Having trouble commuting between the Hill and the rest of Northwest Philadelphia?  Does that rerouting of all traffic via Stenton Avenue cause near gridlock at key travel times and even in the middle of the day drastically change you ability to access what were once very routine destinations?  How about those who use public transit that can’t come even close to their former stops?

I would like to take this opportunity to state “I TOLD YOU SO”.

After attending the community meetings that were strategically held next to holiday weekends to minimize attendance, I wrote an extensive commentary that was published making the case that in this community, with almost no adjacent access arteries, that closing Germantown Avenue completely was going to create a logistical nightmare and impact residents, commuters and businesses significantly.  I suggested that only a half-and-half approach with one lane of traffic kept flowing each way made sense given the normal traffic patterns in these communities and the no-option geography.  No one in the community or political class made that a priority demand on PenDot, so they allowed themselves to be massaged with empty promises of subsidies and assurance that there would be minimal impact. It just has not worked out that way as we witness opinion editorials in both the local and mainstream press on this subject.

Now to those who stated that half-and-half and continuous traffic flow cannot be done I offer this:  PenDot had no trouble keeping Route 309 fully operational when doing the most massive reconstruction one could image that included bridges, access roads and major lane realignment - - and it still ongoing.  I can tell you from personal experience living in this city for the past 65 years, that I witnessed major repairs to streets with Belgian Blocks and streetcar tracks in past years where not only did they keep the traffic running, they kept the streetcars running as well while the job was done.

Once again the bureaucrats dial out the citizen in this top-down no option city and state in which we reside, and do what is easiest and cheapest for them and their cozy contractors.  Of course it will cost more to do it in the manner that puts the citizen first, but who left that highway to disintegrate to the degree that it did by doing no serious maintenance for 25-30 years?  That would be the City. State and SEPTA.  Now they use mainly federal dollars to clean up their mess, but put politicians and bureaucrats in charge that give us “take it or do without” answers. No matter how you slice it, it is our money that pays that bill, and our convenience should be a priority concern.

Those who could have redirected this process and stopped the planning until a comprehensive community-focused revision was worked out were Donna Reed Miller from City Council, Cheryll Parker, State Representative, and Leanna Washington State Senator.

What did they do?  Patronize the public and do what they were told - - nothing - -  the same thing they always do.

Jim Foster

Mt. Airy