March 9, 2004

Secretary Allen Biehler
PennDOT Keystone Building
400 North Street Harrisburg, PA 17120

Dear Secretary Biehler:

On behalf of the citizens of Londonderry Township, we, the Board of Supervisors, wish to express our concern that the proposals for expansion of the 9.5-mile southern section of PA State Route 41 to four travel lanes with high-speed limited-access bypasses around Avondale and Chatham will have detrimental consequences for the citizens of Londonderry Township.

We are particularly concerned that the expansion is likely to: (1) increase accidents, fatalities, and congestion in the northern section of the highway; and (2) exacerbate an already alarming increase in the rate of conversion of agricultural lands to suburban uses, irreversibly changing the rural character of our community.

We therefore wish to express our support for the "Two-Lane Alternative" now under consideration, because it offers the potential to vastly improve safety improvements through traffic calming features and relieve congestion without major realignments, degradation of natural and historic resources, and creation of excess capacity. We applaud the fact that the two-lane alternative concept has also offered several avenues to expedite a comprehensive plan for the entire corridor.

The Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors have been discussing taking advantage of innovative, state-of-the-art transportation methods to address an increase in projected traffic resulting from several new developments underway. Thank you for your serious consideration of the Township's goals as you contemplate various alternatives for PA 41. We look forward to working with PENNDOT to develop a sustainable solution which balances roadway improvements with our comprehensive plan.

Sincerely,

Clair Burkhart
Fred Muller, Chair
Marty Detering

Whereas PA Route 41 is a roadway which extends from the Delaware state line, through Southern Chester County, to Gap, PA in Lancaster County,

Whereas Route 41 serves a region rich in prime agricultural soils and designated as a rural area by Chester County’s comprehensive plan, Landscapes;

Whereas both private and governmental entities have demonstrated a commitment to preserving agriculture in the Route 41 area by placing thousands of acres of land in conservation easements;

Whereas Route 41 suffers from high accident and fatality rates and carries an unusually high proportion of heavy truck traffic;

Whereas the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is considering expansion of the southernmost 9.5 miles to four lanes with construction of limited-access bypasses around the village of Chatham and the Borough of Avondale to accommodate projected future traffic congestion;

Whereas the increased capacity and reduced travel times of the proposed expansion can be expected to attract additional truck and auto traffic and to increase the rate of conversion of farmland to suburban uses;

Whereas a "Two-Lane Alternative Plan" to highway expansion has been proposed which would apply traffic-calming design to the entire 22-mile roadway;

Whereasthe Two-Lane, traffic-calmed design will achieve major safety improvements and relieve congestion problems with minimal environmental impact;

Therefore let it be resolved that Londonderry Township joins others in stating its preference for the Two-Lane Alternative design for Route 41.

Resolved and enacted the _____ day of ____________________, 2004 by:

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