E-town area's elected officials work together to find common ground

Ever since I was elected to Elizabethtown Borough Council, the elected officials from the municipalities in the Elizabethtown area -- Conoy Township, Elizabethtown Borough, Mount Joy Township and West Donegal Township -- have tried to get together to discuss and solve issues that affect the region.

So a few years ago, when all of the municipalities approved a comprehensive plan for the region, we decided to establish the Elizabethtown Area Regional Authority (EARA) as a way to implement the plan. And that worked pretty well, fostering discussions about traffic, economic development and land use in the area and how they impact all the municipalities.

Council puts brakes on Maytown Road-South Market Street proposal

At its workshop meeting last night, Elizabethtown Borough Council put the brakes on a proposal to create a series of one-way streets at and around the intersection of Maytown Road and South Market Street.

The Elizabethtown Area Regional Authority (EARA), formed to help implement a regional comprehensive plan approved by the borough and Conoy, Mount Joy and West Donegal townships, discussed the plan at its meeting last month. Traffic engineer Steve Gault presented the plan as an option that would keep traffic flowing at the intersection by using existing streets and doing limited construction.

Last night, Council President Phil Clark and I, both of whom represent the borough on the EARA board along with Councilman Dale Treese (who was absent from last night's meeting), briefed Borough Council on the plans. It was the first time that other members had heard details about it.

After listening to the details and examining a drawing of the plan, Councilman Meade Bierly said he didn't think it would be an improvement to the intersection. He said there are other projects in the community -- such as a bridge in the Conoy Crossing development that will extend Masonic Drive through to Maytown Road -- that ultimately will have an impact on traffic.

Bierly also said this proposed project would not be a good first one for EARA. He thinks -- and it's a good thought -- that EARA's first project needs to be something that garners widespread community support. The intersection changes would cause more consternation and get EARA off to a bad start.

Others councilmen said the proposal raised some safety issues, particularly because northbound traffic would be directed onto Spruce Street. A resident who lives at the corner has addressed Borough Council in the past year because drivers that turn right onto Spruce Street often take the corner too fast. If the proposed plan were implemented, some councilman feel it would not alleviate that problem.

After I blogged about the plan the other week, I heard from some residents, who weren't happy with the proposal. They said it would create an unsafe condition for drivers on Maytown Road that wanted to head into downtown because it would force them to turn right onto Market Street and cross traffic to make an immediate left onto Lemon Street.

EARA had authorized Gault to proceed with exploring grant funding for the project, but consensus among Borough Council last night was not to proceed with that. 

While at first glance, I felt this plan was an innovative approach to the intersection, I join my council colleagues in wanting to put the brakes on the plan. I do think it might be worthwhile considering at some point -- but not without careful and deliberate consideration of the issues that we talked about last night and that residents have raised with me.

One way to keep traffic moving

At the Elizabethtown Area Regional Authority's meeting Tuesday morning, traffic engineer Steve Gault, who works for Mount Joy Township, presented a plan that would create a series of one-way streets around the Maytown Road-Market Street intersection and eliminate the traffic signal there.

And the EARA board voted unanimously to authorize Gault to apply for a grant that could fund the project.

Gault presented the proposal to EARA, which was formed last year to help implement a regional comprehensive plan that all four municipalities in the greater Elizabethtown area -- the borough and Conoy, Mount Joy and West Donegal townships -- approved last year.

In meetings this year, EARA members made traffic issues identified in the comprehensive plan a priority. And specifically, they want to focus on the area from Maytown Avenue to Kmart.

Gault has been working with EARA on traffic issues and brought his proposal to the board, saying it is one that is probably the most cost effective to complete. He compared the proposal to a roundabout that uses the existing streets.

If approved as presented, the traffic light at the Maytown Road-Market Street intersection would disappear. Instead, traffic would flow one way south on Market, with drivers entering from Maytown only able to turn right with a yield sign. If they want to head north on Market, they will make a left onto Lemon Street, a left onto Spruce Street and a left onto Cherry, all of which also would be one way, and then turn right onto Market. Northbound drivers on Market coming from the Kmart and Giant areas would have to make that same maneuver.

This idea is just a proposal right now. In fact, it is preliminary enough that Gault did not have cost estimates at the meeting this week. However, he said there is grant money available for which the project might be eligible -- and the EARA board voted to approve an application since it is due at the end of July.

For the project to move forward, Borough Council would need to approve the concept and plans, and it would need approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Dr. Dale Treese, who is chairman of the EAWA board and a member of Borough Council, said he he liked the plan.

Likewise, I think this has some potential as well. On paper, it appears that it might work by keeping traffic flowing -- especially on Market Street during times of high volume. Any other improvements to the intersection, such as a new traffic light or reconfiguring it, would involve tearing down existing buildings. Treese said estimates for that kind of work and constructing a new intersection were at least $1.5 million several years ago.

Assuming the project received approval from Borough Council, and the grant application is approved, Gault estimated that this would be two years before the project would be done.