DVRPC News: December 2021

Volume 43, Issue 6

 

Expo Program Brings Traffic Calming Demonstration to Newtown Square

Flexible bollards installation
Photo by Logan Axelson, DVRPC

If you’ve walked, cycled, or driven through St. Albans Circle in Newtown Square recently, you might have noticed some changes! The traffic circle was recently outfitted with flexible bollards, speed bumps, and new crosswalks to slow auto traffic and create new connections for pedestrians.

The improvements were part of DVRPC’s Expo: Experimental Pop-ups program, which provides technical assistance to communities, including project management, design, and public outreach, to create demonstration transportation projects that promote livability and safety. On this project, our partners were Newtown Township and the local community group, Gather in the Circle.

The traffic calming demonstration was installed for three weeks in October and November. During the winter, Newtown Township will use the lessons learned from the project to identify next steps to make St. Albans Circle safer and more usable for residents, visitors, and workers.

Check out past Expo projects and learn more about the program at www.dvrpc.org/expo.

 

DVRPC Board to Discuss Infrastructure Bill

Ben Franklin Bridge

The 2021 Annual Board Retreat will focus on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the new federal transportation bill which was recently signed into law by President Biden. On December 8, DVRPC Board and Regional Technical Committee (RTC) members will hear from federal and state transportation officials about opportunities and priorities for our region. 

Speakers include: Charles Small, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation; Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, Commissioner of Transportation, New Jersey Department of Transportation; and Larry Shifflet, Deputy Secretary for Planning, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Erich Zimmerman, Deputy Director, National Association of Regional Councils, will speak about regionalism and what the bill means for metropolitan planning organizations.

Following the speakers, Board members will participate in small group discussions about how the bill will impact Greater Philadelphia and DVRPC’s work. Stay tuned for a recap of the discussion in next month’s newsletter. The regular monthly DVRPC Board meeting will be held at 11:00 AM that day, and is open to the public.

 

Work Program Public Comment Period Begins December 8

Transportation image

DVRPC will hold a 30+ day public comment period starting at 5 PM on December 8, 2021 and closing at 5 PM on January 10, 2022 for the Draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Unified Planning Work Program. This document outlines all of the federally funded planning projects for the nine-county region from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. The Work Program is developed annually by the DVRPC Board with its planning partners to reflect the region’s short-range planning needs.

The public notice, with information about submitting a comment, will be posted on DVRPC’s website on December 8. To see what we’re currently working on, and to view the Draft Work Program beginning December 8, visit www.dvrpc.org/WorkProgram. Hardcopies of the document are available upon request by emailing public_affairs@dvrpc.org. It can be translated into an alternative format or language, if requested.

 

DVRPC Conducting Vision Zero Study on Cecil B. Moore Ave

Vision Zero: Cecil B. Moore graphic

DVRPC and the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure & Sustainability (OTIS) are conducting a Vision Zero safety study on Cecil B. Moore Ave, between Willington Street and 10th Street.

As part of this study, DVRPC is currently conducting a Cecil B. Moore Vision Zero survey to better understand the area. People who live, travel, work, or go to school near Cecil B. Moore Ave are encouraged to share their feedback. The survey tool is an interactive map where people can submit comments and help identify safety concerns along the corridor. DVRPC and OTIS are also partnering to complete in-person surveys along Cecil B. Moore Ave in the month of November.

Once the study is completed, the results will provide the City with valuable data for developing concepts for the corridor and applying for future grant applications.

Take the Cecil B. Moore Vision Zero survey and share your thoughts on how to make the area safer.

 

Last Chance to Apply to the Public Participation Task Force 2022 Cohort

Young woman using laptop

Want to engage in the regional planning and decision-making process? Apply to be a member of DVRPC’s Public Participation Task Force (PPTF) today!

The mission of DVRPC's PPTF is to provide access to the regional planning process, host a welcoming forum to discuss and learn about timely issues, assist the Commission in implementing public outreach strategies, and to empower residents to be a part of local planning processes. For more details about the PPTF, visit www.dvrpc.org/Committees/PPTF.

Applications for the 2022 cohort will be open through December 19th, 2021. The application is online here: www.dvrpc.org/GetInvolved/PPTFApplication. If you have any questions, please contact Mari Gonzalez, Public Participation Planner, at mgonzalez@dvrpc.org.

 

Camden Health Element Adopted by City of Camden

Report cover

DVRPC completed the Camden Health Element as part of a multiyear effort to integrate a new element into the City of Camden’s Master Plan. Among the first of its kind in New Jersey, the Health Element establishes a strong policy framework and provides goals, strategies, and actions to address how land use, development, services, and programs may support greater overall health, social equity, and environmental justice within Camden.

The project convened stakeholders and engaged the community to collaboratively develop a vision for a healthy Camden, identify areas of concern, and generate recommendations for improving public health through policy and planning-based tools. The Health Element’s goal areas address public health issues that have major intersections with planning, including food access, housing, and transportation. This borrows from the “Health in All Policies” concept, which notes that health is connected to many, if not all, other sectors and should therefore always be a consideration when making decisions. Adopted by the Camden Planning Commission in April, the Camden Health Element now has the same legal status as all other elements of the city’s Master Plan.

Read the Camden Health Element.

 

Coming Soon: Travel Options Program Funding Round

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DVRPC will begin the next Travel Options Program (TOP) funding round later this month. A mandatory online information session for interested applicants is scheduled for January 12, 2022.

TOP funds creative and practical projects that will reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles on the region’s roadways - a concept known as Transportation Demand Management (TDM). The program will fund planning and implementation projects that support the goals, outcomes, and strategies established in A New Route to Better Travel for All: The Regional TDM Plan. Your project must address a TDM issue and solution, with some type of measurable results.

Want to learn more? Visit the TOP webpage and attend the mandatory information session on January 12, 2022 from 2-3:00 PM. To submit an idea, you will be required to fill out a short expression of interest (EOI) form by January 24, 2022. If your idea is selected, you will be asked to submit a more detailed proposal by March 9, 2022.

 

Recent Publications and Products

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2020 Decennial Census Highlights – In August 2021, the first sub-state level results from the 2020 Census were released. This data bulletin contains key findings from these results within the DVRPC region, including change in population and change by major race and ethnicity groups.

Trenton Complete Streets Design Handbook – This handbook was created in collaboration with the City of Trenton, Mercer County, NJDOT, and additional community stakeholders. It proposes several designs and steps for implementing Complete Streets on a variety of different street types.

 

Upcoming Online LTAP Classes

Road construction sign

The Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) provides technical information and expertise to help municipal governments use transportation funds more effectively, improve road maintenance, and increase roadway safety. Classes are held by Pennsylvania and New Jersey LTAP programs, but are open to any municipality.

Upcoming online classes:

Traffic Signal Design and Electrical Signal Design
December 15 – 16, 2021 (8:30 am – 3:30 pm)

Virtual Winter Maintenance Class
December 14, 2021 (8:00 am – 12:00 pm)

Visit Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation to see the 2021 schedule of LTAP courses in New Jersey.

Visit PennDOT's LTAP website to view the course descriptions and register. For any questions, contact Linda McNeffer at lmcneffer@dvrpc.org or 215-238-2872.

DVRPC maintains a calendar of events, workshops, and conferences hosted by our partners and related to planning for Greater Philadelphia. Visit our Partner Calendar to learn more.

 

Air Quality Partnership
Annual Report
Connections 2050
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Economic Development District