County planner: active‑transportation plan near final; Crom flags SEPTA fleet inspections

Summary

Montgomery County planning staff said the Norristown/Lower Merion–Narberth active‑transportation plan is nearing completion with public feedback to follow; Chair Adam Crom reported SEPTA emergency inspections and retrofits to aging rail cars have reduced available rolling stock and stressed the need for sustained capital investment.

At the start of the meeting county planner Adam Chance updated the commission on the Norristown/Lower Merion–Narberth active‑transportation plan, saying the project is in its final stretch after a recent steering‑committee meeting and that the online, digital plan will include renderings and a public feedback form when finalized. "Ultimately, I think the plan will be finalized beginning of next year, and there'll be a public feedback form on the website," Chance said.

Chair Adam Crom noted ongoing regional transit disruptions: "SEPTA ... the rail car fleet ... is more than 50 years old, and they had a number of events, including fires that broke out on some of the vehicles. So the federal government has ordered emergency inspections of the entire fleet and retrofit of additional sensors to detect the heat." Crom said the inspections have reduced the number of cars in service and underscored the need for stable capital funding for the fleet. The update had no formal action attached to it; commissioners acknowledged the reports and moved on to agenda items.