Residents Urged to Shape Future of Montgomery Avenue as Federal Safety Study Launches
Lower Merion Township and the Borough of Narberth are calling on the public to help redesign one of the Main Line’s busiest and most chaotic arteries. Officials have launched a comprehensive study aimed at overhauling a seven-mile stretch of Montgomery Avenue—running from Spring Mill Road to City Avenue—to address persistent dangers for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
The initiative, powered by a $340,540 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Safe Streets and Roads for All” (SS4A) program, marks a shift from piecemeal fixes to a corridor-wide strategy. At a recent community meeting, planners presented data highlighting chronic safety failures, including outdated pedestrian push buttons, poor crosswalk lighting, and non-compliant sidewalk curb ramps. The study also targets aggressive driving behaviors, specifically the high frequency of speeding and “weaving” by motorists attempting to bypass traffic in the corridor’s tightly packed lanes.
A Vital Artery Under Pressure
Montgomery Avenue has long served as a critical alternative to Lancaster Avenue (Route 30), carrying a heavy volume of commuters, school buses, and delivery trucks between the Main Line and Philadelphia. Historically, the road was designed primarily for vehicle throughput, resulting in a four-lane configuration in many sections that leaves little margin for error. The dense mix of historic homes, schools, religious institutions, and commercial districts like Narberth and Ardmore creates a complex environment where high-speed through-traffic conflicts with local pedestrian activity.
Previous attempts to calm traffic have often been limited to specific intersections. This new joint effort represents the first holistic attempt to reimagine the roadway’s function, prioritizing safety over raw speed.
Balancing Safety with Commuter Realities
While the push for safety has garnered support from pedestrian advocates and families, the prospect of altering Montgomery Avenue is likely to face scrutiny. Traffic engineers and planners often encounter resistance regarding “road diets”—the reduction of travel lanes to add bike lanes or turning bays. Skeptics argue that reducing capacity on such a major thoroughfare could worsen congestion, pushing overflow traffic onto quieter residential side streets. Furthermore, local business owners in commercial nodes may voice concerns if proposed changes threaten on-street parking availability or complicate delivery access.
There is also the question of construction impact; a seven-mile overhaul suggests a timeline of significant disruption, a point that officials will need to address as specific recommendations take shape.
How to Participate
Township engineers are currently in the data-gathering phase and are explicitly asking residents to identify problem spots that statistics might miss. An online survey is open for public feedback through Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Paper copies are also available at the Lower Merion Township Administration Building and the Narberth Borough municipal offices.
Following the survey period, officials plan to draft a set of preliminary recommendations, which will be presented at a future public meeting for further community review.
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