August 3, 2015

Concord Township is completing a $432,000 traffic congestion mitigation project designed to enhance traffic signal timing to alleviate delay at nine intersections on Route 202 in Concord and Chadds Ford Townships, a press release said. As part of the proposed adaptive traffic signal control system, video detection cameras will be installed at each intersection approach

This project will build upon a similar system installed by the township along Baltimore Pike (Route 1) from Route 202 to Route 322.

“Many residents and other drivers commented on the significant improvement of traffic flow along Route 1 when we installed the adaptive traffic signal control system in 2013,” said Dominic A. Pileggi, Chairman of the Concord Township Board of Supervisors. “Under this expansion, the traffic signals along both Route 1 and Route 202 will communicate and coordinate with each other. These improvements will help reduce commutes and travel times, which also will reduce the amount of fuel consumed idling at traffic signals and reduce emissions in the township.”

Pileggi noted that the project was made possible at no cost to local taxpayers because Concord Township successfully applied for a state grant to pay for the costs of the project. The grant was provided by PennDOT through its Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) grant program, which is funded by fines from red light violations at 25 intersections in Philadelphia.  ARLE grants must be used for transportation projects that improve safety, enhance mobility and reduce congestion.

The traffic control system that Concord is putting in place will determine the number of vehicles waiting in each lane and the length of their wait time. The system then determines which approach to the intersection should receive a green light and how long the green phase should last.

The technology also enables signals at different lights to communicate with each other and create staggered “green tunnels,” or bands of green time, at intersections along the corridor in order to platoon traffic through each intersection. The InSync system was developed by Rhythm Engineering and will constantly adjust signal timings in real-time based on actual traffic demand.  It will replace an old timing plan for the corridor that used predetermined timing patterns based on the time of the day and projected volume levels.

The project will extend the adaptive traffic signal control system down Route 202 from Oakland Road to Johnson Farm Lane.  The intersections of Route 202 & Hillman and Route 202 & Applied Card will be upgraded as part of the Brandywine Mills project. The work will begin in early August and will be completed by the end of September. Once completed, the system will be remotely monitored by the Township Engineer, Pennoni, to facilitate adjustments and optimize operation.

Updated to add a link to the obituary

In his statement on the president’s page of the Chester County Historical Society (CCHS) website, Rob Lukens, a native of southeastern Pennsylvania whose ancestors co-founded Germantown in 1683, summed up the passion that he brought to the institution.

“I love this place, and know you will, too (if you don’t yet!),” it stated.

The historical society is now deeply mourning his loss. He died on Saturday, Aug. 1, of stomach cancer at age 42, following a two-year battle, according to a CCHS press release.

Lukens became the CCHS president in 2011, although his association with the society began in 1993, when he helped catalog, pack, and move museum objects as a volunteer during his undergraduate studies. Later, he was an intern at CCHS and then became its collections manager in 1998.

He left CCHS in 2003 to become the head of collections at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. His career then took him to Historic Yellow Springs and the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center before bringing him back to the Historical Society, ready to lead the institution he cherished.

“Rob Lukens made an indelible mark on the Chester County Historical Society,” George Zumbano, chairman of the CCHS Board of Trustees, said in the release. “It was a pleasure and an honor to work with him. His enthusiasm for our region’s history was contagious, and he brought a level of professional expertise that helped us move forward in innovative ways.”

At CCHS, Lukens exuded enthusiasm for his role as an ambassador and guardian of Chester County history. He wrote a regular column in a local newspaper, did a weekly radio program, and championed the popular History on Tap series, which combined entertaining history lessons with the ambiance of local watering holes.

Luken’s leadership brought much-needed upgrades to the CCHS facilities and continuing plans for improvement. Throughout his illness, he remained committed to CCHS – attending functions and continuing to promote the institution – especially in developing plans for the new permanent exhibition.

In late May, Lukens, who received a doctorate in history from Temple in 2010, announced that work had begun on “A Place in History,” a $2.2 million permanent exhibition-space renovation that will enable visitors to traverse 300 years of county history in 6,000 square feet. The redesigned space will utilize interactive maps, touch screens and audio-visual effects to create a 21^st-century experience.

“We want to make the wow factor so intense that you want to come back,” Lukens said at the time.

Describing Lukens as a devoted father, husband, son, brother, uncle, friend, and colleague, the release said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Becky, his two children, Abbie and Finn, and his entire family during this difficult time.”

Zumbano said that David B. Reinfeld, who has served as acting president of CCHS for the last two years, has been named interim president. “David has done a remarkable job throughout this difficult time, and we are confident that CCHS remains in good hands,” Zumbano said.

The release said CCHS will post funeral arrangements on its website – http://www.chestercohistorical.org – when they become available.

“The Chester County Historical Society Board of Trustees, staff members, and volunteers are grateful for the time that we had with Rob, and we will miss him dearly,” the release said. “His work, which is our work, will continue.”

To view the obituary, click here.

 

Pocopson Township is poised to make county history during the fall election – at least unofficially.

Barring any unforeseen write-in candidates, voters will be selecting from two Republican women – Elaine DiMonte and Alice Balsama – to fill two vacancies on the Pocopson Township Board of Supervisors. In January, DiMonte and Balsama would join incumbent Supervisor Ricki Stumpo, creating what is likely the first all-female board of supervisors in the county.

Chester County officials said they were unable to recall any other all-female municipal administrative body in the county and believed Pocopson’s election would represent a first.

In the primary, Balsama faced off against current Supervisors’ Chairman Barney Leonard, also running as a Republican, in a hotly contested race for an unexpired, four-year term that ended up in Common Pleas Court. The county’s president judge ordered Balsama removed from the ballot, citing improper paperwork; however, Balsama won as a write-in candidate.

In a recent interview, Leonard, who won spots on the Democratic ballot, said he had his name removed from contention and has no plans to challenge either DiMonte, who had sought the six-year term, or Balsama.

“The voters have spoken,” he said, citing frustration over the low turnout for the primary. “What happens at the municipal level is what impacts people the most.”

Leonard, formerly a member of the township’s planning commission, said his political aspirations have ended. “The political landscape has made the business of running a beautiful place like Pocopson very unpleasant,” he said.

He said he believes the rancorous tone that has accompanied some of the recent township disagreements, such as the primary itself and the Barnard House conflict, hurts an already challenging environment.

Still, he said he loves living in Pocopson and plans to continue to be involved in the township. “I’m not sure how yet,” he said, “but I will help any way that I can.”

In the meantime, he said he plans to work hard during the next six months to complete his term. He said he wishes his successors well and imparted some of the wisdom he gained during his tenure: “It’s not an easy job.”