``This grant is related to the bigger picture in Montgomery County . . . It will take full advantage of the Schuylkill Valley Metro,'' Hoeffel said, referring to SEPTA's plans for new rail service linking Philadelphia to its western and northern suburbs.
Hoeffel said that the $1 million will be earmarked for the Norristown location, although SEPTA has planned parking improvements at transit centers throughout the county.
The design of the proposed five-story garage in Norristown will hinge on whether SEPTA installs light rail or commuter rail trains, said county planner Leo Bagley. Light rail would necessitate the addition of a third track, he said, and could extend construction on the project. A decision on the design is expected early next year, he said.
``There is a critical shortage of parking everywhere on the Norristown line,'' Bagley said. ``If we expand, we are able to pull drivers off the expressway and onto the trains.''
The hope is that plentiful and convenient parking will ``bring more riders back to the SEPTA system - and make Norristown an even stronger hub,'' Hoeffel said.
The SEPTA parking lot in Norristown now fills to capacity by early morning, said Montgomery County Commissioner Mario Mele, who is also a member of the SEPTA board. ``We need more use of public transportation and not single vehicles,'' Mele said.
SEPTA has dedicated $15 million of its capital budget for parking construction at three of its Montgomery County transportation centers, including Norristown, said John K. Leary Jr., SEPTA's general manager.
The transit authority plans to add between 400 and 500 spaces at its Fort Washington location, at Pennsylvania Avenue and Summit Avenue, where it will expand an existing lot. It will add about the same number of spaces at its Conshohocken station, at Elm and Ash Streets, where another garage will be built, Bagley said.
The Norristown Transportation Center is a hub for seven SEPTA bus lines, the R6 Regional Rail Line and the Route 100 Norristown High Speed Line, which includes service from the Main Line to SEPTA's 69th Street Terminal.
Once the Norristown parking garage is built, Capitol Trailways intercity bus service will have a terminal at the center. The bus service, which includes Capital, Martz and Greyhound buses, will provide 12 to 15 local and national routes daily, said Peter Quinn, executive director of GVF Transportation.
Jot Bennett, president of Capital Trailways, said the Harrisburg-based company was planning to build another terminal in Willow Grove at Fitzwatertown Road.
Construction of the parking garage at the Norristown Transportation Center is expected to begin in 18 months.
