Montgomery County, PA

 

In October 2008, the Montgomery County Planning Commission organized a Transportation Funding Forum.  More than just a planning discussion, the forum hosted over 250 Montgomery County business leaders, elected officials, municipal managers, school district officials, and transportation professionals to discuss new ways of funding our transportation system and to determine the role, if any, of county government. 

 

Securing funding for vital transportation projects has become increasingly difficult.  Diminishing state and federal revenue, a growing backlog of deferred maintenance, and inflationary construction costs all contribute to the crisis.  Faced with the realization that increased congestion is harmful both to local businesses and quality of life, stakeholders unanimously agreed that the county should take steps to deal with the crisis by providing local funding for local projects.
 
The Montgomery County Transportation Program was conceived as a result of the forum.  Recommended by the Montgomery County Commissioners in November 2008, the proposed ten-year, $150 million initiative to improve the transportation network in the county would, if approved by voters, provide local funding for local projects.   

 

In early 2009, the Montgomery County Commissioners awarded funding to six projects—a Jump Start of the full program—to demonstrate to the public how the program could be effective.  The Jump Start projects were selected for their construction readiness, regional impact, opportunity for partnerships, and geographic diversity.  The projects are listed below:

 

·	Sumneytown Pike Widening Project (Upper Gwynedd Township)
·	Matsonford Road Widening Project (West Conshohocken Borough)
·	PA 611 Old York Road Signal Upgrade Project (Jenkintown Borough)
·	PA 63/PA 29 New Traffic Signal Project (Green Lane Borough)
·	PA 29 at 11th Street Signal Project (Pennsburg and Red Hill Boroughs)
·	PA 100 at Shoemaker Road Intersection Improvement Project (Pottstown Borough)