JULY 2013 Ridge Pike Lower Providence Township MONTGOMERY COUNTY JULY 2013 Ridge Pike Lower Providence Township MONTGOMERY COUNTY RI NY CT The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is dedicated to uniting the New York City region’s elected officials, planning professionals, and the public with a common PA BUCKS MERCER vision of making a great region even greater. Shaping the way we live, work, MONTGOMERY CHESTER PHILADELPHIA NJ DELAWARE BURLINGTON and play, DVRPC builds consensus on improving transportation, promoting CAMDEN GLOUCESTER Wilmington smart growth, protecting the environment, and enhancing the economy. MD Baltimore We serve a diverse region of nine counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, DE MD Montgomery, and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Washington, D.C. Gloucester, and Mercer in New Jersey. DVRPC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the VA Greater Philadelphia Region — leading the way to a better future. The symbol in our logo is adapted from the official DVRPC seal and is designed as a stylized image of the Delaware Valley. The outer ring symbolizes the region as a whole while the diagonal bar signifies the Delaware River. The two adjoining crescents represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey. DVRPC is funded by a variety of funding sources including federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of transportation, as well as by DVRPC’s state and local member governments. The authors, however, are solely responsible for the findings and conclusions herein, which may not represent the official views or policies of the funding agencies. DVRPC fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. DVRPC’s website (www.dvrpc.org) may be translated into multiple languages. Publications and other public documents can be made available in alternative languages and formats, if requested. For more information, please call (215) 238-2871. Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Corridor Planning ............................................................................................................................. 3 Access Management ....................................................................................................................... 3 Project Background .......................................................................................................................... 5 Related Work ................................................................................................................................... 5 Overview of the Study Corridor ........................................................................................................ 9 CHAPTER 2 Ridge Pike Corridor Demographics ...................................................................................................... 11 Population and Employment .......................................................................................................... 11 Environmental Justice .................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 3 Land Use, Cover, and Management .................................................................................................... 13 Existing Land Use .......................................................................................................................... 13 Zoning ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Topographic and Hydrologic Characteristics ................................................................................. 16 Cultural and Historical Features .................................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 4 Transportation Network ........................................................................................................................ 19 Ridge Pike Characteristics ............................................................................................................. 19 Locally Significant Routes .............................................................................................................. 22 Traffic Mobility ................................................................................................................................ 23 Traffic Volume and Heavy Vehicle Analysis .................................................................................. 25 Public Transit Service .................................................................................................................... 26 Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities ................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 5 Traffic Safety ......................................................................................................................................... 31 Background .................................................................................................................................... 31 Observations and Recommendations ............................................................................................ 34 CHAPTER 6 Conceptual Plans ................................................................................................................................. 39 East Section ................................................................................................................................... 39 Center Section ............................................................................................................................... 41 West Section .................................................................................................................................. 43 Corridor-Wide Recommendations .................................................................................................. 47 Conceptual Plan Summary ............................................................................................................ 47 CHAPTER 7 Access Management Regulation .......................................................................................................... 49 Existing Regulation ........................................................................................................................ 49 Recommended Changes ............................................................................................................... 52 Access Management Regulation Summary ................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 8 Conclusion and Next Steps .................................................................................................................. 55 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 55 Next Steps ...................................................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER 9 Acknowledgments and References ...................................................................................................... 59 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... 59 References ..................................................................................................................................... 59 Figures and Tables Figure 1: Visual Representation of the Access/Mobility Relationship ........................................................... 4 Figure 2: Study Corridor ................................................................................................................................ 9 Figure 3: Land Use Map ............................................................................................................................. 14 Figure 4: Lower Providence Township Zoning ........................................................................................... 15 Figure 5: Natural Features .......................................................................................................................... 17 Figure 6: Study Corridor AADTs ................................................................................................................. 20 Figure 7: Ridge Pike Straight Line Diagram ............................................................................................... 21 Figure 8: Multiuse Trails .............................................................................................................................. 30 Figure 9: Corridor Crash Summary (2008 – 2011) ..................................................................................... 32 Figure 10: Trooper Road Redevelopment Scenario ................................................................................... 40 Figure