The Transportation Management Association of Chester County offers the following suggestions for county commuters dealing with the Route 23 detour due to the bridgework happening on the Valley Forge Rd bridge.

The bridge, created in 1967, is a part of a $3.4 million project that is financed with state funds from ACT 89, PA’s Transportation plan to fix three structurally deficient bridges in Chester County.

If your commute to work consists of traveling anywhere near the bridge, says TMACC, then you probably noticed the increased amount of traffic congestion. Normal 30 minute commutes have skyrocketed to a whole 1 hour and 20 minutes. The delay undoubtedly leaves you frustrated, angry, and exhausted by the time you get to work.

Unfortunately, the bridge rehabilitation project cannot be put on hold to cater to your commutes.

However, TMACC has a few suggests that could cut down on your travel time, your stress, and even your spending.

1. Share your Ride – Roughly 20,000 vehicles cross the Route 23 Bridge each day, meaning 20,000 individuals are now looking for alternative routes to get to work. If each of those drivers shared their ride with another coworker or neighbor traveling close to the same location, you could eliminate 10,000 vehicles from the road. Think of the time you would save!

How to do it:

• Connect with a coworker who lives close to you and coordinate your schedules.
• Connect with a friend or neighbor whose end location is close to your’s.
• Sign up for DVRPC’s Share-A-Ride. This will pair you up with individuals close to your beginning location and end location.

2. FlexTime at Work – Most Chester County commuters  begin there shift between 8  and 9 AM and end around 5 PM. These peak travel times are commonly referred to as “Rush Hour”. If you were to start and end your day earlier or later than those peak travel times, it would resolve the problem of dealing with “Rush Hour”.

How to do it:

• If you’re an employee: Go to your boss and ask to change your work schedule. He or she probably knows about the bridge closure and would be willing to work with you.
• If you’re the employer: Contact TMACC, and they canhelp you form communications to send to your employees.

3. Telecommute – If you are able to take advantage of working from home during the week, now is the time to use it! Make an agreement with your boss on the days you will be working from home and when you’ll be in the office. It will save you time, save you money, and save the environment from keeping your car off the road.

4. Be Aware of Future Traffic Delays from Construction with TMACC – TMACC sends weekly updates about traffic delays due to construction. If you are not signed up for any of these targeted emails, you can do so here.

Top Photo courtesy of The Patch.