by KYW's Brad Segall
Regional planners are again talking about extending commuter rail service from Norristown to the Reading, Pa. area to ease traffic congestion. But this time the talk includes the possibility of tolling a major highway.
A commuter rail line west of Norristown would provide another travel option for people who find themselves stuck in traffic on Route 422 during the morning and afternoon rush hours. The cost of restoring rail service along that route could hit the half-billion-dollar mark.
One option for raising the cash is tolling the Route 422 expressway. The money would also be used to make improvements to the roadway.
Montgomery County assistant planning director Leo Bagley:
"Over the past ten years we found out that there isn’t federal money and there isn’t state money to raise the kind of money we need to do these projects. There just isn’t the multi-billion or even the multi-hundreds of millions from the state. But if we have our own source of revenue, now it’s a different ball game.”
A two-dollar charge for traveling the full length of the 25-mile expressway is being tossed around, but no decision will be made on tolls until an 18-month study is finished to determine whether it’s feasible to charge drivers to use the highway.
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