FOCUS Newsletter
Take Action to Improve Air Quality
While we are currently enjoying the warm summer weather, we must remember that we are also in the midst of ozone season. At ground level, ozone can be harmful to our lungs and the environment. In the summer, sunlight and heat can "bake" pollutants to form ground-level ozone, also known as smog. DVRPC administers a program called the Air Quality Partnership (AQP), which is a public/private coalition dedicated to improving air quality in the Philadelphia region through air quality initiatives and advisories.
The Partnership implements the Air Quality Action program to notify the public when air quality is forecast to be unhealthy and to encourage the public to take action to reduce air pollution, especially on Air Quality Action days. Steps like taking transit, telecommuting, trip-linking, refueling after dark, and conserving energy at home, all help reduce air pollution. Take action to protect yourself from air quality health risks and help reduce the formation of ground-level ozone on days when it counts the most!
For more information and daily air quality forecasts visit www.airqualitypartership.org or call 1-800-872-7261.
DVRPC Opens Public Comment Period for Long-Range Plan and TIP
DVRPC is seeking your input regarding the Draft Connections Long-Range Plan, the Fiscal Year 2010-2013 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for New Jersey, and the Draft Conformity Finding for the Long-Range Plan and the TIPs for New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Copies of the draft Connections Long-Range Plan, Draft FY 2010-2013 TIP for NJ, and the draft conformity finding are available for review on the DVRPC website at www.dvrpc.org, at DVRPC's Resource Center, and at various libraries throughout the Delaware Valley. The documents will also be on hand for review at the information sessions, and can be translated into alternative languages or formats, if requested.
Written comments and questions may be addressed to Plan/TIP/Conformity Comments, c/o DVRPC Public Affairs Office, 190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Fl., Philadelphia, PA 19106 or e-mailed to tip-plan-comments@dvrpc.org. Comments for all documents must be received no later than 5 p.m. on June 22, 2009.
For more information and to read the full public notice, visit www.dvrpc.org/GetInvolved/PublicNotices/2009-05_notice.htm
DVRPC Honors Regional Leaders & Programs at Annual Celebration
The region's best in transportation, environment, land use, and economic development were honored at DVRPC's 8th Annual Celebration of Regional Excellence on May 14. Each year, DVRPC recognizes leaders and programs that have significantly contributed to the unique character of the Delaware Valley.
Recipients of this year's Regional Excellence Awards included:
Regional Transportation Program of the Year: Go Green Go SEPTA Campaign
Regional Environmental Program of the Year: PECO's Environmental Initiatives
Regional Land Use Project of the Year: Voorhees New Jersey Town Center developed by the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT)
Regional Economic Development Program of the Year: Smart Energy Initiative administered by the Chester County Economic Development Council
Regional Leader of the Year: The Honorable Edwin Erickson, PA State Senate, 26th District
New Grants Promote Smart Growth and Good Community Design in PA Suburbs
Ten communities in Pennsylvania will advance smart growth planning and principals in their communities, thanks to a new grant program, entitled the Efficient Growth for Growing Suburbs (EGGS). The program provides grants to improve growth management and community design, while optimizing the efficiency of the transportation network through better linking of land use and transportation.
The EGGS program helps create more livable communities by funding planning, design, preliminary engineering, ordinance writing, and feasibility studies that promote growth management, enhance community design, and optimize the efficacy of transportation investments. Activities include access management plans, transit and park-and-ride feasibility studies, ordinances promoting mixed-use development, transfer of development rights programs, and more.
A total of $320,000 was awarded to 10 municipalities in southeastern PA. For more information about the program and grant winners, visit www.dvrpc.org/EGGS/ .
DVRPC Recognizes Local Food Leaders
DVRPC introduced a new program that seeks to raise the profile of Greater Philadelphia's emerging local food economy, and presented awards to four leaders in this field at its Celebration of Regional Excellence last month. The Local Food Economy Leadership Awards recognize Greater Philadelphia's food system leaders who have successfully leveraged collaborations with other stakeholders to create a more sustainable food system, and have garnered national attention, making this region a leader in local food system efforts. This innovative project was created in partnership with the William Penn Foundation.
Recipients of the Local Food Economy Leadership Awards included:
Fair Food - A Program of White Dog Community Enterprises
Greensgrow Farm
The Food Trust
Weavers Way Cooperative Association
For more information about DVRPC's food initiatives, visit www.dvrpc.org/Food/
DVRPC Launches New Website
DVRPC launched a new and improved website (www.dvrpc.org). This complete overhaul of the existing site brings important information that visitors need to know within easy reach, no matter which page you visit. Visitors will also experience dramatic improvements in navigation, uniformity and appearance, with improved accessibility for users with disabilities.
On any page, visitors will now be able to see the featured announcements, publications, and upcoming events. Content has been reorganized to better highlight the resources DVRPC has to offer and to show more content without the need to dig too deeply into the site.
The site presents a wide range of materials, with a dramatic new look. An eye-catching panoramic photo stretches across the top of each page. Each resource area has its own unique photo, while the rest of the page maintains the DVRPC brand. County and municipal-level data are now presented dynamically with visually pleasing charts and graphs that are generated 'on-the-fly'.
Visitors have immediate access to information about DVRPC, our region, our latest news, and how to get involved, using dropdown buttons across the top of each page. Learning about all that DVRPC does and the products and services we offer is simply a matter of clicking on any of the Resource areas on the left of every page, which slide open to reveal sub-topics. Pages can be printed in two ways: as seen on screen or with only the primary content using the print friendly icon.
Improved navigation tools make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for and know where they are within the web site. Announcements, latest publications and event notices are dynamically generated from DVRPC databases making them more timely and efficient. Google tools have helped enhance the site, including interactive map and data integration, translations and search.
And, finally, webpage addresses for all major programs, such as the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), have been simplified (www.dvrpc.org/TIP/) to make them easier to remember and cite in other materials.
Check out the website to view the new and improved design!
Developing an Incident Management Task Force Workshop
In early May, DVRPC hosted a workshop for planning, transportation, and incident management professionals, entitled Developing an Incident Management Task Force: Keys to Succeed. The workshop provided a framework for agencies to organize and conduct future incident management task forces and evolve these efforts into ongoing programs.
Incident management task forces foster communication and cooperation between organizations such as local police, fire, EMS, towing, and other agencies that are involved in responding to traffic incidents.
The workshop provided a series of lessons learned from DVRPC's own experiences in managing several task forces and presentations from both national and local incident management professionals. The event was intended for those in or near the DVRPC region who will organize or facilitate future incident management task forces, and over 30 people attended including staff from Transportation Management Associations, County Planning Agencies, Department of Transportation, NJ State Police, and consultants managing DOT construction projects.
A CD Tool Box was also provided to participants that provided theme with a series of ready-to-use documents that can be utilized by leading agencies to manage future incident management meetings; examples of products created from DVRPC's incident management efforts; video and national resource documents that can be used as incident management background information
For more information about the workshop or to receive a copy of the CD Tool Box, please contact Chris King at cking@dvrpc.org or Laurie Matkowski at lmatkowski@dvrpc.org.
To learn more about DVRPC's overall incident management program, please visit www.dvrpc.org/Transportation/TSMO/IncidentManagement/.
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