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HOP PERMIT APPLICATION # 40633-375666
Why It Matters to Homeowners
Responsible Design to Safeguard Residents
Inclusive and Transparent Planning
The developer’s Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) application received Cycle 3 review comments from PennDOT on October 30, 2025. Despite the significance of this stage in the review process, Chadds Ford Township and residents of the roadways most directly affected by the proposed access changes have not been meaningfully included by the dev
The developer’s Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) application received Cycle 3 review comments from PennDOT on October 30, 2025. Despite the significance of this stage in the review process, Chadds Ford Township and residents of the roadways most directly affected by the proposed access changes have not been meaningfully included by the developer in discussions or revisions related to the HOP.
As a result, several impacted homeowners took the formal step of requesting participation in the process. Following review by a PennDOT hearing officer, these residents were granted Intervention status, recognizing their direct and substantial interest in the outcome of the HOP application.
This unusual step underscores the seriousness of the concerns raised and highlights the need for a more transparent, collaborative review process that includes township officials and the community members who will bear the impacts of the proposed development.
Inclusive and Transparent Planning
Responsible Design to Safeguard Residents
Inclusive and Transparent Planning
Effective mitigation of traffic on minor collector roads—such as Ridge Road—must begin with an understanding of their intended function. Minor collector roads are designed to serve local traffic, connect neighborhoods, and provide access to homes at relatively low speeds. They are not intended to carry high volumes of regional or commerc
Effective mitigation of traffic on minor collector roads—such as Ridge Road—must begin with an understanding of their intended function. Minor collector roads are designed to serve local traffic, connect neighborhoods, and provide access to homes at relatively low speeds. They are not intended to carry high volumes of regional or commercial traffic, nor to function as alternative routes to bypass congestion on nearby arterial roads.
Because Ridge Road primarily serves residential neighborhoods, any traffic mitigation related to the proposed development must follow a comprehensive, community-based planning approach, with direct and meaningful input from both the township and the residents most affected. Decisions about access design, traffic controls, and circulation patterns should reinforce the road’s residential character and safety function—not undermine it.
Without an inclusive and transparent planning process, traffic “mitigation” risks becoming a tool that accommodates increased traffic volumes by redirecting them onto residential roads, rather than genuinely reducing impacts. For a development of this scale and location, effective mitigation must prioritize preserving the intended function of a minor collector road, protecting public safety for residents and pedestrians, and maintaining neighborhood character—not simply facilitating projected commercial traffic demand.
Responsible Design to Safeguard Residents
Responsible Design to Safeguard Residents
Responsible Design to Safeguard Residents
A responsible Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) design must reinforce—not undermine—the intended function of the local road network. Each roadway has a defined role: arterial roads are designed to carry higher volumes of regional and commercial traffic, while residential and minor collector roads are intended to support local access, lower
A responsible Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) design must reinforce—not undermine—the intended function of the local road network. Each roadway has a defined role: arterial roads are designed to carry higher volumes of regional and commercial traffic, while residential and minor collector roads are intended to support local access, lower speeds, and safe neighborhood mobility. Access strategies should reflect and respect these distinctions.
Commercial access design should ensure that the majority of site traffic enters and exits directly from arterial roadways, minimizing incentives for drivers to seek faster or more convenient routes through residential neighborhoods.
Without a clear focus on preserving road function, the HOP risks becoming a mechanism that prioritizes development convenience and traffic throughput over public safety and community well-being.
Redirecting or absorbing commercial traffic onto residential roads may improve level-of-service metrics at a single intersection, but it does so at the expense of neighborhood safety, quality of life, and long-standing township planning goals.
Concerns at a Glance Cycle 3-4 Interim - EPS 375666
High-Risk Site Characteristics
This location exhibits several characteristics commonly associated with higher-risk access sites:
- Multiple closely spaced access points
- Addition of a half signal on a major arterial
- High peak-hour traffic volumes
- Limited turn storage
- Behavioral uncertainty in traffic distribution
Given these factors, the site should be treated conservatively, with enhanced review and mitigation standards.
Ridge Road Traffic Assumptions
The plan assumes:
- 60% of northbound site traffic will use the new half signal.
- 40% will continue to use Ridge Road.
This assumption supports a projected 21–26% reduction in westbound Ridge Road traffic. If this assumption is wrong, Ridge Road congestion and safety impacts could be significantly understated.
- Drivers may continue to use Ridge Road due to:
- Habit
- GPS routing
- Avoidance of signal delay
Traffic West of the Site & Local Connector Roads
The analysis does not fully evaluate:
- Traffic patterns west of the proposed development
- Downstream intersections
- Impacts on local minor connector roads
If drivers divert to avoid the half signal or the signal at the Ridge Road intersection nearby neighborhood roads could experience increased cut-through traffic, creating secondary safety and congestion issues not currently reflected in the traffic study.
Left-Turn Lane Length & Spillback Risk
The plan proposes a 200-foot northbound left-turn lane at a new half signal on Route 202.
Key concern:
- It has not been conclusively demonstrated that this storage length will prevent queue spillback during peak hours.
- If queues exceed 200 feet, traffic could back up into through lanes or extend toward Ridge Road.
- Spillback on Route 202 would create significant safety risks and corridor disruption.
Weaving & Access Conflicts
The proposed configuration creates potential weaving movements:
- Vehicles exiting Glen Eagle Square may attempt to cross lanes to access the new left-turn lane.
- Signage alone may not adequately address this risk.
Access Design and Cut-through Traffic
Poorly designed access can unintentionally invite cut-through traffic when convenience or intersection efficiency is prioritized over neighborhood protection. A responsible Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) must reinforce the road network’s hierarchy—arterials for regional and commercial traffic, and residential or minor collector roads for local, low-speed travel.
Cut-through traffic often results from access designs that favor residential movements, place driveways too close to neighborhood intersections, direct internal site traffic toward local roads during peak hours or make residential routes faster than staying on arterials—often amplified by navigation apps.
When this happens, residential roads become shortcuts for non-local drivers, leading to higher traffic volumes, faster speeds, more conflict points, and reduced safety for residents, pedestrians, cyclists, school buses, and emergency vehicles.
A responsible HOP must protect roadway function and community safety. Development convenience cannot come at the expense of surrounding residential areas. Commercial traffic belongs on arterial roads—residential streets must remain safe, predictable, and local.
HOP Interim Submission: Modified Access
MODIFIED ACCESS SENERIO
As directed by PennDOT, a modified access scenario was provided by the developer on 12/19/25 as part of the Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) Application No. 375666. The analysis preliminarily addressed several comments contained in the Cycle 3 HOP review letter (dated October 30, 2025).
NEW ROUTE 202 PROPOSED ENTRANCE
This modified access scenario includes a NEW entrance into the strip mall via a northbound left turn lane and partial traffic signal, which stops southbound traffic so that vehicles can turn into the development from Route 202.
- This northbound left-turn lane would require Right of Way (ROW) access from the Lamar property (billboard owner)
- Failure to acquire ROW could invalidate the entire access concept.
PROPOSED IMPACTS ON RIDGE ROAD
The proposed plan intends to reduce Ridge Road Traffic Volumes by 21–26% and would eliminate the second westbound Ridge Road Lane.
- Daily trips using this second Ridge Road access point have been recalculated to a total of 4,868 DAILY along Ridge Road Between the Site Access and Route 202.
- The plan assumes that 60% of northbound Route 202 site traffic will use the new partial signal and 40% will use Ridge Road.
- NOTE: This is a behavioral assumption, not a controlled outcome and drivers will most likely continue to use Ridge Road due to a.) Habit, b.) GPS routing and c.) Signal delay avoidance - as it currently the case.
- If this assumption fails, Ridge Road impacts could be significantly understated.
DEFINITION OF LEVEL OF SERVICE (LOS) - D
The developer notes in this interim proposal that Route 202/Ridge Road/Springhill Drive intersection will operate at an overall LOS D or better. In PennDOT traffic studies, a Level of Service LOS baseline of D means that Level of Service is the MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE operating condition. LOS D is generally defined as:
- Noticeable congestion
- Reduced speeds
- Limited driver maneuverability
- Delays that are longer but still considered “acceptable"
- Traffic is near capacity, with little room for error
WHAT LOS - D LOOKS LIKE IN REAL LIFE
When traffic studies say Route 202 and Ridge Road will operate at Level of Service D, it sounds acceptable — but LOS D actually means the road is already strained. At LOS D, traffic still moves, but just barely. Cars are closer together, speeds are reduced, and there is little room for mistakes or added traffic. Any small problem — a crash, bad weather — can quickly cause backups.
For this intersection, an LOS-D rating may result in:
- Long waits at the light, especially for left turns
- Lines of cars that sometimes don’t clear in one green
- Sudden braking on Route 202 and Ridge as traffic backs up
- Frustrated drivers taking chances to “beat the light”
- More drivers cutting through nearby neighborhoods to avoid delays
LOS D — FREQUENTLY CHALLENGED BY PENNDOT
LOS D has no buffer is typically applied to an urbanized setting. Any growth or disruption can cause failure, and a small increase can push it to LOS E/F seriously impacting local neighborhoods. While LOS D is technically “acceptable” in some contexts, PennDOT challenges it when:
- It is used as a design target instead of a warning sign
- The corridor is already congested or safety-sensitive
- New development traffic is being added
- Queue lengths approach or exceed turn-lane storage
- The intersection serves residential streets or schools
Learn More About Your Rights
What is a PennDOT HOP
A Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) — authorized by 75 Pa. C.S. § 420, implemented through 67 Pa. Code Chapter 441 — is required for any new driveway, access, or drainage connection to a state highway. The HOP regulates access points (driveways, turn lanes, signals, drainage) — not land use itself.
PennDOT evaluates safety, traffic impact, and drainage, but not zoning or land development policy — those stay under municipal control. Developers typically cannot get final land development approval without an HOP, and vice versa.
Who Can Intervene?
To date, several affected homeowners have filed, and some have been granted the right to intervene (after a hearing officer review) in this PennDOT HOP application.
Private individuals or entities may intervene if they can show:
- Direct, substantial, and immediate impact
- Not just generalized community concern
Examples Include:
- Abutting landowners
- Owners whose only access or sight distance is affected
- Owners facing measurable traffic, safety, or drainage impacts
What “Limited Intervention” Means (Very Important) - PennDOT frequently grants limited intervention, which usually allows intervenors to:
✔ Inspect and copy the HOP file
✔ Submit written comments or objections
✔ Respond to revised submissions
✔ Have comments considered by the PennDOT
Strategic Summary for Homeowners
- File Right-to-Know request for HOP plans.
- Submit detailed written objections or a Petition to Intervene to PennDOT and township engineers.
- Request active township engagement in the HOP application and traffic plan
- If approved and materially harmful, consult counsel about Commonwealth Court appeal or challenging related local approvals.
File Written Comments
Reference the above HOP application number, identify yourself as a nearby property owner, and explain specific, factual safety or drainage concerns, FOR EXAMPLE:
- Insufficient sight distance or turning radius
- Increased crash risk from driveway placement
- Added traffic congestion or cut-through impacts
- Drainage onto your property
- Conflict with township zoning or subdivision plan
Keep it professional — PennDOT must include substantive comments in its file.