NORRISTOWN, PA — The Montgomery County Commissioners recently announced that 15 projects in the county will receive Montco 2040 Implementation Grants, totaling nearly $2,500,00. As it has in the previous seven years of the program, the county continues to receive innovative applications under its comprehensive plan, Montco 2040: A Shared Vision.
The grant program assists municipalities in making targeted physical improvements that achieve real progress toward the goals of the plan and the plan’s themes of Connected Communities, Sustainable Places, and Vibrant Economy.
Winning projects in 15 municipalities were evaluated for their impact, equity, county and local planning consistency, project readiness, and funding attributes. A committee of Montgomery County Planning Commission board members and interdepartmental County staff rated the entries.
Projects that addressed one of three focus areas for 2023 received heightened consideration. Those areas included: Walk/Bike Montco – Trails, Paths, Sidewalk Connections and Bike Facilities; Downtown and Community Destination Support; and Adaptation and Resiliency.
Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chair Kenneth E. Lawrence said the County continues to address equity concerns through this program, asking municipalities about how their projects would address equity locally, whether through proposing the project or the process the municipality would take when planning and implementing the project.
“It is fantastic that we are able to contribute to successful projects across the County’s 62 municipalities,” Commissioner Lawrence said. “I have seen so many finished projects in my travels around the county. From Ambler’s community garden to the recently completed Park to Perkiomen Trail in Upper Salford, there is a lot of enthusiasm behind assuring Montgomery County is a vibrant place to live.”
Including the recent awards, 127 grants totaling over $15.2 million have been awarded to 53 municipalities since the initiation of the Montco 2040 Implementation Grant Program in 2016.
Here is a list of the 15 projects awarded grants in 2023:
Abington Township
Master Bicycle Plan Implementation Project
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $79,847
Abington Township plans to use these funds to install 6.68 miles of bicycle infrastructure, including signage and road markings. The bicycle routes within the Abington Master Bicycle Plan Implementation Project have been identified by both the county and the township. They build upon other township infrastructure projects currently moving into construction.
Cheltenham Township
New Second Street and Tookany Creek Parkway Traffic Signal
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $200,000
Cheltenham Township plans to install a traffic signal at the intersection of New Second Street and Tookany Creek Parkway as part of the Tookany Creek Trail – Phase III Project.
Collegeville Borough
Creekside Park Boat Ramp Project
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $72,000
Collegeville Borough will use these funds toward the ongoing development of a park adjacent to Perkiomen Creek with access to the creek for canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and fishing. The park improvements will include a boat ramp, parking area, picnic tables, and landscaping. The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy has recently installed the boat ramp.
Green Lane Borough
Route 29 Pedestrian Lighting
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $169,997
Green Lane Borough plans to install pedestrian lighting along Gravel Pike to complement the recently approved project for curb and sidewalk improvements. The inclusion of lighting will improve the safety of the pedestrian pathways within the borough’s downtown.
Jenkintown Borough
Old York Road Traffic Calming & Walkability Plan Implementation
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $52,000
The borough has proposed traffic-calming measures on the busy Old York Road corridor (35,000 ADT) to address speeding, aggressive driving, and pedestrian access challenges on this critical route. The project will include signage as well as rumble strips along York Road.
Lower Frederick Township
Spring Mount Road Sidewalk
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $200,000
Lower Frederick Township plans to build a sidewalk to connect the township building to the Lower Frederick Fire Company and replace a stream culvert under the roadway.
Lower Merion Township
Indego Bike Share Expansion
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $150,000
Lower Merion Township will use these funds to collaborate with the City Avenue Special Services District (CASSD) and Bike Transit System to expand the existing bike share network established in Philadelphia to the Lower Merion portion of the City Avenue District. This will increase mobility options for the many residents and employees in this targeted growth area and reduce dependency on single-occupancy vehicles.
Lower Moreland Township
Byberry Road Sidewalk Gaps Project
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $200,000
Lower Moreland Township will use these funds toward the installation of 1,225 feet of sidewalk to fill gaps along Byberry Road from Heaton Road to Bigler Road. This will create a safer connection to township amenities as well as the Pennypack Trail.
Royersford Borough
Pedestrian Bridge Lighting
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $126,720
Royersford will use these funds to install solar-powered lighting across the pedestrian bridge, currently under construction, to improve the safety and security of pedestrians and visitors.
Springfield Township
Haws Lane Open Space Acquisition
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $200,000
Springfield Township plans to use this funding to acquire 2.759 of the 4.8 acres located at 380-402 Haws Lane in Flourtown to preserve the most mature trees/woodlands along with the crucial habitats and vernal pools contained in them. This area would become a passive nature park with a public walking trail through the woods.
Towamencin Township
Weikel Road Improvements Project – Sidewalk Phase
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $200,000
Towamencin Township sought this funding to improve pedestrian safety conditions along Weikel and Snyder Roads with the installation of concrete sidewalk, concrete curb with a 4-foot grass barrier, ADA ramps, and concrete driveway aprons with a 5-foot-wide sidewalk that will double as an ADA passing zone. This will create pedestrian connections to the township’s pool complex as well as North Penn High School.
Upper Hanover Township
Macoby Run Neighborhood Park Pickleball Courts
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $200,000
Upper Hanover Township plans to construct six pickleball courts at Macoby Run Park, an underutilized neighborhood park currently featuring a looped walking trail, a tot-lot, a picnic pavilion, and a multipurpose grass area for pickup soccer, Frisbee, or similar activities. It is within walking or biking distance of over 1,100 housing units, including the age-restricted Vineyards neighborhood.
Upper Merion Township
First Avenue Linear Park Lighting Project
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $200,000
A new phase in the ongoing transformation of First Avenue, Upper Merion Township requested these funds for the addition of 66 solar-powered lamps, light poles, and concrete foundations to existing Linear Park trail segments to create a continuous lighted path from Allendale Road to North Gulph Road.
Upper Pottsgrove Township
Hollenbach Park Phase 1A
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $200,000
Upper Pottsgrove Township plans to use these funds to begin the implementation of the master plan for the 23-acre Hollenbach Park. The township will proceed with construction of a 1-mile stone-dust loop trail around the park. A future phase will connect this trail to the Falcon Trail, planned for the Pottsgrove Middle School and to an adjacent township open space parcel (Mocharniuk Meadows) and to Fox Hill Trail.
Whitemarsh Township
Wells Street Parking Lot
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $200,000
Whitemarsh Township plans to use these funds to construct a pervious trailhead parking lot with 24 parking spaces and an ADA-accessible trail segment and trail bridge at the intersection of Wells Street and Cedar Grove Road. The parking lot will provide safe off-street parking to reach numerous destinations including Spring Mill Park, a county-owned park, the Schuylkill River Trail, and future connections to the Cross County Trail.
Total Amount Awarded: $2,450,564
Total Number of Grants: 15
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