September 28, 2022
The DVRPC Board has approved $1.2 million toward 13 projects in Southeastern Pennsylvania through the Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) program. TCDI grants support smart growth initiatives that implement the Connections 2050: Plan for Greater Philadelphia and improve the multimodal transportation network.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)
Elise Turner, Manager, Office of Communications and Engagement
DVRPC Approves $1.2 Million for Smart Growth Initiatives in Southeastern Pennsylvania
(Philadelphia, PA) - The Board of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) has approved $1.2 million toward 13 projects in Southeastern Pennsylvania through the Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) program. Created by DVRPC and funded by federal transportation funds, the TCDI grants support smart growth initiatives that implement the Connections 2050: Plan for Greater Philadelphia and improve the multimodal transportation network.
Now in its 20th year, the TCDI program has invested over $21.4 million dollars and leveraged over $350 million dollars to municipal and county partners. This year’s projects were announced on September 27, 2022 during a news conference at BHCU in Ridley Township that featured DVRPC and officials from Delaware County. Speaking at the event were DVRPC Executive Director Barry Seymour, Delaware County Councilmember and DVRPC Board Chair Christine Reuther, and Delaware County Councilmember Elaine Paul Schaefer.
Commenting on the 291 Road Diet Study approved for Delaware County, Delaware County Council Vice Chair Elaine Paul Schaefer said, “This project will help us identify a safe and sustainable path forward for residents and visitors who travel on Route 291, whether in vehicles or by foot or bicycle. In addition, this study will help all of the stakeholders understand the options for incorporating the East Coast Greenway into this important corridor. Making the road safer, increasing travel options for residents, improving traffic flow, and building green infrastructure will reduce congestion and air pollution–creating a positive impact on both the community and the environment.”
“For the past 20 years, the TCDI Program has supported local planning efforts that lead to more residential, employment, or retail opportunities; enhance the transportation network; and reduce congestion–ultimately creating more livable communities throughout Greater Philadelphia,” said Barry Seymour, Executive Director, DVRPC. “These projects will not only improve our communities, but will help our region as a whole become a destination where people want to live and work and are proud to call home.”
The selected projects are:
Bucks County:
- Multimodal Improvement Plan sponsored by Middletown Township ($85,000): TCDI funds will be used to develop a plan for improving multimodal transportation options including assessing viable locations to improve pedestrian facilities (sidewalks, crossings, etc.), add bike lanes, identify opportunities to improve bus stops, and improve access to other transportation options (i.e., train stations).
- Safety and Walkability Review for Multimodal Improvements sponsored by Newtown Borough ($65,000): A borough-wide multimodal transportation study will be conducted in order to create a prioritized list of improvements for non-motorized modes of transportation.
Chester County:
- Public Transportation Plan Update, Phase Two sponsored by Chester County Planning Commission ($60,000): This project seeks to continue the process of updating the Chester County Public Transportation Plan to ensure that the issues, policies, and recommendations outlined in the plan remain relevant and consistent with the Chester County Comprehensive Plan.
- SALDO and Zoning Update sponsored by Oxford Borough ($100,000): TCDI funds will be used to prepare the SALDO and Zoning Ordinance in order to improve consistency and better reflect opportunities for new development, redevelopment, and preservation in the Borough; ensure development occurs with consideration of the Borough’s existing street pattern and transportation needs; and maintain the character and pedestrian orientation of Oxford.
Delaware County:
- Route 291 Road Diet sponsored by Delaware County Planning Department ($150,000): The study will focus on the portions of Route 291 from Irving Street in Chester City to Darby Creek in Ridley Township to address safety issues that make it difficult to accommodate the preferred corridor for the East Coast Greenway and pedestrians.
- Chester Pike Corridor Multimodal Improvement Study sponsored by Delaware County TMA ($125,000): TCDI funds will be used to perform a Multimodal Transportation Study as a strategy to move further away from dependency on automobile travel and create more options for bike, pedestrian, and transit usage throughout the entire corridor, as identified by the Chester Pike Corridor Improvement Partners (CPCIP).
Montgomery County:
- Community Mobility Hub Feasibility Study sponsored by Greater Valley Forge TMA ($65,000): The GVFTMA defines a mobility hub as places of connectivity where different travel options – walking, biking, transit, and shared mobility – come together, and will use these funds to determine the feasibility of a community mobility hub on Montgomery County Community College’s Pottstown Campus. The goal of the study is to provide data that has identified solutions for better connectivity and give students affordable options other than needing to own a car.
- Norristown Redevelopment Area Transportation Study sponsored by Norristown Borough ($80,000): TCDI funds will be used to support an expansive transit study of the Norristown Redevelopment Area in order to pursue increased funding for infrastructure improvements and economic development projects in the future.
- Walkable Lederach Feasibility sponsored by Lower Salford Township ($100,000): TCDI funds will be used to study how to make the existing infrastructure work more efficiently and safely with a focus on options that put the priority on pedestrian and bicycle safety throughout Lederach.
Philadelphia:
- Preliminary Work for the Comprehensive Plan sponsored by Philadelphia City Planning Commission ($100,000): These funds will be used to continue the groundwork for the Comprehensive Plan update specifically to help complete the necessary ‘pre-work’ for a successful, fully engaged, and collaborative comprehensive planning process that will include a shared understanding of a changing physical, social, economic, environmental, and technological landscape.
- Complete Streets Delivery Program, Phase 2 sponsored by Philadelphia Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS) ($100,000): TCDI funds will support the next phase of the Complete Streets Delivery Program. Phase 2 will focus on project delivery to ensure greater conformance with complete street standards and develop a living resource that will guide and govern the design of transportation-related projects in Philadelphia's public right-of-way.
- Philadelphia Complete Streets Corridor Study, Aramingo Avenue sponsored by OTIS ($100,000): This project will identify opportunities to demonstrate and advance complete street improvements along a one-mile stretch of Aramingo Avenue between Castor and Allegheny Avenues. The study will evaluate intersection improvements, transit travel times, signal coordination, signal timing modifications, multimodal access, safety, and connectivity.
- Philadelphia Neighborhood Bikeways sponsored by OTIS ($70,000): The Neighborhood Bikeways Study will explore opportunities to implement neighborhood bikeway infrastructure, which offers a creative approach to bicycle infrastructure for constrained streets, in three Philadelphia neighborhoods: Strawberry Mansion, Lower Germantown, and Fishtown. The three subject neighborhoods selected for the study lack adequate bicycle infrastructure and represent significant gaps in Philadelphia’s bicycle network.
About the Transportation and Community Development Initiative Initiated in 2002, the TCDI program has invested over $21.4 million dollars and leveraged over $350 million dollars to municipal and county partners. TCDI is a competitive grant opportunity that provides funds to smart growth initiatives to implement the Connections 2050: Plan for Greater Philadelphia. TCDI focuses on linking land use, transportation, and economic development by improving the overall character and quality of life; enhancing the existing transportation infrastructure capacity; promoting and encouraging the use of transit, bike, and pedestrian transportation modes; building municipal capacity; and protecting our environment.