Lower Merion and Narberth unveil dozens of recommendations for improving safety along Montgomery Avenue
A study recommended adding a series of speed limit markings, traffic lights, high-visibility crosswalks, lane reconfigurations, and street lights from City Avenue to Spring Mill Road.
Lower Merion Township and Narberth Borough have released a set of preliminary recommendations to make Montgomery Avenue safer.
The recommendations are the culmination of the months-long Montgomery Avenue Corridor Safety Study, an effort by Lower Merion and Narberth to identify and prioritize potential improvements along a seven-mile stretch of Montgomery Avenue, from City Avenue to Spring Mill Road.
Residents say the roadway has become unsafe for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. At a February meeting in Lower Merion, some recounted their own accidents and near misses while walking and driving along the key suburban artery.
The study’s recommendations, sent out to Lower Merion residents via email Tuesday, include adding and updating a series of speed limit markings, street lights, crosswalks, stoplights, and lane configurations at dozens of intersections along Montgomery Avenue.
The township and borough received $340,540 through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program to fund the study. The initiative evaluated traffic and crash patterns, pedestrian and cyclist safety, intersection and roadway design, and access to transit, shopping districts, and neighborhoods, among other factors.
The recommendations are for planning purposes only, and any future improvements would need to be approved and funded.
Lower Merion recorded 3,767 crashes between 2019 and 2023, 13 of which were fatal and 68 of which involved “suspected serious injuries,” according to the township’s 2025 Comprehensive Safety Action Plan. The majority of crash-related serious injuries occurred on five major roadways: Conshohocken State Road, the Schuylkill Expressway, City Avenue, Montgomery Avenue, and Lancaster Avenue.
The number of reportable crashes (incidents that result in injury or vehicle damage requiring towing) along the section of Montgomery Avenue studied increased from 97 in 2022 to 142 in 2023, then dropped to 116 in 2024, according to data presented to Lower Merion and Narberth residents at the February meeting.
Lower Merion and Narberth residents are invited to learn about and provide comments on the Montgomery Avenue recommendations at an Oct. 26 meeting at 6 p.m. in the Lower Merion Township Building board room. Comments can also be emailed to montavestudy@lowermerion.org.
The project team will review feedback on its preliminary recommendations before presenting final recommendations at a meeting later this year or in early 2027.
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