Walking the Walk in Montgomery County, PA Walk to School Day at Myers Elementary School, Cheltenham, PA America Walks Webinar November 29, 2018 Jody Holton, AICP, Executive Director Montgomery County Planning Commission
Put it in the Plan: Montco 2040 A Shared Vision Montco 2040 is our comprehensive plan adopted in 2015 A guidance document for us and the county s 62 municipalities, focused around policies & strategies that the county can implement Funding from the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation to include health topics in plan Providing for recreation is part of the county s economic development and healthy lifestyles goals.
Each plan theme has goals which support walkability Improve transportation quality and expand options for county residents and workers Expand and connect trails, natural areas, and parks Support strong downtowns and community destinations Provide more opportunities for residents to exercise and have healthy lifestyles Enhance community character and protect neighborhoods PLAN THEMES Improve transportation access to businesses Encourage development and transformative investment where infrastructure already exists. Flexibly adapt to changing market conditions and demographics
The comprehensive plan looked closely at current walkability Bucks County Lehigh County Telford Souderton 29 East Greenville Pennsburg Salford Marlborough Montgomery Hatfield Bor. Franconia Red Hill Hanover Horsham Bryn Athyn Moreland 309 476 Green Lane Salford 663 Frederick Douglass New Hanover Lower Moreland Hatboro Hatfield Twp. Lansdale Towamencin Lower Salford Gwynedd Lower Gwynedd North Wales Rockledge 276 202 73 Abington Ambler Lower Frederick 611 Dublin Jenkintown Cheltenham 73 Whitpain Worcester Schwenksville Springfield Skippack Philadelphia East Norriton 100 Plymouth Perkiomen Whitemarsh Limerick Pottsgrove grove West Potts Berks County 0 Lower Pottsgrove 422 Sch uyl kill Riv e Pottstown Trappe Collegeville Providence r West Norriton Bridgeport West Conshohocken Lower Merion Narberth 476 Most Walkable Least Walkable 2 3 4 Conshohocken 76 29 Chester County Lower Providence Merion Royersford 1 Norristown Delaware County 5 6 Miles
And lays out an ambitious trail network Lehigh County Berks County 29 Hanover 17 Douglass 100 West Pottsgrove East Greenville Pennsburg 663 New Hanover Red Hill Marlborough Green Lane Frederick 73 8 Salford Salford Lower Frederick Schwenksville Limerick Pottsgrove Lower Pottsgrove 422 6 10 Pottstown Royersford Pottsgrove Manor 11 Green Lane Park 14 Historic Sites 18 19 Completed Trail Proposed Trail Sunrise Mill Schuylkill River Chester County 20 13 County Owned Land State Owned Land Valley Forge National Historical Park 11 Telford Souderton Franconia 476 Perkiomen Lower Salford Trappe Collegeville Providence 4 Pennypacker Mills Central Perkiomen Valley Park Schuylkill Valley Park 1. Chester Valley Trail 2. Cresheim Trail 3. Cross County Trail 4. Evansburg Trail 5. Liberty Bell Trail 6. Manatawny Trail 7. Pennypack Trail 8. Perkiomen Trail Skippack Evansburg State Park 21 29 Hatfield Twp. Hatfield Bor. Morgan Log House Lower Perkiomen Valley Park 5 Towamencin Lower Providence 8 Worcester Lansdale Gwynedd Peter Wentz Farmstead John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove North Wales 12 East Norriton Norristown Farm Park West Norriton 11 Valley Forge National Historical Park Montgomery 5 22 9. Power Line Trail 10. Schuylkill East Trail 11. Schuylkill River Trail 12. Stony Creek Trail 13. Sunrise Trail 14. West County Trail 15. Wissahickon Green Ribbon Trail 16. 202 Parkway Trail 16 309 Evans-Mumbower Mill 202 Norristown 1 Merion Bucks County Lower Gwynedd 5 Bridgeport 15 Whitpain Plymouth 76 Horsham 73 Ambler Conshohocken West Conshohocken 476 3 Graeme Park 9 Dublin 276 The Highlands Fort Washington State Park Whitemarsh Spring Mill Lower Merion Delaware County 17. Mill Hill Trail 18. Perkiomen Trail Extension 19. Green Lane Park 20. Highlands Trail 21. Skippack Trail 22. Schuylkill East Trail 23. Tookany Creek Trail 24. Rockledge Trail 25. Cynwyd Heritage Trail 3 Hope Lodge 22 2 Hatboro Springfield 11 23 15 Narberth Moreland 611 Abington Jenkintown 25 Lower Moreland Bryn Athyn Cheltenham Philadelphia 7 Lorimer 7 Rockledge 24
Our land use policies support walkability Mixed Use Future Land Use Vision for 2040 Town Center which leads to updated ordinances in municipalities.
Walk Montco
Walk Montco took a closer look at where people can walk
and sets up policies for future development Insert Sidewalk policy and cross section from page 65
It makes recommendations that are applicable county-wide Four Walk Audits that are case studies Downtown Commercial corridor School Train station Involve engineer, PENNDOT, SEPTA, community leaders, residents, township staff Sought input with online comment maps and open invitations to join the walk audits Municipalities that participated in this effort can use the case studies as a planning document for future funding requests Walk audits help us do better planning of the built environment.
Walk Montco Taken from our walk audit at a local elementary school
Bike Montco
Bike Montco Adopted as the county s bike plan to work toward a safe, efficient bicycle network for everyone Not a trails plan, despite the heavy use of the region s Circuit Trails network This plan highlights on-street and next-to street bike facilities (e.g. bike lanes and shoulders)
Bike Montco The planning process had a diverse and large (40+ member) steering committee Plan revolves around 6 themes Connected communities Equity Safety Education & Enforcement Health & Environmental Sustainability Vibrant Economy Case studies that focus on safe bike routes to parks & trails, bike mobility in towns, biking to transit, biking near schools Our bike planning efforts included bike users of all types. Our steering committee was an active one!
Planned Bike Montco Network
Planned Bike Montco Network
The plan s recommendations include feasible solutions A traffic engineer is a critical piece of the walk and bike audit process to provide concept plans for feasible design solutions with cost estimates.
Other ways we influence change in the built environment Model zoning & subdivision ordinances Regional transportation planning with MPO (DVRPC) for sidewalk, trail, and bicycling improvements Grant programs for: Municipal-level projects that implement the ideas in Montco 2040 Ordinances that illustrate outcomes Municipalities seeking matching funds for PennDOT s Green Light Go grant program A sidewalk connection to a county trail, funded by a Montco 2040 grant.
Next Steps Complete streets policy Ongoing grant making Continue providing walk audits for interested school districts and communities We hope to continue encouraging county residents to stay active and keep walking!
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION P.O. Box 311, Norristown, PA 19404-0311 www.montcopa.org/planning