montgomery county today
89
Forge TMA and the Partnership TMA. In addition to
their help planning transportation projects and setting
policy, Greater Valley Forge operates corporate shuttles
and the twice weekly Conshohocken Rambler;
Partnership TMA offers travel training to seniors.
Functional Classification
Functional classification is a hierarchical system used by
the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and
PennDOT to group roadways according to their function
and service characteristics. All roads in Montgomery
County can be classified as one of the following:
Expressways
are the highest class. These are divided
multi-lane limited-access highway; in the county these
include the Blue Route (I-476), US 422, the Schuylkill
Expressway (I-76), the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the
Northeast Extension, and PA 309 south of Welsh Road.
Arterials
are either “principal” or “minor,” and provide
greater mobility for longer trips, but offer more
accessibility than expressways. Principal arterials in the
county include roads like Bethlehem Pike (PA 309), Old
York Road (PA 611) in Upper Moreland, and US 202
Dekalb Pike.
Collectors
channel traffic to or from higher classification
roads. Examples of some of the larger collector roads in
the county include Conshohocken State Road in Lower
Merion and Susquehanna Road in Abington.
Local Roads
make up the bottom tier of the system and
represent the majority of road miles in the county. These
include all residential side streets.
Mobility (the ability of a road to move traffic efficiently)
and accessibility (the level of control over traffic’s ability
to enter or leave a roadway) are two major considerations
in determining roadway classification. Expressways are
the least accessible but offer the most mobility.
FIGURE 55:
Functional Classes of Roads
Sumneytown Pike in Upper Gwynedd Township is a
Principal Arterial.
Haverford Avenue in Narberth Borough is a Collector.
¯
Lansdale
476
276
76
476
t
u
422
t
u
202
611
100
309
73
663
29
29
73
Pottstown
Norristown
Collegeville
Jenkintown
Conshohocken
Hatboro
Ambler
Pennsburg
Expressways
Principal Arterial
Minor Arterial
Collector
Urban Area (2010 Census)
(Local Roads not shown)
Sources: Montgomery County, PennDOT
