Thanks to all of those who came out for our February 2023 General Meeting at the Lansdale Public Library (every second Thursday at 7 PM). We had 14 people in attendance – even with some of our regulars attending the Towamencin Sidewalk and Trail Connectivity meeting happening at the same time.

A welcome shout out to new participants!!!!!:

• Raman from Towamencin Township
• Will from Hatfield Borough

Action Items – Lansdale Borough
Continuing our support for bike lanes to be added to South Broad St., there are two important borough meetings next week for which we want to encourage members to turn out:

1. 1. Borough Council Meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 7 PM – Lansdale Borough Hall
      • This will be an opportunity to again, speak out in support of bike lanes, it time to get them part of the upcoming re-paving of South Broad St.
   2. EAC Meeting, Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6.30 PM – Lansdale Borough Hall
      • The “Active Transportation Plan” on last agenda it’s likely they will continue that discussion. Would like to have members at his meeting

Related to this, we are starting a petition we would like to present to the Lansdale Borough Council. Anyone can circulate this, but we only want Lanadale Borough residents to sign this petition. Thanks to Dominic Frascella for refining the language for this petition.

• Download a blank petition sheet here

Link to Feb 2023 General Meeting Agenda Deck

This is article in The Reporter covers multiple Main Street Improvements which have been in the works for the past several years. It appears some of them will move forward and others are on pause due to timing changes with SEPTA, at the main Lansdale Train Station.

Though it is not stated in the article, it looks like delays associated with the crossing gates and the elevation of Walnut Street will most likely delay the Liberty Bell Trail crossing improvements which will allow trail users to get across Main Street in a much more logical way at Rail Road Avenue, then cross the SEPTA lines on the side of the train station to get over to Walnut Street.

As of right now, the Liberty Bell Trail is expected to follow Walnut Street up to 9th Street, where it will cross the SEPTA lines again to head west towards Hatfield Township.

https://local21news.com/news/local/proposed-bill-allows-for-local-police-to-run-radar

https://www.thecentersquare.com/pennsylvania/senator-seeks-green-light-on-radar-legislation-in-pennsylvania/article_dc2a8e84-98cc-11ed-8f6e-f3808fc3d142.html

Pennsylvania is the ONLY state which does not allow local police to use radar to ticket drivers for excessive speed. Sen. Greg Rothman (R-Mechanicsburg) has proposed a law to change this. Methods currently used by local police, due to a lack of radar, are rather archaic and often require more than one patrol car and multiple police officers.

Adding radar to the tools available will not be a silver bullet to safe streets, but will go a long way as a deterrent to rampant violation of speed limits by cars and trucks. At the same time, if drivers must be more conscious of their speed to avoid a ticket, they will become more engaged drivers and less likely be distracted with activities like texting.

There are some rather thin arguments against joining every other state allowing  radar to be used by local police. Still, the proposed law from Sen. Rothman attempts to address these.

Recent resident polling by several municipalities in the North Penn area point to traffic congestion and traffic safety as important quality-of-life issues in need of improvement. In response municipalities are considering additional police staff to focus on traffic control. Would’t it be great if these officers could be empowered with a tool like radar, which as been leveraged by the Pennsylvania State Patrol for decades.

When you consider reasons why the average person is hesitant bicycle on roads vs. trails, excessive speed of cars an trucks is often to to blame. This law should be supported by everyone in the North Penn area who wants a safer environment not only for cyclists and pedesterans, but also for drivers of autos and trucks.

Speed limits are assigned for a reason. It is well overdue for local Pennsylvania police to use radar to bring driving speeds down to where they belong.

Everyone reading this is encouraged to write to the state senators and representatives in support of this law.

PA State Politicians for North Penn

Find your legislator

PA State Senate
Districts 12, 24

Senate District 12
(Hatfield Borough, Hatfield Township, Lansdale Borough, Montgomery Township)

Senator Maria Collett 
Gwynedd Corporate Center
1180 Welsh Road
Suite 130
North Wales, PA 19454
(215) 368-1429
FAX: (215) 368-2374
Email: [email protected]

Senate Dist. 24
(North Wales Borough, Towamencin Township, Upper Gwynedd) 

Senator Tracy Pennycuick 
Senate Box 203024
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3024
Room: 16 East Wing
(717) 787-3110
[email protected]

PA State House
61, 53, 151

District 61
(Upper Gwynedd Township, North Wales Borough, Towamencin Township)

Hon. Liz Hanbidge
1098 West Skippack Pike
Blue Bell, PA 19422
(610) 277-3230
Fax: (484) 200-8267
Email: https://www.pahouse.com/61/Contact/

District 53
(Lansdale Borough, Hatfield Township, Hatfield Borough, Montgomery Township)

Hon. Steven R. Malagari
100 West Main Street
Suite 110
Lansdale, PA 19446
(267) 768-3671
Fax: (267) 768-3673
Email: https://www.pahouse.com/53/Contact/

District 151
(Montgomery Township)

Hon. Melissa Cerrato
28A East Wing
P.O. Box 202151
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2151
(717) 772-1999
Fax: (717) 780-6035
Email: https://www.pahouse.com/151/Contact/

Towamencin recap: Crosswalk upgrades moving ahead

It seems improvements to the cross-walk at the intersection of Militia Drive and Allentown Road will proceed – making it safer for kids and parents who want to walk/bike to the nearby Walton Farm Elementary School.

This has been a multi-year effort by local families involving both Towamencin Township and PENNDOT. As covered earlier in The Reporter, on the first pass, parents were told their kids should not be using this crossing at all and they should instead, get back on the the bus for transportation to and from the school.

This article indicates some of the original PENNDOT-approved  improvements will not be part of the final design – at the request of the township. Later in the article it is noted similar crossing improvements are also coming to Columbia Avenue and Woodlawn Drive, which would seem to benefit pedestrian/biking access to Inglewood Elementary School.

Neither Walton Farm Elementary School, nor the neighborhood on Militia Drive are new. Covid seems to have caused an awakening among parents that their children should be able take an ACTIVE way to get to school, which, given the short distance should be a safe and easy activity. Congratulations to them for holding fast to their goals.

This is not the only neighborhood in the North Penn area considering the benefits of active forms of transportation for small distances and everyone should support improvements allowing kids to walk/bike to any and all schools in the North Penn School District. As the district moves forward with a new 9th grade building at the High School campus, thereby increasing the number of students concentrated there by 25%, non-car, bike/pedestrian access needs to be greatly improved or traffic congestion in the area will get that much worse.

It is important to call out positive action right now being taken by Towamencin Township with their Sidewalk and Trail Connectivity Study – for which they are soliciting input from residents in and around the township.

As new housing developments are proposed in our area local governments should consider the ability to get in and out of these developments by using something other than a car, and how complementary changes to nearby roads, intersections and crossings can be made in parallel to new construction. This is how we can create a healthy environment for our children, this is how we can make the North Penn region a more appealing place to live for every one and this is how we can reduce traffic congestion on our local roads AND it benefits the environment.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/26/us-cities-parking-lots-climate-walkability

The movement away from parking minimums is not just a big city issue, it has important implications here in the suburbs of the North Penn region. Lansdale Borough, in particular, with emerging new apartment developments and re-development of old real estate is at the center of the storm.

There has been much moaning and gnashing of teeth since the massive Madison St. Parking lot was transformed into the Madison St. apartments, yet the vitality of downtown merchants have not suffered and housing prices continue to rise. With the Luxor apartments coming online Lansdale suddenly has several thousand new residents with walking and biking distance of the the SEPTA station, the post office, two grocery stores and a growing array of Main Street and Broad Street vendors – meanwhile the SETPA parking garage, which has been free to use for much of the past two years – sits almost empty of cars on any given day.

This comment of the article says it best:

“Nashville is among a new wave of cities hoping to do the same. “It’s about the climate, it’s about walkability, it’s reducing traffic and the need for everyone to have a car,” said Angie Henderson, a member of the Nashville metro council who proposed the parking change for the city’s core area.”

It’s time all local suburban municipalities look at zoning requirements related to parking space minimums, and start to envision a future which looks more like the past, before the car was such a dominant element; when people would more often walk, bike or take public transportation to get around. Moving toward this vision could prove not only good for residents and local businesses but open up options for existing real-estate stock which are now often sitting empty due to zoning requirements like parking space minimums.

A reminder – The monthly organizational meeting for Bike North Penn is this Thursday, January 12, at 7 PM at the Lansdale Public Library. If you are passionate about biking for recreation and transportation and want to find out what BNP is up to, please join us!

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/r/eventedit/copy/M25iOGI2bWJyOWgxbTRjdm4zNHI4czBjYTJfMjAyMzAxMTNUMDAwMDAwWiB3aWxsaWFtLmphY2tzb25AYmlrZW5vcnRocGVubi5vcmc/d2lsbGlhbS5qYWNrc29uQGJpa2Vub3J0aHBlbm4ub3Jn?scp=ALL

This is an interesting piece on ebikes – which is a subject being actively discussed by Bike North Penn members and proponents of bike infrastructure and alternatives to car travel.

The journalist touches on rideable communities, though focuses mostly on city riding and dismisses most other areas due to distances you would expect outside of dense, urban areas. Unfortunately this does not take into account our suburb area of North Penn, where borough/township centers ARE within three miles or less riding distances.

Denver is mentioned where they have combined programs to build and expand bike lane/path networks AND subsidies for purchasing ebikes.

There is a rather extensive segment with a member of People for Bikes, which is an organization whose goals I support, but it IS essentially an arm of the bicycle manufacturing industry, and the journalist makes no attempt to call this out.

I think it is safe to say ebikes are a rising force in cycling and alternate forms of transportation. They are becoming a common sight on North Penn streets and local trails. It is time they become part of the planning conversation. Any local ebike owners/experts out there?

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/02/1146543157/e-bikes-could-be-a-more-affordable-way-to-reduce-emissions

One key component of healthy cycling community is the local bicycle shop. Covid and post-covid periods have provided some unique challenges for bicycle shop operators. This article provides some insights on where things stand.
https://www.outsideonline.com/business-journal/retailers/fallout-from-the-pandemic-bike-boom/

The Circuit Tails is a collaboration of local trail organizations in Philadelphia and the counties surrounding Philadelphia in both PA and NJ. Their goal is to promote a connected regional approach to tails in this larger region.

They have a video program where trail users from areas of the Circuit Trails region can talk about why they like using a particular tail. Bike North Penn member and Lansdale resident Dominic Vasturia was selected to talk about why he likes the Liberty Bell Trail:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1164538684251138

Link to the My Circuit Trails videos

Here are some opportunities to voice your support for bike trails and bike infrastructure in the North Penn / Montgomery County area. Input from citizens in this surveys are one of the best ways to express concerns and desires to your elected officials:

Towamencin Township Sidewalk + Trail Connectivity Study

• It is our understanding this is NOT limited Towamencin residents – so we recommend all locals participating un the online survey and the scheduled meetings. Here is the link to the info page on the Towamencin Township web site – with links from there to the online survey and other info: https://www.towamencin.org/resources/sidewalk-trail-connectivity-study/

Montgomery County Comprehensive Plan for 2050

• This is for the update to the existing 2040 plan. Though it is not specific to transportation, the survey offers the opportunity for Montgomery County residents to comment and prioritize what is important to them – like traffic congestion, outside activities, etc.
• Here is a link to the general page on the Montgomery County web site: https://montcopa.org/4213/Montco-2050
• Here is a link to the survey for 2050 Comprehensive Plan:
  Montco 2050 Survey