BCT Editorial – 4/23/06

This page was last updated on April 23, 2006.

A start; Editorial; Beaver County Times; April 23, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Temporary signs; permanent improvement.

“We can only hope this play on the old PennDOT slogan ‘temporary inconvenience; permanent improvement’ works out in regard to the renumbering of the multinumbered highway that runs from Monroeville to Sharon.

“On Wednesday, federal and local officials unveiled a temporary highway sign along Route 60 in Hopewell Township that read ‘Future 376 Corridor.’

“About $47 million needs to be spent to get this stretch of road up to federal highway standards, but once that work is done the entire stretch will be designated as an interstate.

“For economic development purposes, the importance of that happening cannot be stressed enough. It’s a start in the right direction.”

[RWC] This editorial would be funny if it weren’t so sad. I hope it doesn’t represent the best thinking at the Times. The editorial is actually trying to tell us that different signs on a road that’s been around for decades will result in economic development. It used to be “build it and they will come.” Now I guess it’s “rename it and they will come.”

To be fair, it’s not only the Times taking this questionable position. U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart (R-4) and U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R) also hold this belief.