TO THE EDITORS:

Kudos to Mayor Gray for Wednesday evening's neighborhood meeting on the possible extension of Longfellow Drive. If anything, the newspaper article understated residents' opposition.

East Lampeter Township officials apparently want their own version of East Hempfield's Good Drive to help alleviate their traffic problems. Their plan is to shift the problem to someone else by turning Longfellow Drive and Chateau Hill into a "bypass" from Old Philadelphia Pike to Lampeter Road. Homeowners expressed concerns about potential traffic volume on a residential street. They cited traffic noise, safety issues like hills, curves, lines of sight, driveway access and potential speeding, a loss of neighborhood values and loss of property values.

This project would require construction of sidewalks along Longfellow Drive, three new traffic lights, traffic calming measures like speed bumps and increased speed enforcement.

Rather than dumping their traffic problems on the city, East Lampeter township officials should consider other options suggested at last evening's meeting. First, work with PennDOT to fix the horrible Bridgeport intersection. Second, consider extending Greenfield Road south to Millport Road. Third, connect the Route 30 exit ramp at Walmart to Millport Road.

Extending Longfellow Drive is a bad idea that would destroy a neighborhood.

Roger Kresge

Lancaster