Return to News Index

Chatham issue is just a blip on the radar

The July 19 flare-up over a july 19 meeting in London Grove Township over the fate of Route 41 is a disagreement of perspective and opinion among residents, elected and appointed officials. The confrontation between interest groups who differ on the best use of the state road should not be allowed to impede any ongoing progress concerning the formulation of traffic solutions along the busy passageway that is Route 41.

This is not the first public argument over how the road should be improved, and based on the atmosphere of the latest meeting of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Route 41 Executive Committee, it won't be the last.

There is a lot at stake for a lot of different people in the future of Route 41. There are the interests of truckers, emergency service providers, farmers, farm workers, residents and every driver that commutes daily on the road.

The fact that some in Chatham Village feel their distinct voice is not being heard in the executive sessions is important and should be addressed, but it should not be a cause for slowing down the rest of process in any way. There is a wide cross-section of opinion in the executive sessions, and in all likelihood there will have to be a corridor-wide solution that encompass a variety of traffic solutions including roundabouts, bypasses, intelligent traffic lights, turn lanes, curbing, etc.

Getting the current committee to agree on any one traffic alternative over another doesn't seem likely based on the group's makeup. Members from SAVE and London Grove Township strongly advocate roundabouts, while Avondale Borough and New Garden Township give equally strong backing to a four-lane bypass. Londonderry Township is open to some middle ground mixture of roundabouts and intelligent traffic signals.

It is both sad and comforting that PennDOT doesn't seem to be at the stage where it is factoring the condemnation of land in its proposed alternatives. Chatham residents can take some solace – for now at least – because the possible destruction of any historic resources will be under scrutiny in the next phase of the process. As a result, the village will likely receive lots of support from low and high places in efforts to protect any sites that have historic value.