What does the future hold for Wayne? A 144-page document adopted by Radnor’s commissioners may have some clues.
The Radnor Township Board of Commissioners on Oct. 12 voted to adopt “A Vision for Wayne,” a downtown master plan that outlines land use, transportation, economic development, and infrastructure policy recommendations to allow Wayne in 2036 to “continue to be the premier suburban town center on the Main Line” and “a vibrant, active place for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to live, learn, work, dine, shop, relax, and socialize.”
The document includes resident survey data, a historical look at downtown Wayne, and a menu of recommendations for spurring economic development.
Though the plan was adopted by commissioners, Township Manager William White clarified at the meeting that it is “conceptual,” and that any new developments or policy changes would need to be approved by the board through separate processes.
Here are six takeaways from “A Vision For Wayne.”
Residents love Wayne’s walkability
When asked what they love most about downtown Wayne, 77% of survey respondents cited walkability. Wayne is “highly valued for its historic village character and human-scaled streets,” according to the report, and its compact, mixed-use planning creates an “active, well-connected community.” Following walkability, 54% of respondents said retail and restaurants are the things they love most about Wayne, and 40% said Wayne’s historic character.
Lancaster Avenue presents the ‘biggest mobility challenge’
While Lancaster Avenue, which cuts through downtown Wayne, is a “vital regional roadway,” it presents “the most significant mobility challenge within the downtown core,” according to the report.
At evening rush hour, the busiest time of day on Lancaster Avenue, its main intersection with Wayne Avenue handles around 2,130 vehicles per hour. Frequent curb cuts, fast vehicle speeds, and difficult crossing conditions “feel out of step” with the village’s quaint character and create a “barrier that divides the business district,” according to the report.
The visioning document, as well as Radnor’s 2035 comprehensive plan, calls for numerous traffic calming solutions along Lancaster Avenue, including changing traffic flows, installing speed reduction devices, reducing the number of driving lanes, and strictly enforcing speed limits.
Market pressures could threaten to displace local businesses
Downtown Wayne “exists in a kind of equilibrium right now,” with a healthy mix of restaurants, shops, large brands, and independent retailers, according to the report.
Wayne has long staved off an influx of national chains due to its smaller storefronts and proximity to large malls, the report says. Now, however, many large retailers are gravitating toward “Main Street” settings. FP Movement and Ballard Designs, both national brands, relocated to Wayne from King of Prussia last year.
Low storefront turnover and rising tenant interest suggest that, as leases expire, higher-priced dining concepts and large chains that can pay rising rents may have the upper hand.
“In other words, some existing boutiques and other mom-and-pops might be lost in the shuffle,” the report reads.
The data say Wayne has an ‘overall surplus of parking,’ though it doesn’t always feel that way
The numbers say Wayne has plenty of parking — but not everyone feels that way.
According to a comprehensive parking supply-and-demand analysis conducted by Walker Consultants, there are nearly 2,400 parking spaces in Wayne, the majority of which are in private, business-specific lots. During peak occupancy in Wayne, around noon on a day in September 2025, only around 1,550 spaces, or 66% of the total supply, were in use, according to Walker Consultants’ study. At that lunchtime peak, there were over 80 vacant spots in public off-street lots, 145 vacant street parking spaces, and 550 vacant spaces in private lots. While there is technically a “surplus,” according to the report, hot spots like North Wayne Avenue and the North Wayne lot saw excess use, whereas spaces on the periphery of the downtown core had more availability.
While the data show enough parking, the report acknowledges that “parking is an emotional and highly subjective experience for most users,” and that just as important as data is “how parking in a community is perceived.”
A key recommendation that came out of the visioning document, a plan to turn a portion of the North Wayne Avenue municipal parking lot into a community park, has drawn ire from some local business owners who say eliminating 24 parking spaces would strain businesses already operating under difficult economic conditions.
Wayne’s special zoning district provides an ‘important framework,’ but needs updating
In 2006, Radnor Township adopted the Wayne Business District Master Plan, a framework for land use and economic decisions designed to spur the development of a vibrant downtown core in Wayne. One of the provisions that arose from the plan was the Wayne Business Overlay District, a special zoning and land use district that established Wayne-specific architecture standards.
While the overlay district has provided an “important framework” for guiding Wayne, the report suggests a number of updates, including creating standards and incentives for the development of diverse housing options, clarifying language to allow explicitly for everyday retail uses like grocery stores and fitness studios, and creating clearer guidelines for how buildings can look.
Radnor Township’s approval process can make development too cumbersome
Like many municipal governments, Radnor currently requires developers to navigate multiple levels of approvals to update or construct new buildings. In some cases, this involves receiving a green light from the historical architectural review board, planning commission, zoning hearing board, and board of commissioners, depending on the proposal at hand. This approval structure “creates a real burden for minor applications,” the report says, and can “inhibit investment and unnecessarily prolong commercial vacancies.” The report recommends allowing administrative approval for certain smaller changes and exempting planning commission and board of commissioners reviews for buildings under a certain square footage.
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