New Web App!

Montgomery County is a strong promoter of health and well-being. In addition to our popular trail network, there are opportunities to exercise right in our own neighborhoods. During the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, trail usage has increased by 100 to 200 percent in some areas, which has made it challenging to practice proper required social distancing. In response, MCPC has developed a new Web app to empower residents to walk, jog, run, and bicycle on neighborhood streets and local roads. 

The app, based on an analysis from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), which was initially developed to support Bike Montco: The Bicycle Plan for Montgomery County, features an interactive map that highlights the thousands of miles of local streets throughout the county that are considered low-stress and which can be used comfortably by bicyclists and pedestrians. The public can enter their address to find a suitable network near where they live and will discover that many of these streets start right in their own neighborhood!  Check out the new app, entitled Low-Stress Streets for Bicyclists and Pedestrians, at www.montcopa.org/GetOutAndGoStreets. 

Montgomery County Walkability Initiative

Did you know that throughout Montgomery County nearly 1 in 5 traffic fatalities involve a pedestrian or bicyclist? The walking environment or “walkability” of our roadways and communities plays a major role in providing safe, convenient connections for pedestrians and bicyclists. That is why the Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC) has been working on a new county initiative that focuses on walkability in the county. 

Walk Montco Walkability Study

On February 18, 2016, the Montgomery County Commissioners adopted Walk Montco, a walkability study for Montgomery County, as official county policy. The study, a major component of the county’s walkability initiative, corresponds to the goals of Montco 2040: A Shared Vision, Montgomery County’s new, award-winning comprehensive plan. Montco 2040 advocates for more sidewalks and pedestrian-oriented developments to improve transportation quality and expand options. The Walk Montco study focuses on walkability opportunities and challenges throughout Montgomery County. It recommends standards for improving walkability in general and offers specific recommendations for four selected focus areas. The plan also provides guidance on how to implement and fund walking improvements.  

• Walk Montco - Montgomery County Walkability Study

Community Partners

In early 2015, as part of the creation of the Walk Montco study, MCPC actively sought four community partners who wanted to examine the walkability of their communities to consider how to improve their pedestrian environment. We received outstanding submittals from 13 municipalities in four identified categories and selected the following four Focus Areas:

• Cheltenham Elementary School - Cheltenham Township (Safe Routes to School Category) 
• Main Street - Hatfield Borough (Access to Downtowns Category) 
• Noble Train Station - Abington Township (Access to Transit Category)
• Germantown Pike - Whitemarsh Township (Suburban Commercial Category) 

These focus areas were chosen based on a variety of criteria including the density of the community, extent of infrastructure in need of improvement, local interest in walkability, and a walking demographic. Each area had its own project team which conducted walkability audits—the end result being four case studies published in the Walk Montco study. Project teams were comprised of public and private sector stakeholders, including municipalities, school districts, SEPTA, PennDOT, local businesses, developers, and residents.

2017 Walkability Webinar Series

Many planners, municipal leaders and staff, county residents, and others tuned into our Walk Montco Webinar Series, which ran from April through June 2017. The series, which was organized in conjunction with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, offered an opportunity for participants to learn more about how to make walking a safe and attractive mobility option in communities. Check out the webinar videos below:

Why Walking Matters

Walking is something that nearly everyone does daily. Not only is it our most reliable form of transportation, it's good for our collective health, has little impact on the environment, and is practically free. It makes sense that as a region we’d do all we could to make it as easy as possible to get people out and about—from our youngest (and most vulnerable) pedestrians to our seniors (who may not always feel as steady on their feet). You may know why walking matters, but convincing others can be a challenge. Tune in for useful strategies and to see how some planners are doing their part to promote walkability (and healthy decision making).  

• Video (70 minutes)

Solutions For Walkability Challenges

As Philadelphia continues its renaissance into a 24-hour city and its surrounding suburbs become more urbanized, working with developers to add pedestrian amenities to new construction (while filling in the missing pieces of existing pedestrian infrastructure) is the new norm. How are planners and municipal staff succeeding in filling in these gaps? And how can good design make walking easier for all of us?

• Video (77 minutes)

Education And Outreach To Promote Walkability

If you have watched the first two walkability webinar videos, you know that walking—and having a safe space to do it in—is important for everyone’s mobility and health. But what’s the best way of communicating this? And more importantly, how can we educate about and promote walkability to the groups who rely on it the most—our region’s youth (who may be inexperienced in walking safely) and our seniors (who may feel uneasy about their physical ability to walk)?

• Video (65 minutes)

• Program
• Scott Bricker Presentation: America Walks - Making America a Great place to Walk
• Chris Zimmerman Presentation: Walkable Communities - The benefits in Arlington Virginia and elsewhere around the US  
• Walk Montco Draft Plan Presentation
• Event Photos