January 2005 Update

RECENT NEWS

At a late 2004 meeting of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce, U. S. Representative Joseph Pitts and Mr. Tim O'Brien from PennDOT District 6 announced that the PA 41 improvement project will:

• Be "right-sized."
• Not only consider transportation needs but also land use goals and agricultural preservation.
• Be influenced by community goals and context-sensitive design principles.
• Be reassessed as described above by the consulting firm of Glatting Jackson (renowned as a pioneering proponent of traffic calming and progressive approaches to transportation planning).
• Have a new PennDOT District 6 project manager

It appears, therefore, that PennDOT is moving away from plans to convert PA 41 to a superhighway.

At the same time, S.A.V.E. has become increasingly involved in other transportation projects and land use issues in the southern Chester County region including:

• Providing technical assistance, public outreach, and engineering review for the forthcoming roundabout on Route 82 near Unionville (construction slated for Spring 2005).
• Support for the proposed roundabout on Route 52 in Pocopson Township.
• Traffic calming options on major roads in Londonderry Township.
• A context sensitive commercial development ordinance in Londonderry Township.
• Technical assistance to preserve historic bridges in the area, including the Mortonville, Speakman, Harveys, and BellBank bridges.
• Legislation introduced by Rep. Art Hershey to expand the definition of agricultural properties to include a broader definition of equine operations.

Collectively, this is all great news. The impacts of our steady efforts are showing everywhere, and events are unfolding quickly. We are poised to make the two-lane alternative a reality on PA 41 and to influence other road issues throughout southern Chester County. But our work is not done. The S.A.V.E. board of directors, board of advisors, honorary board members and many other volunteers are all working to protect the quality of life in our area by making sure that transportation improvements meet future traffic needs but do not take farmland or promote sprawl. Your support is important to our success and is necessary to keep S.A.V.E. strong and sustain our efforts at this critical juncture. There are a variety of ways you can support S.A.V.E.'s efforts. And, with your help we can report even brighter news throughout 2005.

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