Opinion: Area growth a blessing of convenience, a curse of congestion

My husband was taking our boy to hockey practice on a Saturday afternoon a few weeks back. He called me from Barnes Lake Road, wondering if there was an accident ahead because the traffic was so backed up.

I told him the odds were more likely that it's a line of shoppers, heading to the recently opened Walmart superstore.

I'm pretty neutral about the presence of Walmart towering high above Route 30, except to say I do get overwhelmed shopping somewhere where I can pick up a rotisserie chicken, buy an iPod and get a haircut for my kids at the same time.

For those that don't get panicky in those big box stores, I'm sure it's a welcome addition. But I'm certain I'm not alone when I question how Walmart, along with the other soon-to-open businesses cropping up on the township's east end, will impact the traffic flow in our area.

There's always a bit of a double-edged sword with expansion. More restaurant options and a local YMCA are great things, no doubt. Yet thinking about how to get to these places when we have one-lane roads like Norwin Avenue and Barnes Lake, leaves me with a throbbing head. I was leaving the Subway parking lot on Norwin Avenue one recent Saturday and was behind someone who was waiting to make the left hand turn. Traffic was so constant that I was able to tweeze BOTH of my eyebrows in the time it took the car in front of me to pull out.

The North Huntingdon Square parking lot also provides a nice challenge for local drivers. By the time I reach Giant Eagle, I've played about five games of chicken with oncoming traffic at the different intersections. Darting to Eat'N Park from Target's lower parking lot leaves me feeling like I'm caught in a virtual videogame, dodging cars until I reach the ultimate prize of the salad bar.

A proposed take-out entrance seems like it would only clog that road more, but then again, it could help things run more smoothly.

Offering residents more options comes with a price. In the quest for convenience, traffic can become inconvenient. I'm just relieved it's not my job to sort it all out. If I get nervous figuring out the layout of Walmart, I'd be sunk deciphering plans for a whole township.

Fitzgerald is a North Huntingdon resident.