Please put in a turning arrow, it's getting bad.

A left turn arrow won't do much good unless you have a left turn lane. That means somebody's front yard has to be seized.

Actually, that IS going to happen. PENNDOT is putting in a left turn lane at Morton and Swarthmore Avenues. They are going to widen the road from 9th Avenue all the way to Swarthmore Avenue, with a shoulder and sidewalks the whole way. PENNDOT is in the process of acquiring the right-of-way from residents. You can read all about it on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission TIP plan for this fiscal year.....

I will believe it when I see it. I used to live on that stretch, and they have been talking about sidewalks and road-widening for 60 years. Back around 1959 they even announced that we had a choice of hiring our own cement contractor or letting the state install the sidewalk and getting billed for it. Nothing ever happened.

...besides, most of the houses are already close enough to the street without losing 20 or 25 feet of front yard and bringing all the noisy speeding traffic much closer to the front door. The front yards will become useless, homeowners will need to keep the windows closed all year round, and property values will decrease, perhaps drastically. I'd like to see the state try a stunt like that around the corner in Swarthmore. Those residents wouldn't give up an inch.

The simple solution for backed up traffic at Michigan Avenue as well as Swarthmore Avenue is to change the timing of the traffic lights on Morton Ave. Give northbound traffic a green light half a minute before the westbound gets their green light. That way most of the traffic safely can clear out of the way, including everyone who needs to make a left turn. No need to spend megabucks and waste years of time exercising eminent domain on all the neighbors.

That is the best solution- and actually what I wanted, when I suggested the green turning arrow - not necessarily a turning lane, but even a delayed green light to allow some of the Morton Avenue traffic to turn left to alleviate the back up on Morton Avenue. As I write this, I am about to head home to meet with the representative appointed by PENNDOT to discuss the acquisition of the right-of-way required for the completion of this project....There will be a turning lane and arrow at Morton and Swarthmore Avenues and all the properties between 9th Avenue in Folsom and Swarthmore Avenue will, in some way be affected. I hope to have more information to post later, as I learn more about the project.

Finally fixed!

Fixed!