Best towns in Berks County (Amity, Boyertown, etc.) (Trooper: 2014, costs)

[Ohiogirl81]

422 is a nightmare on a daily basis. You'd do best to double your estimate for commuting when using it.

[Jonathan600]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

422 is a nightmare on a daily basis. You'd do best to double your estimate for commuting when using it.

I'm aiming for Berks b/c it's cheaper and less densely populated. I'm not looking for farmland, but I feel like from the research I've done the counties surrounding Philly are just too populated. Article below is an interesting/short read.

Half Of The United States Lives In These Counties - Business Insider

The towns I listed before (in Berks) are more/less slightly NW of Oaks, but what about the townships SW (within Berks)? Which of those would you recommend? Forgive me if I'm specs are bit vague. Guess the original thread would better explain it all.

[LeaderOCola]

Originally Posted by Jonathan600

You responded to each one...wow! Very nice, thx!

I would think actual commuting times differ depending on the actual route taken, local vs. major throughway, etc. For example, my current commute is about 15miles/25mins (all local) vs. Boyertown to Oaks about 25miles/30mins, but it looks like most miles are on the major throughway (422). In comparison, commute times are similar, however I'm guessing taking 422 makes up for the add'l miles. I did read somewhere that 422 is only currently 2 lanes and in the works is the addition of a 3rd? I'm sure that would help commuters a lot. Guess what I'm asking, is 25miles (Boyertown to Oaks) really 30mins, or more realistically 45 w. traffic; b/c in my current commute I'm able to do avoid any traffic by local roads so the timing is pretty close to actual.

It depends on the time of day and if an idiot has gotten into an accident or not

At peak of rush hour, even without an accident, the 5-8 mile stretch from Rofo to the terminus of 422 into 202/76 can turn into a literal standstill that can take up to an hour to traverse. Even if you miss rush hour, if there is an accident that shutters a lane, it turns into a 1-lane standstill that can take longer than an hour to traverse. I drive it daily, but I luckily have a work schedule with LOTS of flexibility (I teach /@ university and have classes at non-peak hours and drive in around noon and out around 9pm)

Making things 'worse', the local and state police seem to REALLY be feeling a budget crunch because they are ticketing the hell out of the area lately; no I am not condoning law breaking, simply an observation.

I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying be really, truly informed if you are doing it.
Do audiobooks, voice record things for yourself, make something practical of your time because even though it's 20-30 miles on paper, you will seldom--- if ever see it be 20-30 minutes.

[Jeanie Beanie]

Originally Posted by Jonathan600

I'm aiming for Berks b/c it's cheaper and less densely populated. I'm not looking for farmland, but I feel like from the research I've done the counties surrounding Philly are just too populated. Article below is an interesting/short read.

Half Of The United States Lives In These Counties - Business Insider

The towns I listed before (in Berks) are more/less slightly NW of Oaks, but what about the townships SW (within Berks)? Which of those would you recommend? Forgive me if I'm specs are bit vague. Guess the original thread would better explain it all.

Okey Dokey, rather than just go by my observations and anecdotes, I did the google map thing and checked the Douglassville to Oaks commute on route 422 (Pottstown bypass) = 24 minutes for 20.7 miles without traffic.

So, then, since you asked about the Boyertown area: Boyertown to Oaks via route 100 to 422 is 31 minutes and 23.8 miles without traffic. Seven extra minutes for 3.1 miles.

So, okay then, lets think back roads from Boyertown to Oaks. To wit: route 73 to Limerick then route 4031 (Ridge Pike) to Trappe then route #113 (S. Third Street that becomes S. Trappe Road) to the Valley Forge Baptist Church route #4003 (Yeager Road, which becomes Black Rock Road) then turn on Green Tree Road to Egypt Road and you're in Oaks. Google time is 37 minutes and 19.9 miles.

These google miles are accurate, but the times are in a perfect world where you can move unimpeded and not have to do the stop sign shuffle with everyone waiting to take their turn to cross the intersection, or waiting for how many light changes until you get through. Having a short commute to work is wonderful. Honestly, drive time traffic doubles the commute.

Yes, Oaks is in Chester County which is on the list you provided of high-population counties, but in the list of 160-something counties, Chester is 18th from the bottom and on westward fringes i.e. Warwick, Kimberton, St. Peter's Village, you'll find forests and farms aplenty. To be fair, just crossing the Berks County line doesn't change density. There is no Berks County SW of Oaks. The most southerly point of Berks County is Caernarvon Township/Berks (there is also a Caernarvon Township/Chester) which cuddles the Borough of Morgantown, and is northwest of Oaks. I had suggested upthread that you could explore taking the turnpike for one stop as an alternative route to the 422 bypass. Union Township runs south to Elverson and there is lots of State Park and State Gamelands, but the roads are W-I-N-D-Y and narrow and slow and it takes me 20+ minutes to get from where I live Union Township outside Birdsboro to Morgantown.

Bottom line: if you want to commute to Oaks from Berks County, stay close to the major limited access highway that takes you there (Route 422). There are no shortcuts. Route 100 looks big on Google maps but it, too, has traffic lights. Come visit and check out what would be the sweet spot between density and distance. Any Berks municipality close to Oaks I've mentioned upthread. Good luck

[Ohiogirl81]

Oaks is in Montgomery County.

[Jeanie Beanie]

Ooops You're right, Ohiogirl. I just think of Oaks as an area that runs together PhoenixvilleMontClareOaks; but the river in between Phoenixville and Mont Clare splits Chester and Montgomery Counties - and I put Oaks in the wrong county. Thanks

[Jonathan600]

Originally Posted by Jeanie Beanie

Bottom line: if you want to commute to Oaks from Berks County, stay close to the major limited access highway that takes you there (Route 422). There are no shortcuts. Route 100 looks big on Google maps but it, too, has traffic lights. Come visit and check out what would be the sweet spot between density and distance. Any Berks municipality close to Oaks I've mentioned upthread. Good luck

Thanks for the detailed response! It's like having a more personable/knowledgeable Siri...lol. Isn't 422 being reconstructed to have 3 instead of the current 2 lanes (each way)?

[Ohiogirl81]

No widening that I know of. The sun will probably go nova before that happens.

Here is a link to the never-ending weirdness on 422:

422improvements.com

[LeaderOCola]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

No widening that I know of. The sun will probably go nova before that happens.

Here is a link to the never-ending weirdness on 422:

422improvements.com

It's amazing to think that the phases between Douglass/Pottstown on the bridges are 6 years and will come in @ ~120M (so about 10M per year per bridge). Seems pretty cheap considering they're largely on time so far (knock on wood).

I dread when they hit the big boy though.........
I'd rather they spend $5B and pay for almost all overtime/night work. That is gonna be a nightmare to re-route during daily traffic.

[LeaderOCola]

Originally Posted by Jonathan600

Thanks for the detailed response! It's like having a more personable/knowledgeable Siri...lol. Isn't 422 being reconstructed to have 3 instead of the current 2 lanes (each way)?

where in the world did you hear that?

The RoW and Easement cost on a lot of that, let alone the physical infrastructure to make it viable along the rivershores would be so insanely cost prohibitive I can't fathom it. Now that's no excuse why it wasn't built up to begin with... but hey, hindsight....