Transit

The DVRPC region is served by nearly every mode of public transit, from shuttle buses to the Market-Frankford El; from the Keystone Corridor and R5 "main line" to the Northeast Corridor; from historic trolleys along Girard Avenue in Philadelphia to the new RiverLINE light rail between Camden and Trenton. Our region historically developed with transit - communities and transit facilities reinforced one another - and our multimodal public transit network remains a tremendous asset around which to anchor growth as we plan for a more sustainable future.

Supported by the Federal Transit Administration, PennDOT, New Jersey DOT, and our regional County and local governments, DVRPC staff is engaged in a variety of transit planning work on an ongoing basis, typically pertaining to SEPTA, New Jersey Transit, and/or PATCO service. The types of work we perform include:

• Planning and research studies in support of "best practices" to improve the efficiency of our regional transit network, as well as coordination between states, counties, and transit agencies.
• Survey and data support for regional transit carriers to facilitate operational, service, capital, and long-range planning.
• Public outreach and engagement activities to support and articulate a long-range vision for our regional transit network.
• Integration of Coordinated Human Services Transportation Planning into the broader transit planning process.

Recent publications include:

• Speeding Up SEPTA: Finding Ways to Move Passengers Faster
• DVRPC Long-Range Vision for Transit
• Seamless Regional Transit Access
• Needs and Opportunities Study for the R5 Extension West of Thorndale
• Increasing Intermodal Access to Transit: Phase IV
• Small Starts Feasibility - Regional Projects with Federal Small Starts Funding Potential
• Creating a Regional Transit Score Protocol: Full Report
• Seamless transportation: Service To & Through the Region's Core
• Mercer County - Airport Region Multi-Modal Transportation Center Study
• I-476 Express Bus Feasibility Study

The beneficiaries of these studies and initiatives include our major regional transit service providers (SEPTA, New Jersey Transit, and PATCO). In turn, DVRPC's member governments and the riding public benefit from the service improvements that result.

Dots & Dashes

Dots & Dashes is an outreach exercise developed as a way to engage citizens and stakeholders on their preferences for public transit investments in the DVRPC region. In spring 2007, DVRPC received a grant through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)'s Public Transportation Participation (PTP) pilot grant program to conduct an innovative, workshop-style planning exercise. Through the exercise, which took the form of a board game (branded "Dots & Dashes"), regional stakeholders in groups of three to six negotiated their preferences within reality based budgetary constraints. Each participating group then prioritized regional public transit projects, improvements, and investments over a 30-year time horizon. Dots & Dashes results to date have informed DVRPC's Long-Range Vision for Transit and will also help to inform the Connections 2035 Long-Range Plan.