White Haven area residents listened solemnly Thursday night as officials described the horror awaiting their community if the state proceeds with an Interstate 80 state toll that would divert motorists through their community.
Approximately 120 people attended the information rally at Saint Patrick’s Church Hall in White Haven or through an online platform, officials said. The event was co-hosted by White Haven and Luzerne County.
Borough Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Zweibel said he is expecting the borough will be “like a parking lot” from motorists detouring through the borough to avoid the toll or during high-traffic periods on the interstate.
He envisions emergency responders unable to reach residents in need and residents hit by vehicles passing through their neighborhood.
“This could be an epidemic level concern in this town,” he said.
Emergency contingency planning is impossible when the major artery is clogged, he said.
He described a scenario of trucks idling as they inch through on steamy summer days.
“This could be creating smog in White Haven. This is not Los Angeles,” he said.
Zweibel also expects scenarios where elderly residents will be unable to receive services due to the traffic jams.
Parts of Route 940 through White Haven have cobblestone exposed, and the roadways were not designed to handle constant truck traffic, he said..
Trucks get stuck on the railroad tracks several times a year, Zweibel said, adding that he fears a train derailment.
“Sorry to be doom and gloom,” he told the crowd.
Softspoken veteran borough Fire Chief Dean Raudenbush Jr. fears he and his crew will be unable to get to a fire in which someone is trapped due to traffic jams.
“Time is of the essence,” Raudenbush said. “People will die.”
Borough Councilman Robert Lamson said the quality of life will deteriorate in White Haven and adjacent East Side borough.
He narrated a video showing the path vehicles will take, which included images of trucks navigating through the area. Residents had a sense of what to expect when traffic was detoured through the borough due to an accident on the interstate, he said.
“Am I over dramatizing this?” he asked the crowd.
“No!” they responded.
Lamson said the problem won’t be solved immediately, but Thursday’s event was intended to make people aware of what’s at stake and motivate them to reach out to state officials demanding a change in plans.
John Zugarek, another White Haven councilman, presented statistics on the number of vehicles, including commercial trucks, that are expected based on Pennsylvania Department of Transportation data.
After the toll funds I-81 bridgework near White Haven, the funding generated will benefit infrastructure in another district that does not include Luzerne County, he said.
Even without the tolls, East Side Mayor Eric Siglin said commercial vehicles regularly pass through the borough driving too fast and sometimes taking down signs. He also worries about the impact on bicyclists drawn to the area and its trail.
White Haven attracts tourists because it is near three state parks and the D&L trail.
County Acting Manager Romilda Crocamo read comments from several county council members opposing the toll and said she often spent time in White Haven in her youth and believes the toll plan’s impact on the community is “unfair and unjust.”
“This is not just a White Haven issue. This is a Luzerne County issue.”
Crocamo said the county administration and council are behind the borough and will make sure its “voices are heard.”
She also discussed the negative impact of another Interstate 80 toll, saying it will hurt the rural Nescopeck area.
Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott said the county has experienced significant job creation growth in recent years, and the toll plan will set back the economy.
Last year county council unanimously approved a resolution opposing the tolls, she said. Council also approved an amicus brief this year in support of litigation some Allegheny County communities filed against the tolling, she said.
Planning/Zoning Executive Director Matthew C. Jones said the video presented during the rally is posted on the main page at luzernecounty.org.
County Tourism Director Alan K. Stout told the group trails are a top attraction in the county, and White Haven is a “significant part of that” draw.
