By Betsy McBride, Mayor of Pennsauken Township

I recently received a letter from a resident expressing concern over the number of “No Parking” signs along Haddonfield Rd. She correctly stated that no one parks along this busy four-lane County road. She also correctly stated that when a sign is so faded that you cannot read the words, it is no longer a sign.

She must’ve known that old signs, faded signs, dated signs, and too many signs are a pet peeve of mine.

The Township is 125 years old and we have many signs in our community that are aging. While we cannot replace every street sign in the Township this year, we can and should replace or remove directional or informational signs that no longer serve their intended purpose. Priority should be given to our major roads for curb appeal, but we should also address resident concerns in our neighborhoods.

The municipal budget is, of course, an issue. Township Committee approved $13,000 for sign repairs and replacement last year; and we did so again this year. It is not a lot of money, but we can chip away at the problem together. If you see road signs or directional signs that are defaced or faded, please  contact the Traffic Division of the Pennsauken Police They can be reached at (856) 488-0080.

Temporary signs are also a big  problem in our Township. Along with our municipal staff, I have worked  to get them removed or in compliance with Municipal Code, but the problem is rampant. We truly need resident help to make visible change.

If you have a garage sale on Saturday, please take your signs down by Sunday. If you want a lawn sign in your yard, please put it on your front yard and not between the curb and sidewalk. If you see torn and tattered banners or signs on a commercial property, please report it to the Property Maintenance Department of the Township. They can be reached by calling (856) 665-1000 x134. The maximum number of signs allowed on a commercial property is four. If you are a business in our community and do not have a specific allowances for additional signage, your business is not in compliance with our Municipal Code and we respectfully request that you remove excess signs.

As part of our effort to improve our image to visitors, Township Committee  approved the installation of new “Welcome to Pennsauken” signs in eight gateway locations in town. We are Pennsauken Proud and we want to show it. We will also be replacing the Municipal Parking Lot signs on Westfield Ave.

You may notice places where a sign does not exist, but is needed. Are there  locations you can identify where we need a sign for safety, directional, or beautification purposes? We will not be able to address every sign issue this year, but identifying areas of concern helps the administration do a better job for you.

Our community image is important to us and we need to work together to address signs that diminish our image to visitors and ourselves.  We feel better when we look better, right?