Transportation Trend Report

Please push for the elimination of stroads. As seen on the safety map on 309 around its intersection with 202, stroads are dangerous. At that area 309 is trying to act as both a highway and a Main Street. That does not work. This has been proven many times and if you look at the Netherlands they have a system of roads that then connect to streets with next to nothing in between. Stroads are dangerous and inefficient, they must be eliminated. Of course this is no easy task, but efforts should be made to reduce driveways and have medians if not present. For example, if the Montgomery Mall is to undergo redevelopment (it should), the amount of connections to 309 should be reduced to improve traffic flow and safety.

There is another critical local transportation trend that should be considered as part of any county-level planning process: local transit funding. The Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board notes that SEPTA receives only about $17 per capita in local funding from the five counties (including Montgomery County), while other peer agencies receive around $70 per capita. Federal transit grants require that transit agencies demonstrate a 'local match' in order to receive funding, which puts SEPTA at a major disadvantage relative to peer systems with higher local funding. Considering that transit is absolutely critical to Montgomery County's economy and to the ability for Montgomery County residents to move around the region, and that Montgomery County has the power to decide whether to increase its current funding commitment to SEPTA, it seems important to include this trend for consideration.