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Council divided on plan by SAVE

WEST GROVE — Borough council members were divided on the subject of roundabouts Wednesday, when a representative from SAVE requested their support for a proposed project on Route 41. "Roundabouts aren't going to solve congestion problems for Avondale," said council President Richard Turkington. "I think they are looking for a bigger solution."

Louis Kaplan, a representative of the citizens' action group, SAVE (Safety, Agriculture, Villages and Environment), told the board a two-lane alternative to Route 41 expansion was the best solution for a sticky situation — an issue he said, that has affected every municipality along the corridor.

During the regularly scheduled monthly meeting, Kaplan asked the borough to add its name to a growing list of supporters for an already approved roundabout project in London Grove.

Turkington and member Mark Johnson seemed skeptical of the idea. "They are already making improvements," Johnson said.

SAVE's proposal, crafted with the help of a leading traffic expert from the United Kingdom, could cost less than a third of the potential price of a four-lane expansion, according to the group's estimates. Kaplan presented projected traffic patterns from the year 2027 that showed a dramatic shift in congestion because of several roundabouts. "There's a lot of resistance now, I know, because it's new," he said. "People don't know how it works, but once they do, most people like it."

Kaplan said about 360 roundabouts have been put in place across the country in 29 states. Because they promote safer roadways and continual traffic flow, he said very few have been removed. Despite higher startup costs, Kaplan said the general upkeep of a roundabout is significantly less than a municipal traffic light, another proposed alternative to alleviate the steady stream of traffic along Route 41.

SAVE has rallied support from several municipalities and countywide organizations for the London Grove roundabout project. Kaplan said the first roundabout in the area could provide residents with a model of how the alternative works and ease objectors into acceptance. "For what it's worth, I love roundabouts," said Mayor Steve Black. "My parents lived in England for two years and I got used to them."

Black said roundabouts reduce congestion because they keep traffic moving in a constant flow. In addition, Kaplan said, unlike traffic lights, they work even when electricity does not.

Turkington said council members would keep their minds open. He did not, however, pledge their full support.