House Districts 190, 194, 200

The proposed State House redistricting map looks very good. However, in NW Philadelphia, there are some areas that need tweaking. Although the new district maps make sense on a map, on the ground they actually breakup neighborhoods. The biggest reason for this is Wissahickon Creek. On a non-topographical map, "Creek" sounds like a trickle that's easily traversed. However, in the area of the 194th and 200th, Wissahickon Creek runs through a steep, rocky ravine. It is traversed by only 2 high bridges, 4 miles apart. On the east side of the creek, the old boundaries of the 200th district make much more sense. Germantown Avenue forms a main artery through Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, and Germantown. In the old 194th, although East Falls is across the creek from Manayunk/Roxborough, the bridge is located in such a position that it is also a main artery connecting the two neighborhoods. Furthermore, East Falls is a very coherent community as well as a neighborhood, and should not be split into two House Districts. I strongly urge the Board to revise the district maps for these three districts.