Critics Of Route 1 Overhaul Seek Feedback

A group of newly elected Langhorne Manor Borough Council members is launching an effort to gather constituent feedback on PennDOT’s Route 1 overhaul.

Council members Dan Nicastro, an independent, and Democrats Lynn Barry and Devin Keating recently distributed Phillies season schedules to residents.

The handouts included a formal invitation for community members to share their “likes or concerns” about the massive infrastructure project, which will impact Langhorne Manor, Langhorne Borough, and Middletown Township.

The outreach also included former council candidate Teresa Weiser.

The project, which PennDOT is calling RC3, has become a focal point of tension for many residents near the highway.

Opponents, including the No Cloverleaf Coalition, argue the plan includes a costly and unnecessary cloverleaf interchange that would divert Route 1 traffic onto Pine Street, pushing more traffic through the Langhorne Borough Historic District.

The plan from PennDOT calls for the removal of service roads, which critics say will push through-traffic onto residential streets in the boroughs.

“Dan Nicastro, Lynn Barry and Devin Keating all were elected in large measure on the strength of their opposition to RC3’s planned cloverleaf interchange and removal of the service roads,” the No Cloverleaf Coalition said in a statement. “We are grateful to them for reaching out now to create much needed public engagement about this project.”

While PennDOT has maintained that the project remains in a “pre-decisional” stage, the coalition is asking residents to voice their opinions immediately.

The group noted they have concerns over potential risks to public health, safety, and the environment, as well as impacts on the area’s historic character.

Candidates backed by the No Cloverleaf Coalition won eight of nine seats across the three affected municipalities, the group said.

A December public hearing involved 100 attendees where many expressed serious concerns about the state’s proposal.

Residents can contact the Langhorne Manor Borough secretary at borough-secretary@langhornemanor.org and/or the Langhorne Manor Borough manager at borough-manager@langhornemanor.org to request a public meeting. Responses also can be sent directly to Nicastro at dnicastro@langhornemanor.org, Barry at lbarry@langhornemanor.org, and Keating at dmkeating@langhornemanor.org.

More information on the opposition to the Route 1 project can found by contacting the No Cloverleaf group at nocloverleaf@gmail.com. To get a sign, locals can visit the No Cloverleaf – Langhorne/413.