Mister Tredyffrin and Friends

I received the following letter from Kathleen Keohane. It has not been submitted for consideration by any local papers, so I think it’s a good thing to publish it here.

Just last week I posted about Paul Drucker’s involvement in the installation of an all-abilities playground in Wilson Farm Park. Now I have good reason to be thankful for him again. You’d think I was working for his campaign or something. Or, maybe I am just a very grateful citizen, proud to have Paul as a township supervisor. Hell, maybe both. Maybe you should be both, too?

Anyway, it turns out that we finally have a report on the long-awaited noise testing that was conducted last winter (?!). Heaven knows why it took so long to get the results, but it’s good news for those affected by the increase in turnpike traffic. Here, read for yourself:

District 3 Supervisor Paul Drucker Continues the Fight for Sound Walls along the Turnpike

Paul Drucker has been busier than you might think for the last two years. The western section of Tredyffrin, District 3, has been the focus of much activity - from zoning changes to allow development and redevelopment in Paoli, Daylesford and Malvern, to road and stormwater improvements and playgrounds for the handicapped. On these issues and more, Paul has focused on his constituents’ best interests.

One problem on which Paul has worked diligently is the negative impact that the turnpike has on residents living near it. In talking to people living with constant traffic noise, he realized the extent of the problem and the likelihood that it would worsen when the turnpike is widened from 4 to 6 lanes. He joined forces with the Great Valley Association’s Turnpike Committee to pursue a solution.

As an experienced attorney, Paul worked with Township and Great Valley Association (GVA) lawyers to craft a noise ordinance, which was approved by the Board of Supervisors in August 2006. Its purpose is to provide relief from turnpike traffic noise by establishing safe upper limits and requiring that sound walls be provided as part of any new roadway construction when noise exceeds those limits.

Paul also served as the liaison between the Township and GVA (working cooperatively) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in ongoing discussions, advocating for sound-absorptive (as opposed to sound- diffusing) walls and a comprehensive stormwater plan. He sought State Senator Andy Dinniman’s support and coordinated with the Governor’s office to bring the problem to the attention of all who could provide political traction.

Finally, some good news. The results of the PTC’s long-awaited traffic noise study were made public. After months without any response from the PTC while a plan to privatize the turnpike was debated in Harrisburg, the report made official what affected Tredyffrin residents already know: that turnpike traffic noise exceeds safe and acceptable limits all along the turnpike for most hours of the day.

Paul Drucker called the report “a good first step and an act of good faith on the part of the PTC.” Prepared by independent noise consultants, Harris, Miller, Miller and Hanson, it recommends that sound-absorptive walls be built along 7 of 12 miles of roadway in Tredyffrin. For cost reasons, less densely populated parts of the Township have been excluded. This would leave some neighborhoods exposed to unhealthy noise levels, and others affected by “bounceback” noise that would rebound off higher ground and bounce back over sound walls built on the other side of the turnpike. Neither is acceptable to the Township and its residents.

Most important however is the fact that the Turnpike Commission has not made any commitment to actually build sound walls. Thus pressure is growing as the start date for the expansion work moves closer. Also, to date the PTC has ignored the tougher standard set in Tredyffrin’s noise ordinance and is applying a less stringent one as the basis for noise abatement. In addition, they have used an outdated cost-benefit formula to determine who qualifies for sound walls and who does not. All are problems that need to be addressed.

What’s next? In the absence of a full commitment from the PTC, the Township and the GVA are preparing to file suit to force the PTC’s compliance with Tredyffrin’s noise ordinance. Residents most affected by traffic noise will join in the lawsuit as plaintiffs. Meanwhile, as Supervisor, Paul will continue to press for full sound wall coverage and a plan to handle turnpike runoff, as well as serve as liaison between the Township and the PTC.

Go to: http://www.paturnpike.com/ConstructionProjects/mp320to326/noise-impact.htm to read the Noise Impact Study for Tredyffrin.

Go to: http://www.tredyffrin.org/departments/community/ordinances.aspx to read more about Tredyffrin’s Sound Ordinance.

Kathleen Keohane
Committeeperson, W-1

In the report (which is horking huge, but worth the download if you have the bandwidth) they have pretty aerial photographs all along the turnpike, and you can see the sections where the engineers recommend sound barriers. There is still more work to do, and more people to fight for. But, as Paul said, it really is a good first step.

Back to the playground

Hey - one other thing about that playground. While waiting for a prescription at Rite Aid in Chesterbrook last Sunday morning, I wandered over to see how the playground was doing. There were little kids all over the place, about twenty of them with an equal number of adults. It was gorgeous sunny morning, and the air was full of excited squeals and laughter. I didn’t see any kids with disabilities, but I did see a couple adults with them. And that was the surprise…

Paul Drucker and Kathy Justi probably had it planned all along, but I sure didn’t think about it. There were some grandparents (perhaps great-grandparents) playing with the kids, too. There was a wheelchair actually in the “fort” with a smiling elderly woman in it. The little girl she was playing with was smiling, too.

Thanks, Paul.