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Pocopson considering roundabout solution for Route 52

It seems to be working for Unionville, so the board of supervisors in Pocopson Township thought they might just give it a try, too. The newly completed roundabout located at 82 and East Doe Run Road in Unionville has, in the words of E. Marlborough Township Manager Jane Laslo, received an "overwhelmingly positive" response from residents.

Pocopson first gave the roundabout solution some consideration last November, when Dee Durham, a representative from Safety, Agriculture, Villages and Environment (Save) gave the supervisors a presentation about roundabouts and their benefits. Impressed with its merits, the wheels were set in motion to convert one of the area's most troublesome intersections into a traffic-calming roundabout.

A roundabout is a special traffic design that allows traffic to flow in one direction, with those entering the "circle" yielding to drivers already in motion. It has been proven statistically to reduce general collisions by 40 percent and serious or fatal collisions by almost 90 percent. The roundabout keeps traffic moving at a much slower rate, giving drivers better reaction time and forcing them to pay more attention overall while navigating the circle.

The intersection now in question is Route 52/Wawaset/Lenape-Unonville – which has been described as a nightmarish configuration where five fatal accidents over the past decade and too many non-fatal accidents to list have occurred. Poor sight lines, a traffic pattern based on old wagon trails, and traffic exiting the Pocopson nursing home all add up to a dreadful rush hour commute.

"That is an excellent location for a roundabout," Laslo said. "It would vastly improve the sight distance." Laslo explained that, despite a few early grumbles from residents (mostly in the form of e-mails), most now praise the results. "It really moved the traffic along very efficiently," said Pocopson chairman Georgia Brutcher of the Unionville roundabout. "I went down there the other day and I slithered right on through."

The 52/Wawaset intersection has been the subject of repeated debate, particularly as to what should become of the convoluted pattern. Travelers moving westbound on 52 attempting to turn onto Wawaset or Lenape-Unionville Road often come to a stop at the top of the apex of a curving hill that almost completely obscures the stopped vehicle from the view of other westbound traffic. Similarly, commuters exiting Wawaset Road during peak rush hour can end up waiting and waiting for a break in the steady flow of cars.

According to board member Bill Sellers, the last plan developed by the township for the intersection "would have failed" in a relatively short time. That failure would have likely led to the installation of a traffic light at the intersection, a solution the board seemed to agree would eventually lead to additional traffic backup issues.

Currently, the township is awaiting final approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which will provide the township with approximately $500,000 for the project.

"We're really hoping that this will be the solution, but it's still completely up in the air," Brutcher said, explaining that the project hasn't gone much past the discussion stage at this point, despite the fact that most feel it will be a vast improvement to the existing situation.

Several other mitigating factors will have to happen before the roundabout itself can even proceed, including completion of the Chester County Prison renovations, and the repair of a crumbling bridge located along 52 that is very close to where the roundabout would be located.

"Nothing happens quickly with PennDOT," Sellers said.

©The Kennett Paper 2005