New Guide for Zoning for Smart Growth Available

DVRPC has released a new study, "Innovations in Zoning for Smart Growth," to assist municipalities and counties in understanding and implementing zoning to promote smart growth. Smart growth is an approach to development that discourages sprawl while encouraging revitalization of urban areas, infill, mixed-use, and land conservation. Smart growth also promotes pedestrian and transit accessibility. The report provides background on existing zoning methodology and smart growth innovations, including an extensive review of unified development codes, form-based codes, and the model SmartCode. Market forces and changing lifestyles provide the social, economic, and political support to make smart growth zoning both appropriate and feasible for the municipalities in our region. The report has been distributed to all 353 municipalities in the region. If you would like additional copies, please contact Gregory Heller, Planning and Design Analyst, at 215.238.2810 or gheller@dvrpc.org.

New Safety Campaign Educates Drivers and Pedestrians along Roosevelt Blvd.

Safety improvements including cameras, extra police enforcement, and a "Highway Safety Corridor" designation are in place on Roosevelt Boulevard, but officials are also asking for the public's help in making the roadway safer. DVRPC, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the City of Philadelphia, launched a new public awareness campaign promoting safety along the 12-lane corridor. The campaign, entitled "Cross with Care, Drive Aware" alerts pedestrians and drivers of how to walk and drive safely along the Boulevard. Posters and fliers are being mailed to libraries, city council members, state legislators, police districts, and business organizations in the area. Bumper stickers will be available at PennDOT Department of Motor Vehicle offices near the Boulevard and interior signs will be posted on many SEPTA buses serving the Boulevard. The public awareness campaign dovetails with the US 1 Roosevelt Boulevard Safety Study, to be released by DVRPC this fall. The study will recommend specific safety improvements that can be made to Roosevelt Boulevard, and can be used as a tool for project selection in the future.

DVRPC Recommends how the Region can Prepare for the "Senior Boom"

The elderly are the fastest growing segment of the region's population, and by the year 2030, almost one in five of the region's residents will be over 64 years of age. Housing and servicing those senior citizens is one of the most critical issues facing the region, according to a new DVRPC study, "The Aging of the Baby Boomers: Housing Seniors in the Delaware Valley." The majority of growth in the senior population will occur in the suburbs, as seniors prefer to remain in the communities where they raised their families. However, many of these areas are not currently served by public transit and do not offer affordable housing alternatives. In addition to this study, DVRPC has released a new Data Bulletin with detailed demographic information, including elderly population forecasts, and a Municipal Implementation Tool brochure, "Aging in Place," featuring specific recommendations for local officials. To receive copies of these publications, contact Mary Bell, Principal Planning Analyst, at 215.238.2841 or mbell@dvrpc.org.

New Study on Transit-Oriented Development in the Delaware Valley

DVRPC has been involved in planning for transit-oriented development (TOD) for the past decade through various studies and plans. The most recent study, available in late October, "On Track: Progress Towards Transit-Oriented Development in the Delaware Valley," is an evaluation of progress towards TOD at individual rail (and some bus) stations within the nine-county region. Through a municipal survey and subsequent research, DVRPC gathered data on completed or in-progress TOD-related activity at over 100 transit stations throughout the Delaware Valley region. Progress cited in the report ranges from TOD plans, grants to study or implement TOD, development interest and involvement in the station area, and proposed or completed TODs. For more information about this report, please contact Kelly Rossiter, Regional Planner, at krossiter@dvrpc.org or 215.238.2890.

Traffic Counts are Coming to Your Community

The Office of Travel Monitoring at DVRPC has started an email notification system to provide information about when traffic counts will be performed in your municipality. DVRPC routinely collects travel volume information in the nine county Delaware Valley region. Counts are typically collected at the request of your state DOT to fulfill Federal Highway Administration program requirements, at the request of the county planning/engineering office, or in support of planning staff evaluating transportation system performance or improvements. Traffic counts involve DVRPC staff laying a rubber tube across roadway facilities for approximately 48 hours (to gather daily traffic volumes) or manually recording traffic from a vehicle parked near an intersection (to gather turning movement information). These efforts do not interfere with normal traffic operations. We invite you to visit the traffic counting section of our website (www.dvrpc.org), where all of our traffic count information is available to the public. For more information, contact Scott Brady, Manager of Travel Monitoring, at 215.238.2814 or sbrady@dvrpc.org.

Take Part in the DVRPC Municipal Outreach Survey

DVRPC is conducting a survey to find out more about the DVPRC services local governments use or would like us to provide. In September, DVRPC contacted municipalities via email and postcards to solicit participation in the survey. We received a strong response and wish to thank the many participants that have already taken part in the survey. To ensure involvement, DVRPC is extending the deadline for participation in the survey to October 15. To complete the survey online visit www.dvrpc.org/municipalsurvey or call Evangeline Linkous, Planning Analyst, at 215.238.2865 to request a paper copy.

Aerial Imagery and Maps from DVRPC

DVRPC offers several useful and informative products via our Map and Publication Sales Office. Our most popular offering is aerial imagery which covers DVRPC's nine county region for various years beginning with 1959, then in five-year increments from 1965 to 2005 (2000 & 2005 imagery is ortho-corrected and suitable for use in GIS applications). This imagery may be purchased in digital or hardcopy form. Additionally, various GIS layers are available for purchase, including 5' topographic contours that were developed in conjunction with our 2005 orthoimagery. Most of DVRPC's recent reports and publications are available for purchase, as well as data bulletins which are provided free of charge. We also offer custom mapping. For more information, contact Sharon Smith at mapsales@dvrpc.org.