Montgomery Township, Pennsylvania, is ditching its squiggly road experiment. Officials decided to remove the wavy traffic lines on Grays Lane. These lines, called chicanes, went in back in March. The goal, the police department said, was to slow down drivers speeding through the neighborhood to reach busy Route 202.

Township leaders said the squiggles worked. They claimed speeds dropped by at least 5 mph. But neighbors didn’t agree.

At the April 28 board meeting, residents lined up to complain

“One person said the only improvement she’s seen is when cars go both ways,” Supervisor Candyce Chimera said. “When there’s only one car, they’re still flying down the road.”

Other residents raised safety fears. The curves force cars close to curbs, where people and pets walk. “Some of the curves come so close to the curb, walking along it, being along it, feels dangerous,” neighbor Katie Staudt told CBS News.

Many locals also felt left out. They didn’t know about the plan until the squiggles showed up. The township later sent letters on April 11. Officials explained why they skipped other options. PennDOT bans stop signs for speed control. Speed bumps could prevent ambulances or snowplows from serving the community effectively.

Chicanes show up in other towns. Usually, they use planters or curb extensions, not just road paint

But this paint-only setup didn’t win over Montgomery residents.

The complaints worked. The board voted to scrap the lines. “I think as a community we were really happy we were heard,” Staudt said.

The township now plans to boost police enforcement. But neighbors still want more. They want a say in the next step. “Let’s do a survey, a study, and see what happens,” one neighbor said. “Clearly, what was initiated was not the overall effective solution.”

Crews will start removing the lines on Friday. The squiggles may leave, but the road to a better fix is still wide open.