Efficient Growth for Growing Suburbs

Efficient Growth for Growing Suburbs (EGGS) in Southeastern Pennsylvania
Summary of New Grant Program and List of 2009 Awardees

Why EGGS?

Recognizing the challenges that the growing suburbs of the region face, the Efficient Growth for Growing Suburbs Program (EGGS Program) provides grants to these suburbs to improve growth management and community design and to optimize the efficiency of their existing and planned transportation network, through better linking land use and transportation planning.

Eligibility

Funding for EGGS is provided by Penn DOT and administered by DVRPC. The EGGS Program is only available for eligible communities in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. Two categories of municipalities were eligible to apply:

1. Municipalities identified as "growing Suburbs" on the 2030 Planning Areas map of the DVRPC long-range plan Destination 2030 (84 communities).
2. Municipalities identified as "Rural Areas" on the 2030 Planning Areas map that have at least 100 acres of "Future Growth Area" designated on the 2030 Land Use Plan map (28 communities).

For multi-municipal applications, municipalities contiguous to the municipalities meeting the criteria above are eligible as partners. Multi-municipal applications were encouraged.

Eligible Activities

EGGS grants support planning, design, preliminary engineering, ordinance writing and feasibilities studies that promote growth management, enhance community design, and optimize the efficacy of transportation investments. Examples of eligible activities are access management plans, road network plans that improve connectivity, transit feasibility studies, TDR ordinances, ordinances promoting mixed-use and roadway connectivity and alternative modes of travel to SOV, official maps, transportation demand reduction measures, and effective agricultural zoning.

Funding Available

For FY 2009, $320,000 is available, and applicants must provide a 20% match.

Project Review and Selection

The EGGS program was announced January 20, 2009 through a mailing of the guidebook to all 112 eligible communities in SEPA. Two pre-proposal meetings were held in early February in Norristown and West Chester, and both were well-attended. Proposals were due March 13, and 16 proposals were received. Eight proposals were from Montgomery County, 4 from Chester County, 2 from Bucks and 2 from Delaware. Altogether, $766,619 was requested, more than double the $320,000 available.

The proposals were reviewed and ranked by the Selection Committee, which was made up of representatives from each county planning commission, 2 representatives from PennDOT, one from DCED and one from DVRPC. The projects were ranked according to the weighted criteria in the EGGS Guidebook, including the transportation-land use linkage (30%), implementation strategy (20%), project status (15%), Multi-municipal projects (10%), projects in CMP Corridors that implement suggested strategies in the CMP (10%) and Complementary benefits (15%).

The Selection Committee met to discuss the projects on April 2, 2009. The projects were ranked according to their scores, and the committee discussed the merits of each project. County Planning staff often gave additional information about projects with respect to other work being done in an area, community's goals for projects, and the potential for success with any project. The cost of projects was also discussed, and in some cases, was adjusted to better reflect the scope of work.

Based on merit, eight projects were selected. The winners are:

EGGS 2009 Recipients:

• E. Whiteland/Malvern to be awarded $50,000 to conduct a feasibility study on the Malin Road extension, a project that would promote TOD, roadway connectivity, and removal of truck traffic from residential and downtown commercial areas.
• Upper Dublin/Whitemarsh to be awarded $70,000 for the Fort Washington Office Park Redevelopment Plan, a complicated project involving a proposed TDR program to move office buildings out of the floodplain and redevelop at higher densities and mixed-uses on the upland portions of the business park.
• Lower Providence Township to be awarded $36,340 to develop a mixed-use town center zoning and design standards guidebook for redevelopment of an aging industrial park - the Valley Forge Corporate Center at Route 422 and Trooper Road.
• Upper Chichester Township to be awarded $41,160 for a sidewalk improvement plan along Chichester Avenue.
• Towamencin Township to be awarded $40,000 for a mixed-use park and ride feasibility study on Turnpike owned land in Kulpsville at the Lansdale interchange.
• Upper Frederick to be awarded $18,500 for a TDR ordinance.
• Caln Township to be awarded $32,000 for a mobility and connectivity study around the Thorndale station, the current end of the R5 line.
• Tredyffrin Township to be awarded $32,000 for conceptual drawings and preliminary engineering for sidewalks and inter-modal connections at the Paoli train station area.

EGGS 2009
Guidebook
[1.6 MB .pdf]

The total money allocated will be $320,000, to be matched by a minimum of 20% in local funding and/or in-kind services. Each project will be managed by a DVRPC staff person, with a county liaison.

Schedule

April 23, 2009 - DVRPC Board approved selected applications
May-June 2009 - DVRPC enters into contracts with municipalities, municipalities post RFPs where needed, projects commence
December 2010 - All tasks and products must be completed
June 30, 2011 - Projects with a plan or ordinance must be adopted by the municipality to have the last 10% of the grant released