I’m mad at a sign. How irrational is that?

I can be pretty clueless at times.  I don’t notice things until well past their occurrence.

For example, the shed and storage building  company on West 7^th Street that used to have their sample buildings all over the vacant lot at Maple Street.  The other day I noticed they were gone.  Only to be told they had been gone for ages.  Clueless.

So, this sign may have been around for ages.  But I just noticed it yesterday.

In front of Trinity Lutheran Church.  It might as well say "Ignore Lansdale."

 This directional sign is found when travelling eastbound on Main Street.  Coming from Hatfield into downtown Lansdale.  In front of Trinity Lutheran Church.

This sign tells you to make a right onto Valley Forge Road.  To get to North Wales.

And by-pass our Lansdale Business district.

This sign makes me mad.  I hate this sign.  Because the powers that be shouldn’t direct people away from our business district.

Now if you had asked me how to get to North Wales from Trinity Lutheran, I never would have told you to go down Valley Forge Road.  “Keep going straight down Main Street, and make a right at North Wales Road.  That’ll take you right into North Wales.  Have a good day!”  That’s what I would have said to someone asking directions.  Easy to follow directions.

And the same arrow telling you to go to Norristown down Valley Forge Road?  Same answer.  “Keep going straight down Main Street, and make a right on Rout 202.  That’ll take you right into Norristown.  Have a good day!” 

Now, I know some won’t agree with me.  You can marginally – and I mean marginally – get to either destination by by-passing Lansdale and making that right onto Valley Forge Road to Allentown Road and working your way zig-zag.  But it’s not direct.  And certainly not as easy for someone who is looking at road signs!

Google Maps even validates the point that Allentown Road is marginally shorter.  But more confusing.

Google Maps doesn't like our business district, either.

 The only one I can’t complain about is Valley Forge.  Making a right on Valley Forge Road takes you to Valley Forge. 

But this is really a metaphor for a bigger issue.  Is life by-passing downtown Lansdale just like the folks at PennDOT seem to want to?

Look at the things most people travel for in life.  Food shopping.  Eating out.  Entertainment. 

We already know we don’t have a supermarket.  We have a lot of dining possibilities, but only ones that have full-service menus are BYOB.  That will change in a few days when the Stove and Tap opens.  But that will still leave us with only one full-service restaurant with a liquor license.

So – what should we do?  I propose we (and we means borough council, Economic Development Committee, Discover Lansdale, Citizens for the Revitalization of Lansdale and everyone else) put together a proposal for our state legislature to create a new category of liquor license for small municipalities like Lansdale.  Liquor licenses meant to lure full-service restaurants into the state's historic downtowns, where such establishments are lacking.  Use these new, low cost licenses as the carrot to lure dining establishments to boroughs like Lansdale.  Because good, full-service restaurants bring revitalization. 

What do you think?  Is this a plan to help me – and everyone else – shop and dine more in Lansdale borough?