A traffic expert told Newtown Township planners that the proposed Marville development on the north side of West Chester Pike (near the Edgmont/Newtown border) would ultimately add about 75 percent to the area’s weekend traffic volume, and 50 percent on weekday afternoons. Developer Claude De Botton is currently seeking approval for his centerpiece 62-acre lifestyle village component of the Marville master plan. An adjacent shopping center (The Shops of Marville) to the east has already been approved and excavated, while commercial sites to the west have been operating for several years.

About two-thirds of the new Marville traffic will be destined for the lifestyle village, which will feature a hotel, retail shops, restaurants and an arts conservatory.

The increased volume means that some traffic movements in and out of the village could operate at an ‘F’ level during peak hours, which translates to an average delay of more than 80 seconds per driver. A number of improvements and driveway lane patterns could be employed to alleviate some traffic flow issues, but PennDOT would have the last word on all changes to the state road. The lifestyle village plan will come before township planners again in September.