PennDOT Plan Seeks To Improve Travel Between King of Prussia and Philadelphia by Road, Rail and Trail

PennDOT Plan Seeks To Improve Travel Between King of Prussia and
Philadelphia by Road, Rail and Trail

9/27/2016-KING OF PRUSSIA

PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards today announced a long-range,
comprehensive, multi-modal transportation management plan designed to
enhance
travel along the Interstate 76 (Schuylkill Expressway) Corridor between
King of
Prussia and Philadelphia. The plan includes expanded public transit,
improved
traffic management on I-76 and local roads, and potential trail
improvements.

"The importance of this corridor to the Philadelphia region cannot be
overstated and it's imperative that we take advantage of new technologies
and
partner with SEPTA and other key stakeholders to offer citizens more
attractive
options for travel between Philadelphia and the northwest suburbs,"
Richards
said.

"This corridor-wide strategy consists of several elements to improve travel

whether you're driving on the expressway, riding SEPTA's regional rail, or
bicycling along the Schuylkill River Trail," she added.

Richards said the transportation management plan includes several
components,
including the deployment of Active Traffic Management (ATM) technologies on

I-76; expansion of public transit service along the Manayunk/Norristown
regional rail line; the modernization of traffic signal systems along
several
roadways running parallel to the expressway; and potential trail
improvements.

PennDOT plans to employ a series of ATM strategies on the four-lane,12 mile

section of I-76 in Montgomery County to enhance multi-modal travel and
safety,
and SEPTA intends to enhance service on the Manayunk/Norristown Regional
Rail
line. With the purchase of new electric locomotives and bi-level rail cars
expanding the SEPTA rail fleet and infrastructure improvements, SEPTA will
improve service frequency on this rail line. The enhanced rail service is
expected to improve customer service and generate greater ridership.

In partnership with SEPTA, PennDOT also plans to provide real-time transit
information on electronic message signs along I-76 in conjunction with
SEPTA's
potential deployment of a Smart Parking pilot program at a new garage and
station targeted to be built in Conshohocken near the existing regional
rail
station. The message board displays will inform motorists of transit
station
parking availability and real-time train departure times to better inform
citizens of transit travel options. The station will also provide bicycle

storage facilities as the station is directly adjacent to Schuylkill River
Trail.

PennDOT also proposes to modernize traffic signal systems on several roads
running parallel to I-76 between King of Prussia, Norristown and
Philadelphia
to control signal operations in real-time during incidents on the
expressway.
New signal systems, which would be owned and managed by PennDOT, are
targeted
for Ridge Pike, Route 23, Swedeland Road, Route 320, U.S. 202/DeKalb Pike,
South Gulph Road, Henderson Road, Fayette Street, Ridge Avenue, Henry
Avenue,
Belmont Avenue, and U.S. 1/City Avenue. The new signals are expected to be
installed in two-to-four years.

Initially, PennDOT will advance an early-action project to install variable

speed limits and queue detectors on I-76 between the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Interchange at Valley Forge and U.S. 1 (City Avenue) to smooth traffic and
enhance safety. Construction is expected to start in late 2017, with the
systems becoming operational by late 2018. The construction estimate is
$2.2
million.

This project consists of installing a series of electronic signs on I-76 to

display official speed limits that can change based on real-time
expressway,
traffic and weather conditions to improve traffic flow and warn drivers to
changing travel conditions. Queue detectors will provide real-time displays
of
electronic warning messages, coupled with flashing lights, to alert
motorists
of significant slowdowns ahead to reduce sudden stopping and the potential
for
rear-end crashes.

These new devices will operate in conjunction with the Intelligent
Transportation System (ITS) components in place on I-76 in Montgomery
County
and Philadelphia. The existing ITS equipment includes 42 highway cameras,
nine
electronic message boards, 14 travel time readers, 58 incident detectors,
and
two expressway safety patrol tow trucks.

In addition, PennDOT will start preliminary engineering this fall to
transform
the outside shoulders of I-76 into part-time travel lanes between the
Pennsylvania Turnpike Interchange at Valley Forge and Interstate 476, and
on
I-76 west between U.S. 1/Roosevelt Boulevard and Belmont Avenue
interchanges.

"Part-time shoulder use is currently in place in 16 states across the
country
and we plan to implement it on I-76 to help reduce congestion," Richards
said.
"Our project team will work closely with the Pennsylvania State Police and
local emergency service responders to obtain their input and guidance
because
driver safety is of paramount importance. We also will communicate with
state
transportation agencies that currently use shoulders as travel lanes to
obtain
more insights into their experiences."

Richards said $125 million in funding is programmed for this initial
part-time
shoulder use project on I-76 and for the installation of additional ATM
strategies on I-76. Construction is expected to start in approximately five

years.

PennDOT also will examine part-time shoulder use on I-76 east of the I-476
Interchange when more funds are identified in the future.

To complement part-time shoulder use on I-76, PennDOT may include these
additional ATM strategies:

• Ramp Metering: Red and green traffic signals to control the frequency
with
which vehicles enter the flow of traffic from entrance ramps to increase
vehicle throughput during peak hours and increase expressway speeds;

• Junction Control: The use of overhead electronic signs over travel lanes
to
regulate or close lanes at merge areas to improve traffic flow at high
volume
interchanges, including U.S. 202/U.S. 422, I-476 and U.S. 1 north and
south. It
establishes lane priority at interchanges and makes shoulders available for

use. This strategy can change based on the relative demand on the mainline
and
ramps during different hours of the day;

• Dynamic Lane Assignments: Overhead electronic signs provide information
for
each travel lane on the expressway to identify open lanes and alert drivers
of
upcoming lane closures due to crashes or disabled vehicles;

• Multi-Modal Enhancements: Utilize various modes of travel (automobile,
public
transit, bicycle, walking) and take advantage of viable transportation
options
along the I-76 corridor, including the Schuylkill River Trail and other
nearby
trails. PennDOT will work to convene a Schuylkill River Trail Master Plan
Summit with our partners at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning
Commission,
Montgomery County, Philadelphia, the Bicycle Coalition, and the local
municipalities to identify the needs and priorities of the heavily used
trail
which is used for both recreation as well as commuting.

PennDOT's I-76 ATM plan developed from a feasibility study of I-76 in
Montgomery County. The study, which began in late 2014 and was completed
earlier this month, examined the viability and potential benefits
associated
with applying certain technologies and operational changes on the
expressway.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by
visiting
www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides
traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and
access
to more than 770 traffic cameras.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow Local PennDOT
Information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly, and follow the
department on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentoftransportation and Instagram at
www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.


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