DVRPC News - Fall 2007

DVRPC Assumes Role in Fostering a Greener Future
DVRPC's 21st Annual Board Retreat, held in late September at The Enterprise Center, Mt. Laurel, NJ, served as a starting point for discussions about climate change and sustainability, focusing on regional and global implications. An impressive panel of speakers led off the morning session with remarks related to "Fostering a Greener Future." Erika Spanger- Siegfried, Northeast Climate Project Manager, Union of Concerned Scientists, addressed reducing emissions, the need for change, and future impacts in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Honorable Lisa Jackson, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, spoke about New Jersey's role in developing an energy master plan as well as the state's efforts to cut emissions. Daniel Desmond, Deputy Secretary, Office of Energy and Technology Deployment, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, outlined Pennsylvania's proposed energy initiative and forthcoming climate strategy. David Robertson, Executive Director, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, relayed his agency's approach to climate change and described what can be accomplished on the regional level.

Retreat attendees spent the afternoon in brainstorming sessions that began the vital process of developing the FY 2009 Planning Work Program. Participants had an opportunity to not only suggest ideas for new regional and local initiatives but also to develop a framework for the Work Program that provides even greater impact.

DVRPC Safety Campaigns Educate Drivers and Pedestrians
DVRPC recently spearheaded two initiatives to educate the public about safe driving. Statistics show that over 43,000 traffic fatalities occur every year. That's 118 fatalities every single day - one fatality every 12 minutes. DVRPC took part in the seventh annual Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day on October 10, by asking the public to take a more active role in keeping themselves and their loved ones from becoming one of those statistics.

The goal was to unite the country in achieving one full day of zero traffic deaths by encouraging safer behavior and actions, thus promoting safer roadways. DVRPC coordinated with a number of agencies in promoting this safety message, including: PA and NJ State Police, NJ and PA Departments of Transportation, NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, Delaware River Port Authority, PATCO, Federal Highway Administration, AAA, NJ Transit, Cross County Connections Transportation Management Association, NJ Turnpike Authority, and a number of legislators.

In early October, flyers and posters with safe driving tips were distributed to legislators, police agencies, colleges, and libraries throughout the Delaware Valley region. The flyers listed tips for safe driving, and encouraged the public to wear a seatbelt, drive the speed limit, pass trucks with caution, obey traffic signs, refrain from using a cell phone, and watch out for pedestrians and bicyclists, to name a few. Flyers were also handed out at toll booths, and NJ and PA State Police distributed flyers during traffic stops. In addition to supporting Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, the Commission recently launched a public awareness campaign geared toward drivers and pedestrians traveling on the 12-lane Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia. Safety improvements including red light running cameras, extra police enforcement and a "Highway Safety Corridor" designation have been made to Roosevelt Boulevard, but officials also need the public's help in making the roadway safer.

The campaign, entitled Cross with Care, Drive Aware, alerts pedestrians and drivers about how to walk and drive safely along the Boulevard. Posters and flyers were mailed to libraries, city council members, state legislators, police districts, and business organizations in the area. Bumper stickers are available at PennDOT Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) offices near the Boulevard and interior signs are on many SEPTA buses serving the Boulevard. The public awareness campaign dovetails with the US 1 Roosevelt Boulevard Safety Study, which was released in early November. The study recommends specific safety improvements that can be made to Roosevelt Boulevard, and can be used as a tool for project selection in the future. For more information on this study, contact David Anderson at 215.238.2825 or danderson@dvrpc.org.

Innovative Initiative Re-envisions Urban Spaces
One of the most obvious indications of a healthy urban neighborhood is a vibrant commercial corridor. Commercial corridors have historically served as centers of neighborhood life, providing residents with access to shopping, jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities. Today, after decades of decline, they are once again considered critical urban "zippers," binding neighborhoods together and keeping resident and business dollars local. In Philadelphia, and around the country, community leaders and private developers are placing new emphasis on revitalizing these urban centers, which not only promote local investment but preserve the social and physical fabric of older city neighborhoods.

Recognizing the renewed promise of commercial corridors, the Community Design Collaborative, a volunteer-based nonprofit driven by the philosophy that design matters in every neighborhood, chose commercial corridor development as the focus for the first phase of its latest initiative, Infill Philadelphia. The initiative was created to help older communities re-envision their neighborhoods and illustrate how well designed infill development can renew urban communities and promote a better quality of life for residents. Infill Philadelphia: Commercial Corridors was launched in January 2007 and guided by an intensive, interactive design process in which volunteer design firms simultaneously developed conceptual designs for three real-life sites selected by local community-based organizations. To ensure the designs could eventually move from concept to development, the Collaborative partnered with Philadelphia Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), a national leader in the area of commercial corridor development, and enlisted the help of a jury of experts, including DVRPC Executive Director, Barry Seymour, who challenged the design teams to think both inventively and pragmatically. The concepts produced as a result of the design challenge aim to help sustain neighborhoods by promoting local investment, boosting property values, and preserving each neighborhood's unique urban context of neighborhoods.

TO VIEW THE RESULTS OF INFILL PHILADELPHIA: COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, VISIT http://infillphiladelphia.org/commercialcorridors.php

Commercial corridors have long been the pulse of healthy neighborhoods.
They help to sustain neighborhoods by promoting local investment, boosting property values, and preserving the urban context of neighborhoods. But to succeed in today's retail environment, commercial corridors must incorporate new retail formats, find new market niches, and make strategic capital investments. Infill development will be an essential part of remaining competitive. – HTTP://INFILLPHILADELPHIA.ORG/COMMERCIALCORRIDORS.PHP

THIS IMAGE IS A RENDERING OF THE DESIGN CONCEPT FOR THE LANCASTER AVENUE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR. THE DESIGN ALLOWS FOR THE NEW ANGLE LOUNGE TO BE RETROFITTED INTO A FULLSERVICE RESTAURANT, AND FEATURES A CONCEPT THAT ALLOWS THE INSIDE SPACE TO CONNECT WITH THE OUTSIDE WITH ACTIVITY IN THE RESTAURANT SPILLING OUT ONTO LANCASTER AVENUE.

DVRPC Board Discusses Options for Filling the Region's Transportation Funding Gap
The October DVRPC Board meeting was highlighted by a discussion of potential options for filling the gap that exists in funding expansion of, or improvements to, the transportation system in Southeastern Pennsylvania. To provide options for consideration and start the discussion, DVRPC staff made a presentation about a newly published report, entitled Options for Filling the Region's Transportation Funding Gap.

The report outlines more than 20 alternatives for raising funds. They include such revenue mechanisms as access fees; an increase in one or more existing taxes such as earned income, fuel sales, hotel room rental, liquor, parking, property or real estate transfer; a regional toll surcharge; or tolling of existing highways. Approximately one year ago, the Pennsylvania Transportation Funding and Reform Commission (TFRC) released its final report on the status of transportation funding in the Commonwealth. The TFRC identified three levels of transportation funding needed in the state. The minimum level, referred to as baseline preservation, established the additional funds needed to adequately maintain the current transportation network. In July of 2007, Act 44 was signed into law to meet the minimum needs by increasing transportation funding in Pennsylvania by 30 percent over previous levels. While this act generates new dollars, that funding is restricted to the preservation and restoration of the existing system, as well as for operations and maintenance. However, it is apparent that a significant amount of new dollars will be needed to expand or improve the system. There is general agreement among both state and regional leaders that there is a need for increased transportation funding and that transportation is critical to the success of the Delaware Valley. The question that remains is how to fund the gap.

A FULL COPY OF THE REPORT AND THE PRESENTATION FROM THE BOARD MEETING ARE AVAILABLE AT www.dvrpc.org/transportation/capital.htm

Commission Evaluates Progress Towards Transit-Oriented Development
The Commission has been involved in planning for transit-oriented development (TOD) for the past decade through various studies and plans.

The most recent study, 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.

TO VIEW THIS REPORT, VISIT www.dvrpc.org/planning/community/tod.htm OR CONTACT REGIONAL PLANNER, KELLY ROSSITER, AT krossiter@dvrpc.org, OR 215.238.2890

HOUSES IN THE NEW PRADERA HOMES DEVELOPMENT, EAST OF THE TEMPLE STATION, PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS FOR BUYERS.

WESTRUM DEVELOPMENT WILL BUILD THE CROSSINGS AT AMBLER ON A BROWNFIELD SITE NEAR THE AMBLER STATION. SOURCE: STRATEGIC REALTY INVESTMENTS

THE LUMBERYARD CONDOMINIUMS INTEGRATES MODERN DESIGN WITH TRADITIONAL MATERIALS, WITH GROUND FLOOR RETAIL AND RESIDENCES ABOVE NEAR COLLINGSWOOD STATION.

New Guide on 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 environments focused on 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.

This publication investigates the root flaws in conventional zoning codes and lays out a variety of adopted approaches for codifying smart growth principles. Changing the accepted ideas and practices of land use regulation and development is not easy.

It is clear, however, that the old methods of usebased "Euclidean" zoning are no longer as relevant as they once were. 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.

TO VIEW THIS REPORT, VISIT www.dvrpc.org/planning/regional/smartgrowth.htm OR CONTACT GREGORY HELLER, PLANNING AND DESIGN ANALYST, AT 215.238.2810 OR gheller@dvrpc.org

Transportation Upgrades Outlined for Disadvantaged Residents in Mercer County
Mercer County and DVRPC have released a plan aimed at enhancing transportation services for senior citizens, the disabled, and low-income residents.

After several months of demographic studies and meetings between government agencies, private companies and non-profit organizations, the Mercer County Human Service Transportation Coordination Plan provides these agencies with a "road map" toward more effective, efficient transportation services for disadvantaged residents. Agencies that receive New Jersey State funding for human service transportation have long been required to coordinate. However, the 2005 federal transportation bill expanded the number of programs that must coordinate to remain eligible for funding.

The lead agencies in creating the coordination plan were Mercer County's Transportation Resources to Assist the Disabled and Elderly (T.R.A.D.E.), the Mercer County Planning Division and DVRPC. They were joined by representatives from the full spectrum of the transportation system - including County and municipal departments involved in human service transportation, state agencies, local non-profit and for-profit transportation providers, and citizens who use the services - in identifying and prioritizing strengths and weaknesses in providing transportation services. The stakeholders helped identify gaps in the local human service transportation system, but also pointed out where consolidating duplicate services on similar routes and schedules could allocate scarce resources more efficiently. The recommendations of the coordination plan include, among other things: forming a provider coalition; improving public access to information about services; and eventually establishing a central call center with a unified scheduling and dispatch system.

In addition to input from meetings with stakeholders, the 120- page coordination plan which was compiled by DVRPC staff, gathered, analyzed, and mapped demographic, ridership, and service provider data. The plan documents short-term and long-term strategies to expand and enhance services through coordination and to reduce the duplication of services, resulting in a more efficient and accessible service system. Those strategies are expected to be employed during an action plan formulated for existing shuttle and paratransit systems.

TO DOWNLOAD THE PLAN, VISIT www.dvrpc.org/planning/regional/access.htm

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 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. The report identifies existing and future needs and recommends approaches to address those needs. Recommendations include:

• Expanding the stock of accessible, affordable housing units in the region's suburban municipalities;
• Preserving the existing housing stock;
• Creating "elderfriendly" communities by improving transit and creating safer pedestrian environments; and
• Promoting policies geared toward protecting the rights and enhancing the quality of life of the region's elderly.

This looming crisis is not unique to our region; it's also a national issue. In 2002, the Seniors Commission released a report, Quiet Crisis in America, which compiled data, testimony and research about this issue. It identified the lack of affordable housing and access to services as the two most threatening problems facing American seniors in the coming years.

In addition to Aging of the Baby Boomers, 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 VIEW THIS REPORT, VISIT www.dvrpc.org/asp/pubs/reports/07003.pdf OR CONTACT MARY BELL, PRINCIPAL PLANNING ANALYST, AT 215.238.2841 OR mbell@dvrpc.org

New Resource Guide Lists Funding Opportunities in the Region
A new resource guide for municipalities which lists all of the funding opportunities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is now available. It is intended to assist local and county governments, community groups and nonprofit organizations in the Delaware Valley region to identify federal, state, county, and private sources of funding for locally initiated planning and development projects. The programs cover topic areas of housing, water and sewer facilities, transportation, economic development, environment, recreation, open space, and multimunicipal planning, to name a few. Within the guide are a wide variety of sources that include grants, loans, tax credits, loan guarantees, municipal assistance and reimbursement programs. A total of 193 distinct funding programs are included, from 67 different sources.

TO VIEW THE GUIDE, VISIT www.dvrpc.org/planning/tcdi.htm OR CONTACT KAREN CILURSO, SENIOR REGIONAL PLANNER, AT 215.238.2876 OR kcilurso@dvrpc.org

Piecing Together Transit's Future
In early November, almost 100 Delaware Valley citizens, planners, and transportation stakeholders participated in Dots & Dashes: Piecing Together Transit's Future. Funded through a grant provided by the Federal Transit Administration's Public Transportation Participation Pilot Program, Dots & Dashes is a unique consensusbuilding exercise that provides an opportunity for Delaware Valley residents to discuss their priorities for future investments in public transportation in a fun, hands-on game setting. Dots & Dashes is a significant component of public outreach related to DVRPC's long range planning efforts and DVRPC staff is interested to get the game out to as many Delaware Valley residents as possible for their input.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DOTS & DASHES COME TO YOUR NEXT EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT JANE MECONI, AICP, DVRPC MANAGER OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND TITLE VI COMPLIANCE, AT 215.238.2871 OR jmeconi@dvrpc.org