Annual Report FY2005

Projects Committee Structure Budget Board

40 years of Reaching Milestones
The 1960s ... it was a time of crisis with the assassinations of national leaders; a time of exhilaration over the space race; and a time of change for generations as the music, communication, and transportation industries surged forward. In 1965, in a quiet way, change was also occurring within the Delaware Valley as a compact was signed between the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to form the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC).

The creation of DVRPC followed a heritage that began here in 1928 with the formation of the Regional Planning Federation of the Philadelphia Tri-State District. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission followed in 1952, but failed to survive. The success of the Penn-Jersey Transportation Study, organized in 1958, led to the creation of a permanent regional planning agency.

DVRPC's initial charge was to provide continuous, cooperative and comprehensive area-wide planning. The Commission has progressed from this original task to meeting the demands of a new generation ... to a reality that is issue-oriented, innovative and all-inclusive. Forty years have demanded that we at DVRPC be imaginative, forthright and compassionate in our work and in our concern for the citizens of the Delaware Valley. It is a responsibility that we intend to take seriously as we travel together through the next 40 years.

About the Region

• The nine-county Philadelphia metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the country, comprised of approximately 4,000 square miles and more than 5.8 million residents.
• Philadelphia was founded by William Penn in 1682 and laid out in a simple grid pattern, making it the first "planned city" in North America.
• Philadelphia has the nation's largest concentration of people who walk to work.
• Nineteen Fortune 500 companies and 37 Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in the region.
• One in five physicians in the United States have received training in a Greater Philadelphia medical school or hospital.
• Greater Philadelphia offers three times the national average of engineers, architects, scientists, and computer professionals.
• Eighty percent of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies are headquartered within 50 miles of Philadelphia.
• Over 80 colleges and universities are located in the region.
• Over 11 million people visit the region each year.
• The Port of Philadelphia, run by the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, is the oldest operating port in the nation.
• The Delaware Valley is the home of many "firsts," including the first public library, first volunteer fire department, first university in America, first public bank, first stock exchange, first mint, first art school and art museum, first zoo, and first municipal water system.

Who We Are and What We Do
Created in 1965, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is an interstate, intercounty and intercity agency that provides continuing, comprehensive and coordinated planning to shape a vision for the future growth of the Delaware Valley region.

Our region includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties in New Jersey.

Our goal is to address current and ongoing issues while fostering cooperation among member governments, private sector organizations and the general public. To do so, we work closely with a variety of groups, including the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of transportation, community affairs and environmental protection agencies, the federal government, and regional transportation providers. We also partner with a wide variety of non-profit organizations in the areas of community and economic development, environmental protection, and land use.

All of our activities are directed by an 18-member Board that establishes regional policy, defines committee duties, and adopts the annual work program. A 10-member Executive Committee oversees general operations and fiscal matters. Financial support for our activities comes primarily from federal transportation funding through the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of transportation. Additional financial resources are provided by funding from other state or federal agencies, counties, cities, operating agencies, foundations, and the private sector.

DVRPC does not discriminate based on race, color, age, sex, disability or national origin in any of its programs, pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Message from the Executive Director and Board Chair

John J. Coscia Executive Director	Joanne R. Denworth FY 2005 Board Chair

HOW WE IMPACT PEOPLE'S LIVES I S OFTEN A MEASURE OF HOW VALUABLE WE ARE AS AN AGENCY.
DVRPC's role in the region and in the local community has changed and evolved during the years since this Commission was formed in 1965. Forty years is a long time for any organization to survive. DVRPC has not only survived, the Commission has thrived - through innovation, through responsible leadership, and through common goals shared with the citizens who make the Delaware Valley their home.

LET US SHARE WITH YOU A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS.
Throughout the country, planning officials are realizing what DVRPC has been advocating for years - that successful and sustainable transportation improvements can only be achieved if projects are integrated with local land use, economic development and environmental concerns. In March 2005, DVRPC organized a conference on behalf of Secretary Allen Biehler of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Commissioner Jack Lettiere of the New Jersey Department of Transportation to develop comprehensive solutions to community needs. Entitled Transportation Solutions, the conference brought together key transportation and community development officials from eleven states and two Canadian provinces, as well as Federal Highway Administrator Mary Peters and her staff. This forum provided an opportunity for leaders to explore the integration of land use and transportation, to develop ideas and recommendations for crafting a new direction, and to make specific recommendations for consideration in the rule-making for the new SAFETEA-LU legislation.

Utilizing our 18th Annual Board Retreat in December 2004 as a means of connecting to the region's airport and freight communities, DVRPC examined its role in shaping a sound economic future for the region while managing freight and aviation issues. We looked at the global challenges that will shape our transportation network in the future, and considered how to securely move passengers and cargo in an increasingly busy and competitive environment. More than 140 regional leaders gathered at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott to hear updates from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Southwest Airlines, US Airways, the Philadelphia International Airport, the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, NJDOT, and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority. Such opportunities to brainstorm and to resolve issues form the backbone of sound planning for the future.

Another means of bringing people together to network and to conduct business is through the Commission's Annual Dinner. Rewarding those who impact the Delaware Valley through strong leadership and clear vision is what makes this event worthwhile. More than 300 gathered at The Four Seasons Hotel in June 2005 to celebrate regional excellence and to honor a number of different projects and individuals.

Partnering with federal, state, county and local governments, fostering cooperation, sharing our expertise with the private and public sectors, meeting the needs of the region's citizens ... these are the traits that have led us through good times and challenging moments. May the next 40 years prove to be equally rewarding.