Regional Planners Eye Intersection Improvements

Traffic and intersection improvements were the words of the night Wednesday as the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Commission reviewed two studies -- one in the works and one already complete -- on the subjects

Last January, the regional planners received a completed report from the multi-state Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) on the 18 worst intersections in the eight municipalities that comprise the local regional planning group.

Intersections in Pottstown in need of improvement.

John Cover, acting director of the Montgomery County Planning Commission, said "I don't want this study to sit on a shelf, I'd like to see a success story come out of it."

As a he result, he urged the planners to review the list and single out a few projects for which funding could be sought. Lower Pottsgrove representative Tom Troutman said he would like to see some intersections get better lighting.

He suggested two intersections on Bleim Road, one with New Hanover Square Road and the other with Pleasantview Road.

New Hanover Supervisor Kurt Zebrowski agree, and noted that the intersection of Route 73 and Middle Creek Road would be a good candidate for such treatment.

Pottstown Councilman Ryan Procsal suggested improvements to the intersection of East High Street and Armand Hammer Boulevard, a busy intersection in front of Armand Hammer Boulevard.

Price estimates for the project range from $20,000 to $300,000.

Ultimately, the planners agreed with Cover's suggestion that an expert from Montgomery County be invited to the next meeting to outline how Montco 2040 Implementation Grants county grants geared toward infrastructure can be best obtained, and which intersections stood the best chance of getting funding.

This map of peak traffic at intersections along High Street shows the highest volumes in the afternoon at Rupert Road, at far right, and Armand Hammer Boulevard, further left.

In the meantime , DVRPC has engaged in a more focused study -- of the High Street corridor from the Berks County line to the Limerick Township line.

An progress report offered up last night indicated that DVRPC has conducted counts of vehicles, heavy vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles; turning movements parking capacity and crosswalks. Crash diagrams and rates are still being developed. The first public meeting on the study will be scheduled in May.

In the meantime, the traffic count indicates that the busiest intersections are during the afternoon peak
rush hour are with Armand Hammer in Pottstown and Rupert Road in Lower Pottsgrove, both of which are likely connected to westbound Route 422 commuters returning home.

This map shows the highest volume of pedestrians crossing
High Street  occurs in the afternoon in downtown Pottstown.

The opposite is true of heavy track traffic, which peaks in the morning, with the heaviest flow again being at Armand Hammer Boulevard, followed by Berks Street and Quarry Road in West Pottsgrove.

Top bicycle traffic occurs during the afternoon peak and is centered around central Pottstown and the intersection of East High and North Hanover streets, and those streets immediately adjacent.

Not surprisingly, the same is true of pedestrian traffic, it peaks in the afternoon rush and is centered in the borough core.

A New Boat Ramp for Norco

The planners voted unanimously to endorse a letter recommending North Coventry's application for a $60,000 state grant to replace and improve the Schuylkill River bot ramp and dock in Riverside Park between the Quoit Club and Little League fields.

Perennially under repair, it was finally taken out of commission during a storm flood last year, said supervisor's Chairman Jim Marks.

He said the project was initially estimated to cost $30,000, but as the design progressed, and the need to make the facility handicapped accessible swelled the cost to $100,000.

The grant being sought from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources by the regional recreation committee would cover $60,000 of that cost, with in-kind services and cash matches from the township, the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation and the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape Initiative.

New Medical Offices and New Emergency Services Building Being Considered in Douglass (Mont.)

Douglass Township Manager Pete Hiryak told the planners that the township has seen a presentation from developers who want to build a four-story medical complex at the intersection of Route 100 and Grosser Road.

No formal plans have been submitted, but it does comply with zoning, he said.

Further, Hiryak said the township supervisors are looking at plans to demolish the aging -- and leaking -- Gilbertsville firehouse on East Philadelphia Avenue and building a new emergency services center for police and fire on the site.

Township police are currently located in the municipal building a few blocks west. The site could even include housing for ambulance services as well, he said.

Initial price estimates came in at $4 million, but the price has been cut to $2.5 million, said Hiryak.

Road Projects Delayed in New Hanover

Township Supervisor Kurt Zebrowski informed the planners that PennDOT has delayed a project to replace the New Hanover Square Road bridge, originally set to be undertaken this year.

Instead, it has been pushed back to January of 2021. It is expected to take 12 to 14 months once it gets underway.

Also delayed are the improvements to the intersection of Route 73 and Route 663 (North Charlotte Street), including a new traffic signal.

Zebrowski said the delay for the project, which was scheduled to begin this spring, "will only be a couple of months. It will still get done this year."

Following in Upper Pottsgrove's Example?

Gregory Churach told the planners that twice each year, volunteers in Upper Pottsgrove undertake a roadside clean-up under the auspices of the Ocean Conservancy, which is trying to keep litter out of the ocean.

He said a student released in January estimates that Pennsylvania has 500 million pieces of trash along its roadways. "Thirty percent of that is cigarette butts and another 30 percent is plastic wrappers," Churach said.

He said the average Pennsylvania highway as 2,500 pieces of litter per mile, and the average local road has 1,600 pieces per mile.

He asked if other townships that are part of the regional planning group might be interested in undertaking similar clean-up efforts.

Information about how that could be done will be distributed among the group for discussion at the individual municipal level.

And with that, click here to read the Tweets from last night's meeting.