Buggies were traveling Lancaster County roadways long before cars came along. And when they did, automobile drivers learned how to accommodate their presence. But Lancaster County isn't the wide-open country it was just a few years ago. Route 30 has always been known for its traffic, but the days when you can drive down rural stretches of road around places like New Holland and see more buggies than cars are coming to a close as well. Drivers with less patience are becoming more of a problem, too.
People are in more of a rush.
But roadways filled with traffic, or torn up by construction, make getting almost anywhere in a hurry a frustrating joke these days. One man, who is a member of the Groffdale Old Order Mennonite Church near Bareville and did not wish to be identified, agreed that it isn't as easy to get around by buggy as it used to be. It's definitely a lot worse than it was. Buggy drivers aren't the only ones avoiding traffic-choked Route 23, which connects Lancaster with the New Holland area. Ironically, Huyard feels safer on Route 23 than on some other roads.