On Aug. 27, representatives from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority visited Galloway Township to present the current plans for the Garden State Parkway reconstruction of Exits 41and 44. But with Galloway attempting to spur economic development, a top priority of all elected officials should be the construction of a full parkway interchange at the White Horse Pike.
Any traffic engineer would acknowledge that two-lane roads such as Jimmie Leeds, Pomona and Moss Mill are not designed to handle an enormous amount of traffic. Therefore, much of that traffic should be routed to the White Horse Pike.
Investing taxpayer money in road and transportation safety improvements for a full White Horse Pike interchange would be money well spent. The interchange would provide easy access to Route 30 east and west, which will result in placing traffic where it should be. These improvements would help provide the infrastructure needed to attract quality developers to the White Horse Pike. Offering tax breaks to developers cannot make up for a lack of infrastructure.
Speaking of the changes to Exits 41 and 44, the Turnpike Authority's chief engineer, Rich Raczynski, stated in The Press, "Basically the plan itself is set in stone at this time. It's been in discussion for many years (with local officials). The administration has changed in Galloway Township recently. I don't think the message has gotten to the public."
Unfortunately, this statement demonstrates that all of our elected officials' priorities are not the same.
It's time for everyone to get on the same page.
KEVIN KRUMAKER
President
Galloway Democratic Club
Galloway Township
