Montgomery County is launching the Montco Pikes project, which will study six main corridors in the county to ensure the roadways will support 21st-century lifestyles. The roads involved are Easton Road, Butler Pike, Germantown Pike, Sumneytown Pike, Geryville Pike, and Swamp Pike. Each will be studied to establish an overall vision for the future of each roadway.

The Montgomery County Planning Commission is leading the $300,000 study and will be supported by consultants McMahon Associates, Inc., and Gannett Fleming, Inc. The study is funded through federal transportation funds through a partnership between the Federal Highway Administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Note that the study only includes county-owned roads. For example, While Butler Pike and Fayette Street are essentially the same road, it will only study from North Lane in Plymouth/Whitemarsh townships to where the road switches to Butler Avenue in the Borough of Ambler. The study will then bypass downtown Ambler and pick-up at the intersection of Bethlehem Pike continue to Limekiln Pike. The state owns Fayette Street and Butler Avenue.

It is a similar situation for Germantown Pike. While the county owns from the bend at Sandy Hill Road westward to Ridge Pike just before Collegeville, the study will only focus on the portion from Whitehall Road west to Ridge Pike.

The study will be conducted as follows as outlined in the announcement:

Over the next few months, the County and consultant team will be reaching out to municipal leaders and the public to gather information about existing corridor features, traffic conditions, safety concerns, and future travel needs. The study, anticipated to be completed in two years, will present a long-term vision for each corridor in terms of overall character and function. It will guide where additional travel lanes, sidewalks, bike lanes, and other types of improvements might be appropriate, as well as where there are significant safety issues or environmental constraints that need to be considered. 

Additional design and engineering will be required before any improvements can be constructed, and improvements will likely be implemented in a phased approach over time, based on needs and available resources. The Montco Pikes project is an essential first step in planning for future transportation needs along these County corridors.

Let us know your thoughts on what the roads mentioned need to serve the 21st-century.