The stories and letters regarding Century III Mall's reputation and lack of business are interesting and I would like to add my comments. ["Empty stores may be on rise at Century III Mall,'' Feb. 7.] The mall and its adjoining complexes should be renamed the Century Garbage Malls because that is the first impression for anyone who visits there. After that it's all downhill, literally.

The mall is not user-friendly or inviting. Anyone who has been at or near Century III Mall and the adjoining strip malls can see the lack of maintenance and the garbage on the hillsides leading into the complex. How inviting is the complex when all along the slopes of the mall's main roads of Lebanon Church Road, Clairton Road and Route 51 have nothing but plastic bags, cups, paper, shopping carts and other garbage? And it's been there for years. Even at the bus stops, there are overturned shopping carts for patrons to sit on and garbage everywhere.

The traffic signalized intersections inside the complexes are inefficient, old and are not pedestrian friendly. Those intersections controlled by stop signs are not only inefficient but are dangerous in that some are one-side stop, some are two-way stop, while a few are all-way stop. At the two inside intersections off Lebanon Church Road, drivers have to take chances even entering the complex. Whoever designed the five legged intersection should be made to direct traffic there 24 hours a day. And the intersections off Route 51 are no better.

So when you come to the mall, don't mind the view because since the mall was built on a dump they are determined to turn it back into a dump. Look on the bright side - it keeps the property taxes low!

JOHN RUDIAK

Carrick

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