For the last several months, Montgomery County’s Planning Department has been administering the “visioning” phase of the Silver Spring downtown and Adjacent Communities Plan, which will determine zoning in and around Silver Spring’s downtown for decades to come.
The plan will carry forward principles currently outlined in the developing Thrive 2050 General plan for the county, such as improved affordability, walkable communities, and transit-oriented development. Most controversially, the plan includes modest upzoning of single-family-only neighborhoods close to transit to allow for missing middle housing, which the county defines as housing types that bridge the gap between single-family detached units and mid-rise apartment buildings.
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The Perkiomen Creek dam at Lower Perkiomen Valley Park. (Courtesy of Montgomery County)
Montgomery County is expanding and upgrading its network of trails, to meet growing demand during the pandemic. The Schuylkill River Trail will see a new connector to Route 422 near Pottstown, which will essentially help build the link from Chester County all the way south to Philadelphia.
“Whenever we are doing trail planning work, we always think about where the trails can go into Bucks or into Philadelphia or into Chester counties, because this network is well beyond Montgomery County’s boundary. So it’s really a regional effort to build out these trails,” said Bill Hartman, section chief of trails and open space planning for the Montgomery County Planning Commission.
Today
Rain showers this morning with overcast skies during the afternoon hours. High 53F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..
Tonight
Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low around 40F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Updated: April 16, 2021 @ 5:28 am
The release of President Joe Biden s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal has proponents of increasing train travel hoping for an upgrade and expansion of rail service, including the long-sought-line between Reading and Philadelphia.
Those hopes were on full display Tuesday during a hearing by the House Democratic Policy Committee with the optimistic title: Back on Track â Investing in Passenger Rail.
Jennie Granger, PennDOT deputy secretary for multi-modal transportation, testified remotely Tuesday. Image from screenshot
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Increased federal funding would be major, Jennie Granger, PennDOT s deputy secretary for multi-modal transportation, told the committee.
Federal funding would help bring the Amtrak and SEPTA systems into a state of good repair and could provide capital to start new service, she said.
Hearing explores if Biden s infrastructure plan can return passenger rail to 422 corridor montgomerynews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from montgomerynews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.