We recently published an article about PennDOT considering allowing the use of the shoulder along I-76 between 202 and City Avenue during peak times. Within the Philadelphia Business Journal article we cited, there was another PennDOT plan that specifically involves Conshohocken.

Basically PennDOT is investigating placing signage leading up to the Conshohocken exits on 76 that alert drivers to the availability of the next train. From the Journal:

“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.”

Richards said: “It’s going to be the most innovative projects in the country, and Philadelphia is going to be at the forefront.”

PennDOT will be working with SEPTA for the initiative.

“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.

The Richards quoted above is Leslie Richards, the current secretary of transportation for Pennsylvania. Richards is a former supervisor in Whitemarsh Township and county supervisor for Montgomery County.

Does PennDOT really think sending more cars into Conshohocken is a good idea? Yikes.

Let us know what you think in the comments, here or on Facebook.