Where failing your driver's test means disaster for the neighborhood.

A little strip mall just a block east of Oxford Ave on Levick street, overlooks the start of a new shopping plaza. But, it was the Penn DOT Lawndale driver license and testing center that was drawing the protest and concern of families in the immediate residential neighborhood.

This past Saturday, a group of nearly thirty seniors, children and families led by Democratic committee persons Bruce Platt and Annette Ludwig of the 53rd ward - 23rd division, protested peacefully outside the offices of the Lawndale driver license center.

At issue is the use of the rear parking lot and the streets of the neighborhood to test new drivers. Some of these rookies use small rental cars, leased outside the doors of the agency, others take the test behind the wheel of a driving school vehicle. Operating this service in a residential neighborhood, has brought problems not normally associated with the volume of traffic surrounding new shopping areas. There's been an increase in damage to parked cars, strangers driving erratically on small streets and a lot of close calls with pedestrians. Imagine living in a neighborhood where most of the drivers on the street either do not have a license or have had their licenses for minutes, not years.

To quote an agitated Phil McKeown, "You've got summertime coming up, you've got thousands of kids in this neighborhood. You're going to have nervous drivers being dumped into the community......it's so wrong." "In all due fairness, they've put a lot of money into the building. If they could do drivers licenses here, but get the testing to a more remote site, it would help....the problem here is the testing." According to some residents, the center is also used for commercial license testing involving tractor trailers, adding to the congestion and public danger.

Another neighbor, Henry Batith, questioned how a center with this much neighborhood impact could pop up overnight causing the type of incidents occuring on his street. According to councilman Rick Mariano, no zoning was required since the center is classified commercial. The State is not required to notify the community or hold public meetings. The Councilman was working with Bruce Platt, Annette Ludwig and the Licensing office to re-route the test course, possibly block off the rear exit of the lot which leads to Hellerman (and the residential community), and look into the licensing of rental cars and driving schools using the facility.

Annette Ludwig expressed her concerns as both a committee woman and neighbor. "We have a tremendous amount of traffic on Dorcas street. ( a one way street 1/2 block east on Levick from the center) There are senior citizens on the street finding it difficult to get in and out of their cars with the driver training cars coming so close on both sides of the street. Also, there are people who leave their cars all day, and the driver training schools are practicing parallel parking. At the end of Hellerman and Dorcas you have children playing, and for a residential area an extreme volume of cars going in and out. You also have the end of the street (Dorcas), where cars are flying around (the corner) onto the parking lot, causing an even bigger problem." She continues, "We are trying to do the best that we can to resolve the situation here, and the protest is to try to help us."

Penn DOT was receptive to solutions which involved re-routing of the test areas, but seemed less willing to talk about moving the test center. Spokesman for the center, John Downey Jr., listened to many of the protester's individual complaints while offering solutions, but pointed out that if the center were moved to a less convenient location, there were community organizations in nearby areas that would raise the question of fairness and discrimination.

Although this was a peaceful demonstration, the issues involved are as serious as life and death, the destruction of property and irrevocable changes in the lifestyle and peace of a neighborhood.

Normally, we look at traffic intersections that are hazardous due to an error in design or execution, but this nonsense could happen to anyone. All it takes is for the State to open a testing center near your home.

If you took your test at the Trevose barracks of the State Police, remember the fifteen minutes of questions followed by an intricate difficult course where the biggest hazard to life and limb was a red rubber cone or a tough State trooper.

Now, imagine if that cone were your child, family pet or over-financed family sedan. That's what the residents of Levick and Oxford are going through. It's not fair nor intelligent. There's no place for a testing center in a family neighborhood. All the re-routing in the world will not keep those nervous drivers clear of the residential streets.

Just a thought. There's something more valuable in Philadelphia that needs preservation other than historical sites . It's the solid, quiet, raise your kids in security and peace -neighborhood. The State should recognize that fact.

Got an opinion? Write to Steve Steinruck - News Gleaner Publications, 1612 Margaret st., Phila. 19124, PA. Or e-mail at ng@microserve.net

Back to Front Page | News Archives | Contact Us | Advertising

The Week In Review | Police Report | Community Calendar | Trips
Reunions | Movie Reviews | Web Links | Classifieds