Proposed 194 district makes no sense
Dear members of the PA Legislative Redistricting Commission: I write to you today to ask you to reconsider the 194th legislative district as it is currently proposed by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission. Your proposal splits up two geographically cohesive districts, the 194th and the 200th, and instead knits parts of these districts together with little in common, Mt. Airy/Chestnut Hill and Roxborough. The result makes no sense in terms of geography or fair representation. The Wissahickon Creek Park extends five miles as a barrier between Mt. Airy/Chestnut Hill, on one side, and Roxborough, on the other. Two bridges, four miles apart, are the only connections bewteen these two communities. There is very little these two neighborhoods share: residents shop separately and there is little traffic between the two. Even the zip codes are different. I know about this separation first hand. I live in the narrow sliver of land in Mt. Airy (between Wissahickon Avenue and the park) that is currently in the 194th district. With the exception of this small area, the current 194th is entirely to the west of the Wissahickon Creek Park. In the 25 years I have lived here, I have not seen either my state representative or state senator once, and am effectively disenfranchised from state representation because of my location. Your proposal only deepens the problem, however. In contrast, the current 200th district is much more cohesive. Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill are very closely linked as far as shopping, schools and transportation. This close connection has actually existed for well more than a century when this section of the city, along with neighboring Germantown , was known as the Germantown Township. The 194th district is equally cohesive as it consists of the contiguous neighborhoods of Roxborough, Manayunk and East Falls. Redesigning the proposed maps so that the 194th is entirely west of the Wissahickon Creek Park and the 200th entirely east of the park would actually correct the existing problem without causing new ones, as your current plan does. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Please do not hesitate to contact me at 215-789-5711 or e-mail dangordon95@gmail.com if you have questions or would like more information. Sincerely, Dan Gordon 1021 West Hortter Street Philadelphia 19119