I am speaking as a Boyertown community member, retired PE teacher, and advocate for community wellness. I live in a neighboring township in the Boyertown Area School District very close to Route 73, and I am impacted by traffic created by the Delaware County ash trucks which travel along the main road in our community. I am well aware of the traffic nightmare in the middle of Boyertown caused by truck traffic, and when I attended the informational meeting at Oley Fairgrounds building, I was shocked by the number of trucks from one business entity (approximately 500 one way), that are now permitted to travel Philadelphia Ave. and Reading Ave. past all of our local businesses while we are trying to shop and walk in town. There are other trucks but that volume from one business is a staggering number. It is really the only downtown business destination in 100 square miles of our community that is walkable. It would be advantageous to find solutions to this mass of trash truck traffic. The fact that these are landfill ash trucks makes it even more important to really think about coming up with more environmentally healthy solutions.
I had an experience with the truck traffic that is etched in my memory. My grandson and I had attended a toddler story time at the library on Philadelphia Ave. I was carrying him back to the Inner Core parking lot after the event and came close to getting hit by a truck because the road is barely wide enough for regular traffic and parking. I am not inferring that it was a landfill truck but the truck traffic is over the top on Philadelphia Ave. and definitely creates a disincentive for walking and shopping in the downtown area. I do notice that weekend shopping is much more appealing when truck traffic is minimal.
Please, I ask the Berks County Commissioners and the Rolling Hills Landfill and the Department of Environmental Protection to think about what is best for all of our local citizens and community members.
– Barb FurmanGilbertsville