Editor’s Notes: On May 1st, 150 county business leaders and government officials gathered at the Downingtown Country Club to network and hear a TMACC sponsored update on the state of transportation in Chester County, specifically about the positive impact ACT 89 funding is having on county bridges, highways and public transportation system infrastructure.

Following opening remarks by Tim Phelps, TMACC’s Executive Director and State Senator Andy Dinniman, Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kichline kicked off the hour long presentation with an overview of ACT 89’s present and future impact on the county’s transportation infrastructure.

Her  presentation explained how ACT 89 monies spent on upgrading and repairing the county’s highways, bridges, train stations and public transportation system will impact Chester County’s long-term prosperity, economic health and quality of place.

These are Commissioner’s Kichline’s notes from her fifteen minute presentation:

By Michelle Kichline, Chester County Commissioner

The Regional Impact of Act 89

• Act 89 injected an additional $400 million of highway funds into DVRPC’s four‑year TIP (Transportation Improvement Program)

• An additional $900 million of transit funds into SEPTA’s four-year Capital Program

• In the near-term, this funding will allow both PennDOT and SEPTA to address a decade (or more) backlog of capital maintenance projects such as replacing critical bridges, resurfacing key roadways, and replacing transit vehicles

In Chester County, we have benefited directly from these near-term capital projects:

• In 2014, major sections of PA 252, Route 30, US 202, and US 422 were resurfaced as a direct result of Act 89

• In 2015, 36.5 miles of road resurfacing is planned on roadways such as Business 30, Route 10, the US 1 Bypass, Charlestown Road, Waterloo Avenue, Pawlings Road, Coldstream Road

• Additionally, there are 24 bridges in Chester County on the four-year TIP that are slated for rehabilitation or replacement.  Notably, PennDOT (just recently) awarded a contract to rehabilitate three of Chester County’s covered bridges: Knox Bridge in Tredyffrin Township, Rapp’s Dam Bridge in East Pikeland Township, and Speakman’s Bridge in East Fallowfield Township.

“Looking beyond” reaching a “state of good repair”

• Yet, Chester County’s continues to be one of the top-ranking counties in the Commonwealth for both population and employment growth. Since 2009, Chester County has added 10,000 residents and 7,000 jobs.

• Our planning efforts in Chester County extend well beyond the objective of simply attaining “a state of good repair.”  In my role as chair of the Vista2025 initiative, it is clear that simply having the County’s infrastructure at a “state of good repair” does not position Chester County for economic growth over the next decade.

• From this perspective, we are excited to see:

– The $300-million widening project of US 202 in Great Valley due for completion in the spring of 2016;

– The ongoing construction of PA 100 in Uwchlan/Exton, which will widen PA 100 to six-lanes between the PA Turnpike and the Route 30 Bypass;

– Plans moving forward to widen US 1 in East Marlborough, improve the US 202/PA 926 intersection, and address safety concerns on PA 41 all slated for construction within the next four years.

In many respects, however, the projects under construction today are the result of a decade of more planning. Therefore, as the DVRPC begins to update the four-year TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) starting this summer/fall, my role as Chester County’s DVRPC Board member is to be positioning major transportation projects that will benefit Chester County for the next decade to come.

In this context, we are moving forward efforts to line up funding to:

• Fully fund and complete the reconstruction of US 422 in North Coventry ($250 million)

• Reconstruct and widen the Route 30 Bypass ($450 – 600 million)

• Reconstruct the Route 1 Bypass from Oxford to Kennett ($250 million)

• Reactivate plans to widen Route 202 (Section 100) from West Chester to the Delaware Line ($100  – $300 million)

• From a regional perspective, we are also supportive of plans to widen US 322 between US 1 and I-95 in Delaware County, which is critical for Chester County residents to access Philadelphia International Airport

These are the projects that continue to well-position Chester County for continued economic growth and for maintaining our quality of life.

While a well-functioning highway system in Chester County is essential for maintaining our “quality of place”, it is not the sole transportation ingredient.  One of the biggest “take-aways” from the VISTA 2025 initiative was that a “first-class county demands a first-class public transportation system.” This “first class” public transportation system is vital for:

• Recruiting a tech-savy, car-independent workforce

• Supporting ongoing revitalization of Chester County’s 16 urban centers; Chester County has invested over $50 million into these urban centers over the last decade

• Implementing the balance of growth and preservation as established in Landscapes2: invest in growth areas; preserve resource areas

The County’s Public Transportation Plan lays out an ambitious long-term vision, which Act 89 funds will be key to implementing, including:

• Doubling the amount of commuter rail parking;

• Introducing additional shuttle bus services from train stations;

• Doubling the number of park n’ ride lots;

• Initiating express commuter bus service;

• Tripling number of bus shelters countywide;

• Long-term, restoring rail service to West Chester & Phoenixville

The County’s Public Transportation Plan calls for the Chester County to continue to use the Keystone Corridor as our transportation spine. Towards, this objective, nearly $100 million dollars of funding is programmed to Chester County

stations over the next four years.

• Exton – construction of high-level platforms starts this Summer ($17M)

• Coatesville – $40 M station project.  The project is continuing through the final engineering phase.

• Paoli – $36 M (Phase 1) project scheduled to start in 2016 and completed by 2018

Also as a result of Act 89 funding, the second and third phases of Paoli are positioned on the 12-year plan–  the Darby Road Bridge on the Highway TIP and the final phase (a parking garage) was listed on SEPTA’s most recent 12-year Capital Program

In conclusion, These are infrastructure improvements – both highway and transit investments—that will continue to position Chester County for long-term, sustained prosperity and unrivaled quality of life to live, work, and play.

As County Commissioner and the Chester County representative to DVRPC, these are the infrastructure improvements that I will champion for as the region assembles its future capital programs over the months to come.