Ross commissioners will look into the use of "traffic calming" devices to improve safety in township neighborhoods.

The commissioners recently agreed to do a small-scale study of the advantages and disadvantages of installing temporary speed bumps on streets that carry low numbers of vehicles.

The decision to do the research came after Commissioner Daniel DeMarco said he had received a request for such devices from a resident of Sixth Avenue.

"Speed bumps," or a related product called "speed humps," are raised areas made of rubber or asphalt. They are installed across a roadway to encourage drivers to slow down or use alternate routes.

Opponents complain that they can damage suspension systems and delay emergency vehicles. They also create potential obstacles for snowplow operators.

Commissioner Daniel Kinross proposed looking into temporary speed bumps that could be installed in the spring and removed before the first snowfall. The bumps, which would be bolted into place, would encourage drivers to slow down, he said.

Speed bumps also discourage drivers from cutting through residential neighborhoods in search of short-cuts, Commissioner Grace Stanko said. They already serve that purpose on Richard Drive, she said

The township police department should play a leading role in any study of the devices, Commissioner Lana Mazur said. A fast-moving emergency vehicle hitting a large speed bump could become airborne and go out of control, she warned. The police department also could do traffic studies to determine how many vehicles are traveling too fast for road conditions, she said.

Emergency workers have to obey traffic laws, Mr. Kinross said. Fire trucks and ambulances did not have the right to travel at unsafe speeds, he said.

Police Chief Ralph Freedman said he too worried about the potential for speed bumps contributing to accidents. Inexperienced drivers might lose control of their vehicles after hitting one of them, he said.

Commissioner David Mikec said permanent speed bumps could become a neighborhood nuisance. "Speed humps" -- a lower and much wider device -- might be a better option, he said.

In other business, the commissioners asked Manager Wayne Jones to investigate ways to find out whether some businesses may be operating under the radar in the township.

Mrs. Stanko said neighboring McCandless recently reported success in identifying companies that had failed to pay business privilege tax.

Commissioner Gerald O'Brien had warned several months earlier that tax-avoiding firms would have an unfair advantage over companies that did meet their financial obligations to the township, Mrs. Stanko said.

One way to locate such businesses might be as simple as driving along major commercial streets, such as McKnight Road and Perry Highway, she said. The names and phone numbers of businesses operating there then could be compared to lists of tax-paying entities, she said.

Some business owners might be fearful about reporting their existence for fear of fines or liability for past taxes, she said. Commissioners might consider giving companies a 60- or 90-day grace period to register with the township.