FY2026 Work Program

Promote freight considerations in the planning process to encourage the development and preservation of safe, efficient, multimodal transportation systems that maximize Greater Philadelphia’s position in the global economy.

Improving connections to the national and global economy through freight movement is a critical planning factor for Greater Philadelphia and the region's economic well being. Freight shipments and supply chains are highly dynamic, impacting nearly every transportation mode as well as land development patterns and employment. Planning for freight capitalizes on trends and opportunities while promoting and preserving quality of life, economic, safety, environmental, sustainability, and land use goals.

The Freight Planning program seeks to improve the visibility and availability of freight data; educate planners and the public on key freight information; encourage a smart and safe multimodal transportation system; and inform transportation infrastructure investments. Broad integration of freight considerations can be seen in the DVRPC Long-Range Plan and TIPs, transportation modeling and travel monitoring, corridor studies, economic and community development, Congestion Management Process, Smart Growth, air quality planning, and in many other aspects of DVRPC’s work. The program achieves these objectives through three primary areas of work: engagement and advocacy, regional trends and performance tracking, and local technical studies and education.

In FY26, the Freight Planning Program will undertake two new studies:

1. Start a two-year Regional Freight Plan effort. FY26 work will document key freight industries, infrastructure, activity, and trends. Stakeholder engagement and outreach will identify key issues and needs. These will be inputs into FY27 work on the Regional Freight Plan which will establish a vision and goals for freight and goods movement in the DVRPC region. The Regional Freight Plan will build off the FY24 work on Freight Futures, designation of a regional truck route network, update of the Greater Philadelphia Freight Centers, and the FY25 regional truck parking study. 
2. A US 322 Freight Corridor Study in Gloucester County. This study will evaluate land use within the primary US 322 corridor area, define existing and anticipated growth in freight generation, and identify proposed developments and road projects. Potential strategies for mitigating congestion on the county owned stretch of US 322 from the Woolwich and Harrison border to the NJ 55 interchange will be evaluated using outputs from the regional model as inputs for a local traffic analysis. This work will look at truck movements in the area in coordination with the Office of Mobility Analysis and Design and the Office of Travel Modeling.

Additional freight planning work, such as key initiatives that reflect the growing interest of DVRPC member governments in freight transportation, may be supported. This includes support on regional urban freight initiatives, industrial development analysis, and truck access to major industrial facilities.

Finally, a major objective of the Freight Program is to initiate and sustain meaningful outreach to the local freight community and to build awareness and interest among planners and the general public. The Delaware Valley Goods Movement Task Force, the region's freight advisory committee, is the focal point of these efforts. Educational pieces on freight operations and issues are prepared each year, and many helpful resources are made available on the freight page of the DVRPC website, primarily through the PhillyFreightFinder web mapping application and data platform.

Completion of this program may require the purchase of data or services.

1. Engagement and advocacy for freight
   • Plan for, conduct, and document quarterly meetings of the Delaware Valley Goods Movement Task Force, the Task Force’s Executive Committee, and membership development efforts.
   • Facilitate committee input on the DVRPC Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs)—including PennDOT Connects requests, Long-Range Plan, Work Program, Congestion Management Process, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, transportation funding programs, and other DVRPC policies, programs, and technical studies.
   • Support public sector initiatives, freight advisory committees, freight plans, funding programs, and multi-state efforts such as The Eastern Transportation Coalition (TETC), and DVRPC member governments, neighboring MPOs, the New Jersey and Pennsylvania DOTs, and FHWA.
   • Work with private sector partners, New Jersey and Pennsylvania DOTs, and DVRPC member governments to continue to seek solutions and advance strategies that address truck routing and parking issues.
   • Participate in industry associations, special events, and conferences that promote interest and awareness regarding DVRPC, including the PA and NJ Motor Truck Associations, Urban Land Institute Industrial Council, the New Jersey Railroad Association, and the Traffic Club of Philadelphia.
   • Monitor pertinent federal legislation, support the Transportation Research Board's Urban Freight Transportation Committee, and promote careers in the field of freight planning.
2. Develop Regional Freight Plan (year one of two-year project)
   
   • Form a steering committee with key freight stakeholders.
   • Document existing freight activity and regional freight infrastructure. 
     
   • Identify the issues and needs for freight in the region.
3. Conduct US 322 Study
   • Analyze the nature of new and proposed development and the trip generation impacts.
   • Document existing trip distribution and identify critical truck network components.
   • Convene a steering committee composed of municipal officials, Gloucester County Planning Commission, NJDOT, key freight stakeholders, and others to be identified.
   • Develop concepts for alternatives to address congestion concerns on US 322 and that conform with DVRPC’s Congestion Management Process and Long-Range Plan principles and goals.
   • Identify traffic deficiencies, and model select transportation alternatives to ameliorate conditions or accommodate the vehicular demands in each scenario.
   • Develop a report that documents strategies and investments to support growth in truck freight activity that minimize community impacts.
4. Other local technical studies and coordination
   • Support partners on Regional Freight Initiatives: Provide technical and analytical support to partners for various freight planning efforts and initiatives. This may include technical analysis of truck network components, industrial development tracking, and ongoing support on urban freight initiatives as requested. 
   • Support other DVRPC offices in freight-related planning efforts including studies incorporating supply chain evaluation and planning.
   • Support regional planning partners through responses to inquiries, surveys, and requests regarding the region’s freight network and provide advisory support on key planning efforts regionally.
   • Participate in the Lower South Resiliency Collaborative and Philadelphia 2026 Planning efforts.
5. Regional data and visualization
   • Update and maintain an ongoing freight data, visualization, and mapping program highlighting facility capacity, freight infrastructure, and activity measures (i.e., vehicle counts by class) through the PhillyFreightFinder tool, leading to assessments of deficiencies and improvement opportunities.

1. Quarterly meetings of the Delaware Valley Goods Movement Task Force, meeting highlights, facilitated communication among the Task Force Executive Committee, and quarterly progress reports.
2. Technical reports and memos to include: 
   • US 322 Freight Corridor Study Report
   • Memos and data reports as necessary in response to planning partner data requests.
3. Updated tools and information via the PhillyFreightFinder county profile tool and data platform.

Freight business communities, member governments, local municipalities, general public, adjacent regions, and states.