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 Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation The Delaware Valley 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 interchange 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 GERMANTOWN PIKE 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 RIDGE PIKE SWEDE DEKALB PIKE 476 Creek WEST Virginia Drive Interchange LOWER NORRITON 276 (Exit 340) BRYN ATHYN Henderson Road InterchangeMARKLEY ST. PLYMOUTH MORELAND PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE 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 SCHUYLKILL EXPRESSWAY 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, highway 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 Schuylkill River; 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 Philadelphia. 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