ADAMS TWP — Township supervisors is dusting off its code of ordinances and updating its transportation capital improvement plan for the first time since the mid-2000s.

At their meeting on Monday, April 14, they voted to publicly advertise the amended transportation capital improvement plan for future adoption.

“They’re looking to increase their traffic impact fees, and so in order to do so, we have to pass this amended traffic plan,” said township solicitor Sean Gallagher. “The last impact plan was put into place in 2004.”

A transportation capital improvement plan, as defined in Pennsylvania’s Municipalities Planning Code, allows municipalities to impose traffic impact fees to offset the cost of infrastructure improvements. The fees are levied upon new developers in the municipality.

“(The plan) identifies intersections within the municipality that have adverse traffic effects on them, and identifies intersections and roadways which need to be upgraded, signalized...various different things,” Gallagher said.

Naturally, since Adams Township has seen a world of change over the past two decades due to accelerated urban development, the plan has had to change accordingly.

“The population has grown greatly. We’ve seen development all across the township,” Gallagher said. “Certain projects on the plan were completed, and so they’ve been removed. And then we’ve identified other areas of the township which are in potential need of upgrade.”

According to Gallagher, the township has been working on the amended plan for about a year and a half with the help of engineering firm Trans Associates. He expects that the plan will be voted on for final approval in May or June.