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Top Stories Focus on port activities helps state be competitive and improves local traffic
February 12, 2004
Tony Cadwalader
The Kennett Paper

Pennsylvania has not always been helpful to its residents. By contrast, Delware seems to make every effort to both accommodate its residents and attract businesses.

Consider the restrictive liquor laws PennSylvania has used to run its alcohol monopoly since prohibition ended more than 70 years ago. Then consider how the lack of choice, price controls and scarcity of state-run liquor stores fuels Pennsylvanians' efforts to buy booze from their neighboring states.

Consider the restrictive depression-era banking measures. Because the commonwealth has for years been unwilling to make them more liberal, bank business, once one of the state's top industries, migrated to Delaware.

And, consider Delaware's success at luring businesses and customers to the First State because of lenient tax laws, which further enrich the state.

Finally, consider the effect the Port of WIlmington's efforts at making that port a vital terminus on the East Coast has had on Philadelphia and Chester's fortunes. And consider more narrowly how that affects our way of life in Chester County.

Indeed, proponents of a long-haul truck ban on local roads in our region of Pennsylvania would do well to also consider the impact the successful Port of WIlmington has had on our roads. Specifically, an abundance of commercial traffic to and from the Port of WIlmington increases the number of tractor-trailers on Route 41. The increase in through trucking along this corridor, some critics contend, has also made ROute 41 a safety risk. That has in turn led to the formation of one citizens group, Save, an acronym for safety, agriculture, villages and environment, and another separate ad-hoc group of township citizens called the Through-Truck Ban Task Force. That task force has been trying to get area townships to sign off on a long-haul through-truck ban. And while these long-haul trucks are not the only vehicles on Route 41, they do make up potentially 30% of average daily traffic, according to a 1994 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Final Needs Study for Route 41.

Reaction to the ad-hoc committee's request has been mixed, but seems to be gaining steam. Many are for it, many question it. As of December 9, 2003, seven municipalities have passed resolutions supporting the through-truck ban, including London Grove, West Marlborough, East Fallowfield, Highland, Pennsbury and Londonderry townships.

But resolve to improve conditions on Route 41 by forcing Philadelphia and Chester to be more competitive with the Port of Wilmington is missing.

The Port of WIlmington is strong. It is a full-service deepwater port and marine terminal handling over 400 vessels per year with an annual import/export cargo tonnage of 5 million tons, according to the Port's web site. It seems as though it is always pouring money into its infrstructure.

With what it claims is the largest dockside cold storage facility, trucks from the Port of WIlmington have easy access to I-95 where goods can be delivered. Some of the numbers are impressive: over 1.2 million tons of bananas and tropical fruit from Central and South America; 190,100 tons of deciduous fruit from Chile and New Zealand; 12,300 tons of Moroccan clementines; 144,000 tons of juice concentrate from Argentina, Brazil and Central America; 157,200 tons of frozen meat and seafood from New Zealand and Australia; 85,855 units of Volkswagon and Audi imports from Germany/Mexico or 137,300 tons; 41,205 units of GM and Ford exports to the Middle East, or 74,500 tons.

The list goes on, but you get the picture. It is a busy port. By contrast try to figure out if the ports of Chester and Philadelphia are operating as I have (they are, but it appears just barely) and you will be able to consider the full might of Delaware's operation over Pennsylvania's efforts.

Many of these items make their way right up that old Indian trail, Route 41, to Lancaster. WHy? Because they are allowed to, though the truck lobby says that it would only take truckers an extra 12 minutes per trip to go on highways unrestricted to large-truck traffic, like I-95, Route 202, Route 1 or the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Using thos eroads would relieve congestion, slow downs and some of the dangers on rural state roads like ROute 41 or Route 82.

It is time to consider asking our senators and congressmen to do a better job of making Pennsylvania ports more competitive. Our state Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-9, woul dbe an excellent place to start. As the former mayor of Chester, he should have an idea or two about how to jumpstart that once viable port city. Write also to Gov. Ed Rendell and ask him to help make Pennsylvania more competitive, not more restrictive. Consider it an opportunity to change the fortunes of Pennsylvania residents and even their roads.

— Tony Cadwalader is an award-winning columnist, reporter and photographer for the Kennett Paper. He lives in East Marlborough Township. ©The Kennett Paper 2004