Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI)
The Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) is a grant program of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) that supports local development and redevelopment efforts in qualifying municipalities of the Delaware Valley. Begun in 2002 to reverse the trends of disinvestment and decline in many of the region's core cities and developed communities, TCDI provides a mechanism for municipalities to undertake locally-directed actions to improve their communities, which in turn implements their local and county comprehensive plans and supports the goals and vision of the long-range land use and transportation plan, Connections 2035. It seeks to support and leverage state and county programs by providing funding in selected areas to undertake planning, analysis, or design initiatives for projects or programs which enhance development or redevelopment and enhance or improve the efficiency of the regional transportation system. Funding for TCDI program comes from a combination of state Transportation dollars and federal STP funds. Through fiscal years 2002-2012, DVRPC has distributed $12.4 million to over 140 communities throughout the region for TCDI planning grants. These projects are located in the downtowns, commercial centers, neighborhoods, transit corridors within the region's older suburbs and Core Cities of Camden, Chester, Trenton, and Philadelphia.
TCDI Goals
The TCDI program targets transportation investments in a sustainable way. Federal transportation funds are used to provide planning grants to local governments and select non-profit organizations to create plans that link transportation improvements with land use strategies, enhance established communities, and build upon existing public and private assets. The adoption of TCDI set into motion the ideology of coordinating regional transportation planning with local land use planning and decision-making.
TCDI strives to create more vital and livable neighborhoods in the region's core cities and disadvantaged communities by:
- Supporting local planning projects that will lead to more residential, employment, or retail opportunities;
- Improving the overall character and quality of life within these communities to retain and attract businesses and residents;
- Enhancing and utilizing the existing transportation network infrastructure capacity in these areas to reduce the demands on the region's transportation network; and
- Reducing congestion and improving the efficiency of the region's transportation network
TCDI Investments 2002-2012
FY 2012 Pennsylvania TCDI Awards [0.1 MB .pdf]
FY 2012 New Jersey TCDI Awards [0.1 MB .pdf]
FY 2002-2012 TCDI Awards [0.1 MB .pdf]
The next funding round for TCDI will be announced in FY 2014.
Improving One Community at a Time
Improving One Community at a Time is a publication of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission which highlights our livability grant program, the Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI). Each newsletter provides information on how DVRPC’s investment has impacted the region and highlights a specific county and project.
Volume I – April 2012
Program Evaluation
DVRPC has completed two Program Evaluations of the TCDI Program. These reports provide an overview of the TCDI program and evaluate the administration, project selection, and funding investment throughout the region.