DVRPC News: March 2023

Volume 44, Issue 9

 

DVRPC Approves $860,000 for 11 Regional Trails Program Grants

A photo of two trails alongside a river
Photo by Miles Owen, DVRPC

At its February meeting, the DVRPC Board approved $860,000 in grants for 11 trails and trail connections in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These projects represent catalytic investments in the region’s multi-use trail system, the Circuit Trails, and important steps in building community connections to the network.

This round of Regional Trails Program funding was specifically for communities that have faced historic or current discrimination in the allocation of resources or have been subject to a disproportionate share of environmental burdens. Projects were required to be located wholly or partially within a census tract that has an above average concentration of at least one of the following communities: ethnic minority, foreign-born, limited English proficient, low income, or racial minority.

Projects include:

  • Design of the Camden County LINK Trail in Camden, NJ;
  • Planning for the Burlington-Camden Connector Trail in Pennsauken and Maple Shade, NJ;
  • Planning for the Chester Creek Trail in Chester, PA;
  • Design of the Liberty Bell Trail in Hatfield Township, PA;
  • Installation of Lansdale Freight House amenities in Lansdale, PA;
  • Design of Haws Avenue and Chain Street Trailhead Improvements in Norristown, PA;
  • Planning for and design of the Cresheim Trail in Philadelphia, PA;
  • Design of the Cobbs Creek Connector Trail in Philadelphia, PA;
  • Design of the Magee Avenue Connector in Philadelphia, PA; 
  • Design of Bartram’s to Passyunk Phase II in Philadelphia, PA; and
  • An Equity Tool for Trail Planning in Philadelphia, PA.

The grants are made possible by funding from the William Penn Foundation in partnership with DVRPC. Including February’s grants, the Regional Trails Program has provided $23 million in funding to more than 130 trail planning, design, and construction projects.

 

DVRPC to Host Workforce Mobility Summit

Join us on Tuesday, March 21, from 8:30 am - 1:30 pm for the Workforce Mobility Summit at DVRPC’s office in Philadelphia. The summit will address workforce transportation issues, including first-and-last mile mobility access for disadvantaged populations. Through speaker presentations, brainstorming sessions, and discussions about funding opportunities, attendees will gain knowledge and support for workforce transportation, potentially leading to community improvements. The events of the day are designed to create a collaborative environment for information sharing and learning from partners within and around the Greater Philadelphia region. Learn more and register.

 

FY24 NJ TCDI Grant Program Application Portal is Now Open

The logo for DVRPC's Transportation & Community Development Initiative

DVRPC is accepting applications from eligible entities in the four-county New Jersey area of the DVRPC region for the FY 2024 Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) grant program. The deadline for applications is April 28, 2023. 

TCDI is a competitive grant opportunity for local governments, transportation management associations (TMAs), and transit agencies to support smart growth initiatives that implement the Connections 2050 Plan for Greater Philadelphia. Up to $600,000 is available. Unlike in years past, a local match is no longer required.

On February 15th, DVRPC held an information webinar for interested applicants. The PowerPoint slides, Zoom recording, and FAQs from the session are available on the Application Portal login page. Direct any questions or concerns to Spencer K. Gober, Associate Manager, Office of Community and Economic Development, at sgober@dvrpc.org

The Pennsylvania TCDI program will be available in 2024.

 

Share-A-Ride Comes to West Chester University

An image of a laptop showing the West Chester University Share-a-Ride website on its screen

West Chester University (WCU) has partnered with DVRPC and the Transportation Management Association of Chester County (TMACC) to bring Share-A-Ride to WCU’s campus. Employers and universities in southeastern Pennsylvania can now customize a Share-A-Ride homepage for their own employees and students.

Share-A-Ride is a free service that connects southeastern PA travelers with more eco-friendly travel options, including transit, carpool, vanpool, telecommute, and walking and bicycling opportunities. Originally made for employers and employees commuting to PA job sites, Share-A-Ride is now available to use for any type of trip. 

The TMACC worked with WCU to create a site for WCU’s students and staff to use the trip planning and ride matching services of Share-A-Ride to find ways to get to the school’s sporting events, commute to campus, travel home, and more. WCU community members can sign up for Share-A-Ride by following the steps on the WCU Transportation and Parking Services website, created by Agile Mile software.

To motivate students to participate in Share-A-Ride, WCU is offering Share-A-Ride commuters nineteen “preferred” parking spaces, appreciation events, and other rewards as the semester continues. 

According to the WCU Share-A-Ride “dashboard,” so far at WCU:

  • 732 trips have been taken;
  • 11,844 miles have not been driven;
  • 431 gallons of gas have not been used;
  • 4 tons of emissions have been prevented; and
  • $7,163 has been saved.

To learn more about Share-A-Ride at WCU, visit sharearide.agilemile.com/wcupa. To learn more about DVRPC’s Share-A-Ride program, visit www.pacarpool.org and click on the SAR link.

 

New Publication: Overbrook Intermodal Center

The cover of the report for the Overbrook Intermodal Center study featuring an image of a trolley, an image of a train station, and an image of a bus

The Overbrook Intermodal Center study considers changes to station facilities that would be required to extend Trolley Route 10 from its current terminal to Overbrook Station and provide sufficient layover space for current and future bus needs. The concept design presented in this report includes improvements to station accessibility for riders with disabilities and recommendations for increased bicycle and pedestrian facilities. If implemented, the new station design and accompanying service changes are expected to contribute to accelerated growth in transit ridership at Overbrook Station.

 

Upcoming Online LTAP Classes in PA and NJ

A photograph of first responders on the scene of an incident on a highway

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 open to any municipality.

Upcoming classes:

Traffic Signals Basics
Virtual
March 14, 2023 (8:00 am - 12:00 pm)

Traffic Incident Management Training for Emergency Responders
Virtual
March 16, 2023 (8:00 am - 12:00 pm)

Visit Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation to see the 2023 schedule of LTAP courses in New Jersey.

Visit PennDOT's LTAP website to view the course descriptions and register. For any questions, contact Najah Jackson at njackson@dvrpc.org or 215-238-2836.

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.

 

Staff Profile: Meijun Liu, Senior Transportation Engineer

A headshot of DVRPC staff member Meijun Liu

What did you want to be growing up? As a child, I wanted to be a science teacher. My extended family was filled with teachers, professors, and school principals, who served as inspiration for me. My interest in science led me to believe that teaching it would be a perfect job.

What did you study in college? I majored in Electrical and Electronics Engineering with a concentration in Electric Power Systems. I worked on power system optimization using computational intelligence, such as Neural Networks, as part of my undergraduate studies. I was fortunate to have a highly supportive advisor during my senior year. He recommended that I further my education at Georgia Institute of Technology, the place where I started my American adventure.

How did you end up at DVRPC? I went to a PTV [software] User Group meeting, where Dr. Christopher Puchalsky and Dr. Fang Yuan presented the Park-and-Ride module of DVRPC’s regional model. I met them again at the PTV reception event during the annual TRB meeting. I took the chance to ask about internship opportunities at DVRPC. They brought me in for an interview and they were happy with my computer programming skills. As a result, I began as an intern. When a full-time position opened up, I applied and was lucky enough to be offered the job. 

What is your favorite part of working at DVRPC? It is fulfilling to collaborate with talented people on projects that have a positive impact on our region. 

If you were Monarch for a day, how would you improve the region? I would like to express my official support for a variety of technologies aimed at preventing or reducing the occurrence of potholes. These include, but are not limited to, geosynthetics that provide a strong foundation for roads, high-performance asphalt that can withstand heavy traffic and extreme weather conditions, machine learning algorithms that identify pothole-prone areas, and smart infrastructure that uses sensors and real-time data to monitor road conditions.

What is your work/life philosophy? Be proactive and seek out opportunities to learn and develop new skills.

What 3 words best describe you? Analytical, creative, and detail-oriented. 

What is something colleagues don’t know about you? My father worked for a transit agency similar to SEPTA, so I was familiar with the bus system in my hometown. Whenever I felt bored, I would hop on a random bus and transfer to another one at a random stop to explore different parts of the city. I never worried about getting lost because all the bus drivers knew me and were always willing to help if needed. 

What are your favorite leisure activities? Gardening, baking, and crafting.

What is your recent obsession? I am obsessed with paper quilling recently. It is incredibly relaxing to roll the paper stripes into coils, shape them, and then glue them together to create decorative patterns.

What is the last book you read? Back to Earth by Nicole Stott. This former astronaut shared her experiences in space and emphasized the importance of protecting our planet. My takeaway is that, although visiting Mars in our lifetime is unlikely, our efforts today will make that dream a reality for future generations. While organizations like DVRPC may work on “space travel” demand models in the future, Earth is our one and only home for the time being. As earthlings of this blue planet, it is important that we prioritize sustainability.

What are your Top 3 places you want to travel to? Iceland, Portugal, and Switzerland

Are you a cat or dog person? I am a guinea pig person, and I currently have two chatty guinea pigs as pets. 

 

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