Dear Editor:

Mr. Jim Diluzio, Sr.’s letter published in the November 18 edition of the Chester County Press gets a few things correct: Route 41 in southern Chester County is an unsafe and outdated highway, and land use along Route 41 transitions from a rural setting north of US 1 to a suburban/urban setting in the south. Beyond that, however, I could not disagree with him more. Diluzio, Sr. laments as a lost opportunity that Route 41 was not transformed into a four-lane highway with bypasses cutting through agricultural lands as had been proposed by a consultant to PennDOT over 20 years ago. I along with many other residents see this as a catastrophe averted. 

Our organization - Safety, Agriculture, Villages, & Environment (S.A.V.E.) - argued then that adding lanes to a roadway does not solve congestion, but rather only creates more traffic. Today, this demonstrable phenomenon of “induced capacity” is treated as doctrine among transportation planners and engineers. Similarly, Diluzio Sr.’s dogged insistence that roundabouts do not function well on a heavily traveled roadway is simply wrong. Evidence of their capabilities is as close as the new intersection of Routes 41 and 926, or in Swarthmore, at the intersection of Route 320 and Chester Road. There are numerous other examples throughout the U.S. Carmel, Indiana boasts about its 140 roundabouts.

Returning to the area of agreement with Mr. Diluzio, the question remains, what is to be done along the ten-mile section of Route 41 from Delaware up to Route 796 – a stretch that is unsafe and outdated? In 2002, S.A.V.E. commissioned its own extensive report, “A Two-Lane Alternative for Pennsylvania Route 41,” which concluded that both the communities along Route 41 and also through traffic can be accommodated with an improved two-lane roadway and with modern roundabouts for intersection control. 

We stand by this conclusion today. The author of that report, Lucy Gibson, was the speaker at our annual event in October, which was covered accurately and in depth by Chester County Press Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw. I would refer readers back to Mr. Gaw’s article to read about the elements of a vision-based corridor plan that Gibson provided, including an emphasis on safety, accessibility, and connectivity which promotes eco-nomic vitality and sense of place which residents are proud to call their home.

One aspect of Gibson’s presentation that deserves emphasis is the situation in Avondale. She noted that the borough is being asked to do an awful lot: simultaneously hosting a corridor for traffic while also being a place that is historic and valued by its diverse residents. She provided a few ideas for Avondale such as developing a traffic network structure which could allow residents to avoid use of Route 41 during the most congested periods, although she did caution that this was easier said than done. Another idea was to implement a complete streets and gateway design to make walking and biking safer. While S.A.V.E. takes a corridor-wide view of Route 41, we also believe that any successful redesign plan must improve Avondale and help the borough become a more walkable, vibrant community for the benefit of its residents and commercial interests.

S.A.V.E. remains aspirational in its vision for this region and Route 41. Our focus is to preserve what we cherish about where we live and work while at the same time being guided by a regional vision which addresses transportation challenges. Integral to our thinking is making use of modern concepts in multi-modal transportation design and complete streets which are intended to accommodate all those who use the roadway. We support high quality, compact infill development to enable growth. We also support the protection of agriculture, accessible transportation, and a corridor design which respects the different landscapes and contexts of all the municipalities.

Ultimately, a regional vision developed and endorsed by the municipalities, their residents, and their businesses is required to plan and then to fund improvements for Route 41. Municipal collaboration will be essential in order to make progress. S.A.V.E. will continue to bring elected officials, planners, engineers, and of course residents and businesses to the table to create a vision for the future of Route 41 which PennDOT can implement.