June 16, 1999
Lancaster County Planning Commission
50 North Duke Street
P.O. Box 3480
Lancaster PA 17603-1881
Dear Commissioners,
This is in regard to an aggravating and increasingly dangerous traffic situation at the intersections of Routes 222, 272, and 772 in Brownstown. As stated in the attached correspondence, the close proximity of the intersections consistently prevents traffic from exiting the 222 ramps during peak traffic periods and often causes accidents. The 222 south ramp is no more than 350 feet from the 272 intersection. Often the only way traffic can exit the south ramp is when kind motorists on 772 stop prematurely when waiting for the 272 light. And for the cars exiting left this only helps if they then wait in the median for a break in opposing traffic.
The current design of these intersections is woefully inadequate to handle any substantial increase in traffic in the future. Soon there will be an increase in the already huge amount of traffic exiting right towards Ephrata and Lititz due to the opening of the new bottling plant and Sheetz at the 272/772 intersections. Thankfully there is not currently a large amount of traffic exiting left from the 222 south intersection (the worst designed intersection), but that also means that any slight increase in numbers due to development in or around Leola (especially in truck traffic) will cause a large percentage increase in traffic at this worst designed intersection, leading to gridlock and more accidents.
From the earlier correspondence, it has been exhaustibly explained that the buck stops with you for a long term solution to the problem. At the same time it is also been explained that the commission has not been very responsive in the past to addressing traffic concerns in this area. I urge you to take this as an opportunity to uphold your comprehensive plan to "Improve existing deficient and inadequate transportation facilities…(and) problem intersections (in lieu of building new roads so as to preserve the farm areas)". Please do not refer this to PA DOT for study unless you also direct PADOT to consider major improvements. PA DOT adjusted the timing of the light as a short-term remedy and while it did help reduce the backup on 772 it actually made it harder to exit the 222 south ramp due to the steady stream of traffic on 772. Also, PA DOT says that it needs an ok from you before it will even start considering a major road redesign.
Attached is one proposal that I think would alleviate the situation. Unfortunately the branch extending behind Schaum’s corner between 272 and 772 may now be impossible due to the new bottling plant. I am very disappointed that the commission had not even considered using this land to resolve traffic issues and now it is probably too late. However, do you agree with the township that it should still be possible to build an earlier 222 south ramp since the land which would be utilized for that purpose is not yet developed.
Please do not continue to ignore the problem until it (the land, not the problem) goes away. This is something that needs to be PLANNED for, not reacted to. As I conveyed to Senator Wenger, it is ironic that the townships are required to set aside areas for each type of development (including high-traffic industrial) but in this instance they also have been effectively prevented from providing the infrastructure necessary to support the mandated development. Would you please respond with your new long term plan for these intersections. Thank-you.
Sincerely,
Dave Noyes
Cc: West Earl Township
Senator Gibson Armstrong, Transp. Committee