Plans and Programs

The Regional Long-Range Transportation and Land Use Plan

One of the most important documents prepared by DVRPC is the long-range plan for the region. The Plan provides a vision of the region's future growth and development; determines regional plan consistency in order to locate and implement future transportation facilities and services; provides guidance and direction for municipal, county and state agencies to make infrastructure and conservation protection investments; and serves as the foundation for developing the region's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

HORIZONS: The Year 2025 Land Use and Transportation Plan for the Delaware Valley Region
was adopted by the DVRPC Board in June, 2002. The Plan was developed through an extensive public outreach effort and coordination among other agencies. A key aspect of the Year 2025 Plan is the concept of Centers. By focusing development within and around existing and emerging centers, more of the region's open space and natural features can be preserved, sprawl development can be curtailed, and a greater sense of community identity can be created. The transportation component of the Plan seeks to provide a vision and long-range blueprint for moving people and goods safely and efficiently, and to advance and support the region's land use plans and policies. The transportation segment focuses future enhancement of the transportation system along major Corridors.

Monitoring the progress of our plans and programs is essential in order to understand the impacts of our efforts, to track ongoing trends within the region, and to continue to revisit and revise the goals and projects of the long range plan. The Horizons 2025 Plan includes a set of 26 regional indicators which reflect the policy areas and goals of the Plan and provide a trend-line analysis of regional progress toward those goals. DVRPC also links the specific projects within our annual Work Program to the goals of the Plan, and will periodically provide assessments of the effectiveness of our various programs.

The next iteration of the long-range plan is entitled DESTINATION 2030. This Plan will focus on the following eight policy issues: economy; environment; transportation facilities; transportation operations; transportation finance; urban revitalization; growth management; and equity and opportunity. As part of the development of Destination 2030, DVRPC will be reaching out to the public and numerous stakeholders in the coming years to help craft a new vision for the region. This will be your opportunity to tell us what the Delaware Valley of the future should look like.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

DVRPC is responsible for managing the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which serves as the agreed-upon list of priority projects for the region. The program provides funding for the reconstruction, improvement, and expansion of the region's transportation system. The TIP lists all capital projects that are federally and state funded, and includes traditional highway and public transit projects, as well as bicycle, pedestrian, and freight
related projects. Required by federal law, the TIP is the culmination of a transportation planning process that represents a consensus among state and regional officials on which improvements to pursue.

The DVRPC Board provides the forum through which the elected officials of the region's counties and major cities and representatives of the states and operating agencies determine TIP projects. In Pennsylvania, the TIP covers a four year period and is updated every other year. The TIP covers three years for the New Jersey portion of the region and is updated annually. The TIP may be changed by the board monthly after it is adopted.

Public involvement is an integral part of the TIP process. You are encouraged to contact us for more information on how to voice your opinions about the future of the region's transportation network by working through your local community, your county, and DVRPC. A Guide for Municipal Officials, Special Interest Groups and Citizens is available by contacting us at 215-238-2828.

Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) Program

Because we recognize the need to support local development and redevelopment efforts in the individual municipalities of the Delaware Valley, DVRPC has developed the Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI). TCDI provides a means for selected municipalities to use designated funding to undertake planning, analysis or design initiatives for projects or programs that enhance development/ redevelopment and improve the efficiency of the regional transportation system. Examples of TCDI projects include transit-oriented development studies, commercial district revitalization, and streetscape designs.

TCDI grants are only eligible in selected census tracts of eligible communities that have a socially or economically disadvantaged population, in accordance with our environmental justice goals and Long-Range Plan. The grants can be used to support planning, design, preliminary engineering, analysis or feasibility studies within the eligible
communities that lead to public or private sector investment for growth and redevelopment. TCDI funding cannot be used for capital improvements. Projects are selected on a competitive basis by a review committee and the DVRPC Board. Look for TCDI information on the DVRPC website.

Competitive Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program

DVRPC's Competitive Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program funds transportation-related projects that can help the region reduce emissions from highway sources and meet National Clean Air Act standards. As funds become available, the Commission opens up a competition to solicit applications from public agencies, private firms and non-profit entities in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A subcommittee, comprised of county, state and transit operator planners, and citizen representatives of environmental, biking, transit, and business interests, is formed to evaluate the applications. Candidate projects are ranked based on their emissions reduction potential and other criteria.

Examples of approved projects include freight projects, which encourage reduced truck emissions and promote rail freight as an alternative to long-haul trucks. Additional air quality initiatives include the creation of bike and hike trails and efforts to increase ridership on public transportation. Check the DVRPC website for details about the annual CMAQ Program.

Transportation Enhancements (TE) Program

Transportation Enhancements (TE) is a
set-aside of Federal highway and transit funds, mandated by Congress in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), for the funding of "non-traditional" projects designed to enhance the transportation experience, to mitigate the impacts of transportation facilities on communities and the environment, and to enhance community character through transportation-related improvements.

In the DVRPC region, Pennsylvania and New Jersey each has its own procedure for selecting projects. Typical TE projects have included bicycle and pedestrian trails, restoration of historic train stations, downtown streetscape improvements, roadside beautification, and preservation of scenic vistas. TE is intended to produce a funding program reflecting established regional priorities. Watch our website for available dollars for this program.