Picture a white clapboard and stone colonial village back in 1765, one of the earliest settlements in Dauphin County. It was known as the Town of St. Thomas. As with most villages, this one grows. Over a period of 100 years farms develop. Trees are felled. Log cabins, then houses rise nearby. Some 150 years later, a flagpole is erected in its Square. A bit later an auto dealership moves in. Staging areas for 20th century highway trucks appear nearby. After World War II a new, non-town grows – the suburbs of Harrisburg. By the end of the 20th century traffic increases to 14,000 vehicles per day, often speeding through the Village. Only the flagpole, its small traffic island and some stop signs guide vehicles. Fortunately, few pedestrians and drivers are injured; but the Village’s children can no longer safely walk to school. Government tries repeatedly to “improve” the area, but residents and local businesses oppose many of the plans. The Village, after 135 years, endures.

As a way to resolve issues of traffic increase, safety, and suburban sprawl, the Lower Paxton Township Board of Supervisors in 1998 appointed the Village of Linglestown Committee. Comprised of all points of view, and of Village and nearby Township residents, the Committee spent over a year assessing the situation, developing a structure and general principles by which it would study and propose solutions. It carefully and deliberately involved Village and nearby Township residents in its discussions.

The Village is a unique asset of the Township. The recommended actions contained in this document seek to enhance the safety and security of the residents and their neighbors, while preserving the Village’s character and quality of life. Carefully integrated community-based solutions are recommended for implementation.

The Action Plan is solidly grounded in state of the art techniques and concepts of community planning and traffic safety. The next step is to secure expert engineering and planning assistance to perform a feasibility study to determine precise scope, costs and schedules for these ideas.