Montgomery Avenue corridor study updated; next public engagement pushed to fall

Maggie briefed the Public Health and Safety Committee that the Montgomery Avenue corridor study has moved into a phase where Lower Merion Township engineers are drafting enhanced visualizations and refining recommendations. She said a follow-up public meeting originally expected in early summer will likely be pushed to the fall, with September as a target.

The study is advisory: staff emphasized the resulting document would provide a recommended plan rather than an immediate set of actions. "This plan will be instrumental in kind of outlining that vision for how we move forward with any improvements to the corridor," Maggie said. She described a "bucket" approach: short-term items such as signal timing and signage that might be handled through municipal budgeting, and longer-term items like bump-outs, new crosswalks and signal updates that will require engineering design and grant funding.

Committee members discussed possible eastbound reconfiguration and the idea of a road diet at certain intersections; staff noted a reconfiguration could be feasible off-peak but would likely be infeasible during peak hours because it would lengthen queues. Jean Borak and members proposed organizing a walk audit before the next public meeting so committee members can better assess conditions on the corridor.

Why it matters: The corridor study will guide possible capital improvements and grant applications. Staff cautioned that ownership of the roadway remains with Lower Merion Township, so implementation will depend on the township's priorities and funding availability.

Staff committed to alerting residents and advertising the next public engagement widely when the township finalizes dates.