SEPTA included in Penndot's I-76 enhancement study

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is planning a major traffic pattern change to Interstate 76, the area expressway that leaves commuters dealing with bottlenecks nearly all day and recently had two of its intersections named among the worst in the nation.

"We're looking at a number of options to enhance mobility and travel along Interstate 76," Blaum said. "We're ... [looking] to improve safety using technology and other tools."

Possible options are still being considered as part of the study — and nothing is finalized — but some are more easily implemented than others, said Lou Belmont, PennDOT district traffic engineer, who said there is a "two-pronged plan" in place.

PennDOT will be working with SEPTA for the initiative.

"The great example of where we can have the most impact is at the Conshohocken station," Richards said during the Economic Conference.

If drivers are stuck leading into the "Conshohocken curve," there would now be messaging indicating when the next train is coming into the Conshohocken station for the Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail line.

"You can either sit in your car for 50 minutes to get downtown, or you can hop off and get on the train and be in Philadelphia in 25 minutes," Richards said. "This is going to be a huge game changer. It's fantastic for I-76, the region and how we get around."

"We're ready to go," GM Jeff Knueppel said Thursday. "We have had Conshohocken in our capital plan for a while. We've been looking at some options, but we are ready to go."

SEPTA is "excited to work on something in Conshohocken," Knueppel said.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia ... press.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I used to meet with clients in West Conshohocken.

Penn Dot needs to do some work on that light at the off ramps.

It can take 10 minutes just getting from the off ramps at 76 to the east side of the river on Fayette Street.

Wasn't there a plan or feasibility study done by DVRPC or SEPTA to build a parking garage at Conshohocken Station?

How about running more trains and fixing some of the capital investment issues on the thorndale line?

Doesn't one of the stations on the line have ramps that wheelchair users can't use because it doesn't connect the platform from the road?

... and not one word on the NHSL extension, which should actually go to K of P - of course assuming the rails ever get that far. It's ridiculous that 4.5 miles of track and guideway is expected to need another seven or eight years to complete.

If one is stuck on the Schuylkill leading into the Conshohocken Curve, how exactly does one "hop off" and take the train unless you plan accordingly before the Blue Route interchange? As alluded to above, the NHSL is right there the exit before the Blue Route. The next accessible station after that would be either Cynwyd or Manayunk via the Belmont Ave exit. Most often by the time you're in the jam, you can't avoid it.
I don't like to think of myself as jaded, but these proposed "solutions" to the regions transportation woes are often band-aids that are less expensive and offer very little benefit for their price.
Shoulder running without a large graded median is a bad idea from the start. (Hopefully everyone reading this can figure out why)
The ramp meters rarely offer relief.
The color coded detour signs are ignored by most everyone.
The variable message signs offer little help except when traffic is clear flowing.
It just seems every few years DVRPC rolls forward some "smart" transportation solution which costs a few million dollars, and does nothing. Its a shame that comprehensive solutions are so often political non-starters these days.

As a footnote, the earlier link was from January. Yesterday, I read an updated release: http://www.penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/ ... newsid=799
For what it's worth, here is an undated DVRPC station plan proposal for Conshey.
http://www.dvrpc.org/TOD/pdf/conshohock ... n-plan.pdf
Its nice that SEPTA was given a role to play I guess.

Edit: here's the news release

25 minutes. Oh sure, right... what a puff-piece. These people are out of their minds and obviously haven't taken septa anytime recently.

ChrisinAbington wrote:If one is stuck on the Schuylkill leading into the Conshohocken Curve, how exactly does one "hop off" and take the train unless you plan accordingly before the Blue Route interchange?

Exactly what I was thinking when I read the piece.

I'll echo a similar sentiment with regards to the practicality of all this. Conshohocken isn't exactly a traffic free zone in it's own right. It is not ideal for people to exit 76 and take 10+ minutes just to get to the train station or probably longer from the train station back to 76. Especially if they have to wait any longer than an additional 15 min for the next train.

Also, there is not a lot of space for a decent size "intermodal" facility with a suitable garage. There are office buildings (and their own garages), a condo complex, and a new office building going up just to the north of the tracks paralleling Elm. Then a new high-rise apartment complex going up along the river right at the current station. There is some type of industrial property along the river a bit further west that might be able to handle something. However, given that location it would be quicker to swim across the river to the West Conshohocken side than it would be to exit the garage and make your way to 76.

Quinn wrote:

ChrisinAbington wrote:If one is stuck on the Schuylkill leading into the Conshohocken Curve, how exactly does one "hop off" and take the train unless you plan accordingly before the Blue Route interchange?

Exactly what I was thinking when I read the piece.

From what nova08 said, they probably want you to ditch your car on the highway and swim the river to the station and get on the train soaking wet although that'll probably take as much time as driving towards the station maybe it would be better to cross the river when it's frozen during the winter...

more news about how SEPTA will work on this enhancement
So this means push-pulls will be used on the Norristown/Manayunk line
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2016/1 ... rail-line/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NORRISTOWN (CBS) — SEPTA a is planning improvements on the Manayunk-Norristown Regional Rail line, all part of an effort to relieve congestion on the Schuylkill Expressway.

“I have been waiting my entire career for the right time or the right opportunity to replace the Conshohocken station.”

Knueppel said additional capacity offered by the two levels of seating will allow them to offer enhanced schedules and greater service frequency.

The bilevel cars are expected in 2019 and 2020.

Unless penndot is providing extra funding to improve conshohocken station this is old news. The bilevel order has now been delayed of course and as others have pointed out, Conshy is a terrible place for a park n ride unless you live on that side of the Schuylkill. What we need is to get people onto transit before they ever get on the expressway. It's starting to look like the new head of penndot is a hack

Suburban Station wrote:Unless penndot is providing extra funding to improve conshohocken station this is old news. The bilevel order has now been delayed of course and as others have pointed out, Conshy is a terrible place for a park n ride unless you live on that side of the Schuylkill. What we need is to get people onto transit before they ever get on the expressway. It's starting to look like the new head of penndot is a hack

Come on SS, it's starting to look like she is a hack? What else would you expect from a former SEPTA board member?