Upper Merion Gets $200K For First Avenue Linear Park Improvements

NORRISTOWN, PA — Fifteen different sustainability proposals across Montgomery County will receive a total of $2.5 million in funding through the latest round of the Montco 2040 implementation grants, including a major project in Upper Merion.

The township will receive $200,000 to provide lightning along the First Avenue Linear Park.

Funds will be used to install 66 solar-powered lamps, light poles, and concrete foundations along the path, so that it is well-lit from Allendale Road to North Gulph Road.

In addition, other county projects on bike lanes, sidewalks, trails, traffic signals, and open space were awarded a range of support, from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“It is fantastic that we are able to contribute to successful projects across the County’s 62 municipalities,” Commissioner Ken Lawrence said in a statement. “I have seen so many finished projects in my travels around the county. From Ambler’s community garden to the recently completed Park to Perkiomen Trail in Upper Salford, there is a lot of enthusiasm behind assuring Montgomery County is a vibrant place to live."

Winning projects support strategic goals of Montco 2040, which include connected communities, sustainable places, and vibrant economies. Projects that fell into the three "focus" areas for 2023, resiliency, downtown community support, and walking and biking infrastructure, were given special consideration.

A total of 127 grants totaling $15.2 million have been awarded since the program launched in 2016.