devices can only be installed and maintained by the Department of Transportation or local municipalities."
At Tuesday night's borough council meeting, council members voted on whether to buy McNeil's sign, which PennDOT would consider legal since the borough would operate it.
Council voted to not buy it.
On Wednesday, McNeal destroyed his sign in front of his house to show he is obeying PennDOT's request.
