Whitemarsh Township was among the 13 municipalities receiving a Montco 2040 Implementation Grant from Montgomery County. Overall, just shy of $2,500,000 was awarded to 13 municipalities, with Whitemarsh Township receiving $228,552. Montgomery County received 23 applications for the grants from 22 municipalities.
The Whitemarsh Township grant will focus on enhanced safety in the Spring Mill area at the intersection of a SEPTA rail station and associated parking, the county-owned open space, and the Schuylkill River Trail. The safety improvements that are proposed include thermoplastic crosswalk markings and other improvements at the intersection of the trail and Station Avenue, a new raised speed table/crosswalk from the Tricycle Cafe across Station Avenue, and construction of a deck gathering area for improved pedestrian and bicyclist safety, pop-up events, and a place where bicyclists and pedestrians can rest and congregate out of the roadway.
According to the announcement, the applications and associated projects were evaluated in terms of impact, equity, county and local planning consistency, project readiness, and local project funding by a committee made up of planning commission board members and interdepartmental county staff. Projects were also given heightened consideration when addressing one of three focus categories for 2024: Walk Montco and Bike Montco – Trails, Paths, Sidewalk Connections and Bike Facilities; Downtown and Community Destination Support; or Adaptation and Resiliency.