10 am, July 7, 2015
Commission Office
The ACP Building - 8th Floor
190 N. Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA
For directions Call (215) 592-1800
Please Use Sixth Street Entrance
1. Call to Order – Chairman’s Comments
2. Deputy Executive Director’s Report
3. Public Comments on Agenda and Non-Agenda Items
ACTION ITEMS
4. Highlights of the Meeting of June 9, 2015
5. DVRPC Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Actions
The dynamic nature of funding transportation improvements and the need to remain within financial constraint require amendments or modifications to the TIP. The following projects require formal TIP Amendments or Modifications this month for the FY2015 TIP for PA.
- NJ14-92: Route 130, Raccoon Creek Bridge Replacement and Pavement Rehabilitation, (DB# 98344), Gloucester County – Increase Cost
- NJ14-93: Route 76/676, Bridge Deck Replacements, (DB# 98344), Camden County – Delay Phase & Increase Cost
6. Fiscal Year 2016 Planning Work Program Amendment
To respond to the needs of member governments and agencies, work program changes and additions are brought to the RTC to permit the timely undertaking of technical activity.
a. Roosevelt Blvd. Multimodal Study Modeling
DVRPC will prepare and use its regional travel demand model to produce traffic and transit forecasts and support the City of Philadelphia’s TIGER funded project and its consultants in developing both short-term and long-term multimodal corridor-wide improvement alternatives on Roosevelt Blvd.
b. SHRP2 Economic Analysis Tools C11: Tools for Assessing Wider Economic Benefits of Transportation
DVRPC applied for and was awarded a $125,000 User Incentive grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s Strategic Highway Research Program’s Implementation Assistance Program, to assess a suite of economic analysis tools for estimating wider economic benefits of transportation projects. The C11 tools measure the impact of reliability, intermodal connectivity, and accessibility changes due to transportation improvements. DVRPC will compare results to more advanced, but more expensive, economic analysis results from TREDIS software.
c. Solar Ready II
DVRPC’s Solar Ready II project was initially funded in 2013 by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) through a grant they received from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative. Since 2013, DVRPC has worked as a partner on Solar Ready II, among a national team of regional planning organizations, to understand and implement best management practices in Greater Philadelphia that help reduce the “soft costs” of solar PV installations. MARC will provide DVRPC with an additional $15,000 through March 31st 2016 to continue successful efforts already underway through the project.
7. Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) Request to Amend DVRPC’s Adopted 2040 Employment Forecasts
Based on recent employment trends and the Navy Yard’s 2013 Master Plan Update, it is apparent that employment in Philadelphia’s Lower South Planning District already exceeds DVRPC’s adopted 2015 employment forecast, and will significantly exceed DVRPC’s adopted forecast through 2040. The Broad Street Line Extension (BSLX) Study is currently underway, and it is critical that the most current employment data and accurate prospects for future employment growth be incorporated into the study. DVRPC’s employment forecasts, however, are not scheduled to be formally updated for at least another year. PCPC has requested that the DVRPC Board amend its adopted 2040 employment forecasts, to ensure that the BSLX Study have access to the most timely information and to ensure consistency with the long-range plan.
8. Second Amendment to the New Jersey Memorandum of Understanding for Exchange of Program Funds for Federal Fiscal Year 2014 Through 2018
Staff will present a recommendation for adoption of an Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding among NJ TRANSIT, NJDOT, and the three Metropolitan Planning Organizations (NJTPA, DVRPC, and SJTPO). The MOU provides the general parameters of the Five-Year (FY2014 to FY2018) exchange of State Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) for an equal portion of federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds among agencies. The Amendment proposes a total exchange of $86.0 million ($70.5 million from NJTPA, $8.0 million from DVRPC, and $7.5 million from SJTPO) in FY2016.
PRESENTATION ITEMS
9. Classic Towns Marketing Evaluation
The Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia Program was developed in 2008 to help promote the region’s older neighborhoods and suburbs as great places to live. Staff will present an analysis of the marketing campaign from 2008-2014.
10. Renewing Race Street: A Mobility Analysis
This study evaluated re-designing Race Street between 9th and 5th Streets by reducing the north and south crossing distance at most intersections and adding a protected bicycle lane, pedestrian amenities, and green infrastructure. These improvements would provide a safer environment and better link the surrounding neighborhoods and amenities.
11. Taking Action to Improve Air Quality in the Delaware Valley
DVRPC has a role in reducing on-road mobile source emissions that goes beyond annual transportation conformity demonstrations. Staff will highlight on-going efforts to support and encourage implementation of projects that will have real world benefits to air quality in the region. Through active participation in the Camden Collaborative Initiative’s Air Working Group, partnering with NJ DEP, City of Philadelphia Air Management Services, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association (MARAMA) to reduce diesel emissions, and funding effective air quality improvements through the regional CMAQ program, DVRPC is taking active steps to improve air quality for the people of the region.
INFORMATION ITEMS
12. One Minute Reports
RTC Members and guests will be invited to provide updates on the activities of their agencies
13. Old Business and New Business
15. Meeting Adjournment
The next scheduled meeting of the RTC is Tuesday September 8, 2015.
Attachments:
- Highlights of the June 9, 2015 RTC Meeting
- TIP Actions, July 2015
- DVRPC FY16 Work Program Amendment: Roosevelt Blvd. Multimodal Study Modeling
- DVRPC FY16 Work Program Amendment: SHRP2 Economic Analysis Tools C11
- Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) Request to Amend DVRPC’s Adopted 2040 Employment Forecasts
- Amendment to the New Jersey Memorandum of Understanding for Exchange of Program Funds for Federal Fiscal Years 2014 Through 2018
- Board highlights – June 2015