Focus Newsletter: March 2009

M A R C H   2 0 0 9

DVRPC Board Approves Regional Projects for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding

At its February meeting, the DVRPC Board approved a package of highway and transit projects that will take advantage of the funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) which was passed by Congress recently in an effort to create millions of jobs through tax cuts and carefully targeted investments. The act is funded at a level of $787 billion. At the national level, Federal Highway Administration funds for roads and bridges total $30 billion. Federal Transit Administration funds for public transit total $8.4 billion.

The region’s share of ARRA dollars for transportation projects will total more than $668 million. To view the list of projects and for more information, visit www.dvrpc.org/transportation/stimulus.htm

DVRPC Launches Grant Program for Growing Suburbs

DVRPC has announced a new grant program that will advance smart growth planning and principles in our region’s growing suburbs. The Efficient Growth for Growing Suburbs (EGGS) program will provide grants to communities to improve growth management and community design, while optimizing the efficiency of the transportation network through better linking of land use and transportation.

EGGS grants support planning, design, preliminary engineering, ordinance writing and feasibility studies that promote growth management, enhance community design and optimize the efficacy for transportation investments. Examples of activities include access management plans, transit feasibility studies, ordinances promoting mixed-use development, effective agricultural zoning and more.

EGGS is funded by PennDOT and administered by DVRPC, with a total of $320,000 available for the program in fiscal year 2009. To view a list of eligible communities and for more information, visit www.dvrpc.org/planning/community/EGGS.htm

TransitChek Benefits Increased

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law recently. As part of the legislation, the monthly cap on TransitChek benefits was increased to $230 per month until January 1, 2011. DVRPC is in the process of updating its materials to reflect the new increase. For more information, visit: http://transitchek.blogspot.com/2009/02/stimulus-announcement.html

Please check the TransitChek blog (http://transitchek.blogspot.com) frequently, as it will be updated as more information becomes available. The most recent post describes this very recent change: http://transitchek.blogspot.com/2009/02/federal-stimulus-package-increases-cap.html

Mark Your Calendar!

DVRPC’s 8th Annual Celebration of Regional Excellence will be held on the evening of Thursday, May 14, 2009. The event includes a reception, awards program, and dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia. During the awards program, DVRPC will honor initiatives and programs that have significantly contributed to the unique character of the Philadelphia region.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Candy Snyder, Public Affairs Director, at 215-238-2875 or public_affairs@dvrpc.org, or visit www.dvrpc.org.

Save the Date - Urban Marketplace Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia

Mark the date now on your calendar for June 25, 2009, when ULI Philadelphia will present its first Urban Marketplace—a dynamic day-long conference that will convene the private, public, and community development sectors of our region’s real estate industry, to promote investment opportunities and development strategies for revitalizing urban and suburban neighborhoods.

More than 500 participants from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors are expected to share experiences and best practices, and to lay a foundation for future collaborative efforts—in Philadelphia and surrounding counties, Central Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Delaware, Pocono Northeast and Lehigh Valley.

To learn more about the event or for sponsorship and/or exhibitor opportunities, visit http://philadelphia.uli.org/Community%20Outreach/Urban%20Marketplace.aspx or contact Michelle Beaman at michelle.beaman@razakco.com or 267.402.2052.

Congratulations Sustainability Award Winners!

DVRPC congratulates the five winners of the Philadelphia Sustainability Awards:

Bob Pierson for Farm to City
Energy Coordinating Agency
Philadelphia Eagles Go Green
Schuylkill Banks Greenway
Thin Flats (Onion Flats)

This year, nominations totaled almost 70 and jurors selected the 12 finalists. For more information, visit www.philadelphiasustainabilityawards.org.

March 13-15	Go Green Expo Philly Philadelphia, PA Go Green Expo invites both consumers & business owners to learn more about what is readily available so they can take steps to purchase earth friendly products & services to make our communities greener, one city at a time.
March 14	Southeastern Pennsylvania Environmental Advisory Council Conference Philadelphia, PA The 12th Annual Southeast PA EAC Conference is an opportunity for EAC members and supporters to get the latest information on innovative EAC initiatives as well as regional policies that affect local action to revitalize and stimulate communities through informed environmental decision-making.
March 16	Environmental Commission Training to Protect Natural Resources Pilesgrove, PA These one-session workshops are an ideal introduction for new commissioners and a good refresher for more experienced ones. The Commissioners’ Course is designed to provide practical information and project ideas that will assist commissions as they face the challenges of protecting their towns’ natural resources.
March 19	Urban Sustainability Forum – Sustainable Neighborhoods Philadelphia, , PA Learn how to plan for sustainability at the neighborhood scale.
March 21	Leading Green: Training for Environmental Leadership in New Jersey Cities and Developed Communities New Jersey March 21 is the deadline to apply to participate in this six-session series designed to strengthen the leadership capacity of urban environmental commissioners as well as civic leaders in cities that do not have environmental commissions. Participants commit to attend training events on April 17-18, May 9, June 13, July 11, August 8, and September 12 at locations across New Jersey.
March 22-25	Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs 98th Annual Conference Hershey, PA Check the website for updated information.
March 24	Susquehanna Greenway Symposium: Unveiling Stories of the Susquehanna Shamokin Dam, PA The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP) invites you to attend a symposium that will reveal new opportunities for tourism development along Pennsylvania’s longest river. Learn about the real economic potential of enhancing the tourism assets and unveiling the stories of the Susquehanna through the recommendations of the Susquehanna Greenway Master Interpretive Plan.
March 24	PADEP Act 2 Technical Training Course: Human Health Risk Assessment King of Prussia, PA The Land Recycling Program in cooperation with Michael Baker Jr., Inc., the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS), and WSP Environment and Energy is offering technical training courses relating to the remediation of sites under the Land Recycling Act (Act 2). Human health risk assessments are required under the Act 2 site characterization process to evaluate whether regulated substances on a property have the potential to pose unacceptable risks to human health.
March 25	PADEP Act 2 Technical Training Course: Ecological Risk Assessment King of Prussia, PA The Land Recycling Program in cooperation with Michael Baker Jr., Inc., the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS), and WSP Environment and Energy is offering technical training courses relating to the remediation of sites under the Land Recycling Act (Act 2). Ecological assessments are required in the Act 2 site characterization process for remediations being performed under the Statewide Health and Site-Specific Standards.
March 28	Preservation New Jersey 2009 Old House Fair New Jersey The Preservation Alliance designs the Old House Fair to address an unmet need for the special expertise, goods and services that local homeowners need to meet the challenges of maintaining an old house.
March 29-31	County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania Spring Conference Harrisburg, PA Topics on the agenda include turbulent economic times, budgeting, ethics, record management, legislative updates, and GIS.
March 31	New Jersey League of Municipalities 2009 Housing Summit East Brunswick, NJ This special event is targeted towards leaders from the State’s 566 municipalities. The objective is to help municipal officials address immediate and long-term challenges that relate to housing, with a positive, solution-driven agenda. Participants will have ample networking opportunities, as well access to timely, valuable information and tools to utilize in their community.
April 3-4	Unspoken Borders Conference Philadelphia, PA This PennDesign Black Student Alliance event focuses on “The Ecologies of Inequality and the Future of Design in Race + Space + Politics.”
April 13	Conversation on Preservation and Sustainability Philadelphia, PA This panel discussion is hosted by PennDesign.
April 16	Urban Sustainability Forum Philadelphia, PA Topic and speakers TBD
April 19-22	The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors 87th Annual Conference Hershey, PA If you want to learn all you can about township government and how to better carry out your many responsibilities as a township official, there is no better educational opportunity than the Annual Educational Conference of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.
April 22	Pennsylvania Environmental Council Annual Harrisburg Dinner Harrisburg, PA Save the date for PEC's annual gala in Harrisburg!
April 23	The State of the Nation’s Imperiled Wildlife: An Earth Day Assessment Philadelphia, PA The Cheryl Beth Silverman Memorial Lecture features a talk by Michael J. Bean, Senior Wildlife Director and Senior Attorney for the The Environmental Defense Fund.
April 25-29	2009 APA National Conference Minneapolis, MN The American Planning Association’s national conference celebrates the centennial of the planning movement.
May 7,14, & 21	The Community Planning Course Reading, Pa This 3-session course is designed to provide planning commissioners with the basic information they need to effectively serve on a planning commission.
May 14	DVRPC Annual Celebration of Regional Excellence Philadelphia, PA DVRPC’s 8th Annual Celebration of Regional Excellence honors initiatives and programs that have significantly contributed to the unique character of the Philadelphia region.
June 3	New Jersey Future Smart Growth Awards Newark, NJ The Smart Growth Awards celebration is considered one of the state’s premier networking events and an occasion that draws wide media attention and an attendance of more than 300 development industry professionals, as well as local, regional, and state leaders.
June 13	PlanSmart NJ Conference “What no one is telling you about the future of New Jersey” is the theme for the conference.
June 18	Urban Sustainability Forum – The Philadelphia 2015 Plan Philadelphia, PA Dr. Mark Alan Hughes, Director of Sustainability for the City of Philadelphia, discusses the plan guiding Philadelphia’s efforts to become the nation’s greenest city.
June 21-27	15th Annual Delaware River Sojourn Delaware River, PA 2009 marks the 15th year of the Delaware River Sojourn, a week-long paddling excursion on the wild and scenic Delaware River. This year, the Sojourn theme is “No One Left Inside,” which stems from the popular book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv.
June 24-26	Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities 110th Annual Convention Lancaster, PA The Annual Convention will be held at the Lancaster County Convention Center and the Marriott Lancaster at Penn Square.
June 25	Urban Land Institute Urban Marketplace Philadelphia, PA ULI Philadelphia presents its first Urban Marketplace—a dynamic day-long conference that will convene the private, public, and community development sectors of our region’s real estate industry, to promote investment opportunities and development strategies for revitalizing urban and suburban markets.
September 13-15	World Green Energy Symposium Wilkes-Barre, PA The World Green Energy Symposium will showcase new, alternative, sustainable and innovative product development and green energy opportunities for businesses and the consumer at large. The Symposium’s focus will include current policy information, new policy ideas and world policy views.
October 4-6	2009 Pennsylvania Chapter of the APA Annual Conference Valley Forge, PA The theme for the annual conference is “Investing in a Sustainable Future.”