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Turnpike Corridor Vision Prepared by the Montgomery County Planning Commission, 2015 MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Josh Shapiro, Chair Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH, Vice Chair Bruce L. Castor, Jr., Commissioner

Planning Commission Board Members Steven Kline, Chair Dulcie F. Flaharty, Vice Chair Robert E. Blue, Jr. Jill Blumhardt David L. Cohen, AICP Scott Exley Charles J. Tornetta Rev. John H. West, III Rachel Yoka

Jody L. Holton, AICP, Executive Director Turnpike Corridor Vision

Prepared by the Montgomery County Planning Commission, 2015

In partnership or cooperation with: Upper Merion Township Norristown Municipality Plymouth Township Whitpain Township Whitemarsh Township Upper Dublin Township Upper Moreland Township Horsham Township The Turnpike Commission The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The Regional Planning Commission Boles, Smyth Associates, inc. McCormick Taylor

Contents

General Vision 1 Turnpike Interchanges ...... 2 Business Park Trends ...... 3 King of Prussia Vision ...... 4 Gulph Mills/Swedeland Vision 5 Norristown/Plymouth Vision ...... 6 Plymouth Meeting/Blue Bell Vision ...... 7 Fort Washington Vision ...... 8 Willow Grove Vision ...... 9 Horsham Vision 10 Turnpike Corridor Vision, describes the future transportation and land use visions for business parks near turnpike interchanges. General Vision

The Turnpike Corridor is currently the key All of the improvements will: transportation and economic corridor in the county, • Provide excellent locations for new high tech, Zoning changes, providing access to premier business locations and life sciences, professional, financial services, new and improved highly-skilled workforces around the county. This advanced manufacturing, research, and other role is expected to continue in the future. businesses; interchanges, and a Over the next couple of decades, the Turnpike • Make commuting easier; Turnpike widening are Corridor will see many changes. On the expected to add: transportation front, there will be new and improved • Allow Turnpike users to get directly to where interchanges, all electronic tolling, and a widening to they want to go; a minimum of 4 lanes in each direction from Mid- • Relieve congestion on the local road system; • 50,050 additional daily trips on County to Bensalem. There will be better transit • Provide walkable live and work environments; the Turnpike access, new trails, new sidewalks, and significant • $564 million in additional revenue to • Create appealing mixed use places that provide nearby road improvements. On the land use the Turnpike Commission by 2040 interesting entertainment, restaurant, service, front, there will be new zoning, infrastructure and • 26,500 additional jobs and living options for workers; and greening improvements, and stronger partnerships • 4,150 additional homes and collaborations. • Attract highly-skilled workers of all ages, experience-levels, and education. Photo courtesy of KOP BID

1 Photo courtesy of KOP BID Photo courtesy of MCCC

Turnpike Corridor Vision Turnpike Interchanges

A key part of this study is identifying new and improvements should use all electronic tolling, better • Get people more directly where they want improved Turnpike Interchanges that will bring new signage, stormwater best management practices, and to go; investment to the employment centers along the context sensitive design. • Move vehicles on and off the Turnpike more corridor. There will be three new interchanges— The Turnpike itself will benefit greatly from these quickly; and Henderson Road, Lafayette/Ridge, and Welsh improvements, which will: Road—a full at Virginia Drive, and • Make access for incidents and maintenance improvements at the Valley Forge, Fort Washington, • Bring in more revenue; easier. and Willow Grove Interchanges. Future Turnpike

152 476

TURNPIKE MONTGOMERY UPPER SKIPPACK GWYNEDD

Skippack NORTH WALES TRAPPE COLLEGEVILLE UPPER Creek GWYNEDD

NORTHEAST EXTENSION HORSHAM

WORCESTER LOWER ickon

Wissah GWYNEDD Creek

Pennypack

Creek PA-63 Welsh Road Interchange HATBORO

Skippack (Potential Exit 342) DEKALB PIKE WELSH ROAD EXPRESSW F O LOWER R T UPPER

A EAST NORRITON W Y

Creek WHITPAIN A PROVIDENCE S H MORELAND

I UPPER N

UPPER Lafayette/Ridge Interchange AMBLER G Perkiomen T

O DUBLIN 276

(Potential Exit 331) N

PROVIDENCE E

X Pennypack Creek P

EXTENSION

Wissahickon R Willow Grove Interchange E

S Creek

S W (Exit 343) A WELSH ROAD

Y SWEDE

DEKALB PIKE 476 Creek WEST Virginia Drive Interchange LOWER NORRITON 276 (Exit 340) BRYN ATHYN Henderson Road InterchangeMARKLEY ST. PLYMOUTH MORELAND Fort Washington Interchange SCHUYLKILL (Potential Exit 329)HENDERSON ROAD NORRISTOWN RIVER (Exit 338) OLD YORK ROAD Norristown Interchange UPPER BRIDGEPORT (Exit 333) MERION PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE 276 Mid-County InterchangeWissahickon Valley Forge Interchange GERMANTOWN PIKE (Exit 326) RIDGE PIKE SPRINGFIELD ABINGTON 76 Creek DEKALB PIKE JENKINTOWN

76 CONSHOHOCKEN WHITEMARSH 476 CHELTENHAM ROCKLEDGE

WEST CONSHOHOCKEN 76

SCHUYLKILL EXPRESSWAY

REINVESTMENT AREAS LOWER MERION 76 King of Prussia Area Gulph Mills/Swedeland Area

SCHUYLKILL Norristown/Plymouth Meeting Area

NARBERTH RIVER Plymouth Meeting/Blue Bell Area

2 Fort Washington Area

Willow Grove Area

Horsham Area

Turnpike Corridor Vision Business Park Trends

People work differently and have different expectations than they did a generation ago. They no longer drive to work, stay all day, and then drive home, forgetting about work until the next day. Instead, they are connected and active, with variable schedules and high expectations of what they’ll find in their work environment. These expectations, along with evolving market, demographic, and business trends, will continue effecting the Turnpike Corridor’s business parks. Business park changes might include: • More Activity

• More Uses Photo courtesy of KOP BID • Expanded Transit Access Office buildings will have more amenities to appeal to Millennials, such as restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, fitness centers, day care, doggy day care, game rooms, gathering spaces, outdoor patios, • More extensive Transportation Demand conference space, and inviting lobbies. They will also be greener and more sustainable. Management • Better Walkability • More Amenities, both Public and Private • Stronger Sustainability • Focused Green Space Improvements Photo courtesy of KOP BID Office parks will see much more non-business activity and uses than in the past, such as restaurants, food trucks, concerts, community exercise classes, dog walking, apartments, shopping, pop-up beer 3 gardens, games, entertainment, festivals, farmer’s markets, special events, etc.

Turnpike Corridor Vision King of Prussia Vision WEST ZONE

NEW OR WIDENED PAVEMENT

MILL & OVERLAY MOORE RD. PAVEMENT REMOVAL NEW OR RECONSTRUCTED STRUCTURE King of Prussia will continue to evolve as the NEW RETAINING WALL suburb’s largest employment center, hub, NEW SIDEWALK FREEDOM BUSINESS and gateway to central and western Pennsylvania. CENTER

FIRST AVE. The Transportation Vision includes: • A modernized Valley Forge Interchange with a direct connection to the King of Prussia Business Park; PARK AVE. RETAINING WALL #5 RETAINING WALL #1 UPPER MERION • An extension of the Norristown High Speed RETAINING WALL #6 TOWNSHIP I-76 Line to the mall and business park; RETAINING WALL #2

RETAINING • Significant road improvements, particularly at WALL #3 Route 422’s crossing of the ; and

I-76 • A complete pedestrian network that connects

to local and regional trails. I-276 TO RETAINING WALL #4 I-76 The Land Use Vision includes: Redesigned Valley Forge Interchange Page | 6 • New, transit-oriented, mixed-use, and green employment and residential areas; • Road diets, a linear park, new streetscaping, and other improvements to common areas; • New meeting space that will complement existing facilities; and • A walkable, mixed-use center with retail, offices, and apartments on the Village at Valley Forge site.

4 Vision of First Avenue in King of Prussia prepared by the King of Prussia Business Improvement District

Turnpike Corridor Vision Gulph Mills/Swedeland WEST ZONE

NEW OR WIDENED PAVEMENT Vision MILL & OVERLAY PAVEMENT REMOVAL NEW OR RECONSTRUCTED STRUCTURE NEW RETAINING WALL NEW SIDEWALK The Gulph Mills and Swedeland area will continue

to provide a convenient location for new industrial I-276 SAULIN and office development close to the regional highway BLVD. system and . The Transportation Vision includes: • A new Turnpike interchange at the intersection of Henderson Road and Saulin Boulevard; UPPER MERION

S. HENDERSON RD. • Completion of the regional Chester Valley Trail, TOWNSHIP providing access to Norristown and Chester HANSEN ACCESS RD. County; and • Road widenings and improvements.

I-276 The Land Use Vision includes:

• New, large-scale industrial, office, and research New Henderson Road Interchange Page | 8 development in the core employment area; • Walkable development oriented towards the Norristown High Speed Line station at Hughes Park; and • A mix of land uses in the Route 202 corridor.

5 The Swedeland area will continue to support large scale industrial, office, and research facilities.

Turnpike Corridor Vision Norristown/Plymouth Vision

The Norristown/Plymouth area will see significant redevelopment, particularly along the Schuylkill River and in the county seat of Norristown. The Transportation Vision includes: • A new Turnpike interchange at Lafayette Street and Ridge Pike; • Extensive improvements to local roads, particularly Ridge Pike; • Continued enhancements to the Norristown Transportation Center; and • Completion of the Chester Valley Trail connection with the and new trail promenades along the Schulykill River. New Lafayette Street and Ridge Pike Interchange The Land Use Vision includes: • Mixed-use, transit-oriented, river-focused residential and employment development in Norristown and Bridgeport; • New and rehabilitated arts and culture, entertainment, restaurant, retail, office, and mixed-use buildings in downtown Norristown; and • New investment on commercial land in Plymouth.

New development in Norristown and Bridgeport could take 6 advantage of river frontage along the Schuylkill River

Turnpike Corridor Vision Plymouth Meeting/Blue Bell Vision

The Plymouth Meeting and Blue Bell areas will continue to evolve as a mixed-use crossroads and gateway from Philadelphia to Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Transportation Vision includes: • Continued road improvements; • A new trail, the Cross County Trail, running from Conshohocken to Willow Grove; and • An analysis of a possible interchange of the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike at Route 202. The will continue to evolve The Land Use Vision includes: • New mixed use development supporting local business centers; • Reinvented office campuses and business parks; and • Continued evolution of the Plymouth Meeting Mall into a walkable mixed commercial and institutional center.

7 Office buildings and business parks will offer more amenities.

Turnpike Corridor Vision Fort Washington Vision EAST ZONE

NEW OR WIDENED PAVEMENT CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS PAVEMENT RECONSTRUCTION REQUIRED TO ACCOMMODATE NEW ACCESS POINT PAVEMENT REMOVAL NEW OR RECONSTRUCTED Fort Washington will be recharged as a green, DELAWARE DR STRUCTURE NEW RETAINING WALL amenity-rich employment hub for northwestern NEW SIDEWALK COMMERCE DR

suburban communities along the Route 309 UPPER NEW DIRECT ZIP RAMP FROM FORT WASHINGTON INTERCHANGE TO DUBLIN corridor. Two newly-constructed dams have been COMMERCE DRIVE TOWNSHIP a game-changer for flooding in Fort Washington’s roadways. The Transportation Vision includes: PA 309 • A direct connection from the Fort Washington interchange to the business park; • Completion of the Virginia Drive interchange to provide on and off access to both west and east bound traffic; • A new trail through the middle of the business I-276 park providing access to the Wissahickon greenway, Ambler, and Willow Grove; and Modernized Fort Washington interchange Page | 14 • Better pedestrian connections to the Fort EAST ZONE NEW OR WIDENED PAVEMENT OFFICE CENTER DR MILL & OVERLAY Washington train station. PAVEMENT REMOVAL NEW OR RECONSTRUCTED STRUCTURE NEW RETAINING WALL NEW SIDEWALK The Land Use Vision includes: SUSQUEHANNA RD • New mixed-use development including offices, apartments, restaurants, fitness centers, hotels, VIRGINIA DR meeting space, and services;

UPPER • A naturalized green ribbon of open space along DUBLIN Pine Run; and TOWNSHIP • A road diet and new green infrastructure and parks along Virginia Drive. I-276

SWM BASIN

SUSQUEHANNA RD 8 Full interchange at Virginia Drive Page | 16

Turnpike Corridor Vision Willow Grove Vision EAST ZONE

NEW, WIDENED OR RECONSTRUCTED PAVEMENT MILL & OVERLAY PAVEMENT REMOVAL UPPER BLAIR MILL RD NEW OR RECONSTRUCTED Willow Grove will remain one of Montgomery STRUCTURE DUBLIN NEW RETAINING WALL TOWNSHIP UPPER NEW SIDEWALK County’s largest employment areas, drawing from WELSH RD MORELAND TOWNSHIP high-skilled workers in Montgomery County, Bucks County, and . The Transportation Vision includes: • A new interchange at Welsh Road; • A more efficient and modern Willow Grove interchange; COMPUTER AVE I-276 • Interconnected trails and sidewalks, including

the Power Line and Cross County trails; and TWINING RD

PA 63 • Significant road and intersection improvements in the Route 611 Corridor.

The Land Use Vision includes: New Welsh Road Interchange Page | 18 • New supporting uses in business areas, such EAST ZONE

as hotels, apartments, restaurants, day care, NEW OR WIDENED PAVEMENT

RECONSTRUCTED PAVEMENT ROAD and services; MILL & OVERLAY PAVEMENT REMOVAL NEW OR RECONSTRUCTED STRUCTURE • Redevelopment of older and underperforming NEW RETAINING WALL MILL RD office and industrial buildings; and FITZWATERTOWN • A central green and other outdoor gathering

spaces. I-276

SWM BASIN

PA 611 EASTON RD

SWM BASIN

UPPER MORELAND TOWNSHIP

MARYLAND RD 9 Modernized Willow Grove Interchange Page | 20

Turnpike Corridor Vision Horsham Vision

The Horsham area will be transformed by the redevelopment of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station into a large mixed use town center for Horsham Township. The Transportation Vision includes: • Significant improvements to Route 611 and nearby roads and intersections; and • A new connected road system within the Naval Air Station property that includes an extension of Norristown Road to Route 611, establishment of a spine road from Keith Valley Road to Horsham Road, and two additional connections between Horsham Road and Route 611.

The Land Use Vision includes: • A new walkable town center that includes ground floor retail, apartments, a central plaza, and a full mix of uses; • Extensive new office development, preferably as large scale complexes and campuses; and • A full range of civic uses, including a school, parks, a recreation center, an aviation museum, and senior housing and services.

The Willow Grove Naval Air Station will have a walkable town center, similar to these examples from northern Virginia and Lancaster County. 10

Turnpike Corridor Vision Companion Documents This study is accompanied by two companion documents • Enhancing Turnpike Access to Business Parks in Montgomery County: Traffic and Revenue Forecasts by Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. • A Concept Study on the Opportunities for Improved Pennsylvania Turnpike Access in Montgomery County by Boles, Smyth Associates, Inc.