DVRPC News: January 2012

Volume 33, Issue 7
January 2012

 

Region's Population to Grow 11.4% by 2040

DVRPC has released its 2040 population forecasts for the nine-county region. The forecasts project that the region's population will grow to 6.26 million by 2040, an increase of more than 600,000 from 2010.

The updated forecasts incorporate the latest data from the 2010 census and account for the ongoing economic recession. Chester and Gloucester counties are projected to experience the region's greatest population increases, growing 29.8% and 30.5%, respectively. Delaware and Camden counties, home to many of the region's older developed communities and mature suburbs, will experience the region's slowest growth, at 2% and 2.9%, respectively. The City of Philadelphia is forecast to experience 6.9% growth, a gain of more than 100,000 people. To view the population forecasts, visit www.dvrpc.org.

Population forecasts are critical in shaping DVRPC's long-range plan, the comprehensive blueprint for the region's future transportation facilities and services. As the region's federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO), DVRPC is mandated to prepare and maintain a long-range plan with a minimum 20-year planning horizon. The 2040 population forecasts will be used to inform the next update of the long-range plan, scheduled to be adopted in 2013. For more information about the long-range plan, visit www.dvrpc.org/LongRangePlan.

 

DVRPC to Establish Public Participation Task Force

DVRPC is establishing a new Public Participation Task Force to ensure that a diverse group of residents from throughout the Delaware Valley are represented in the regional planning process. With the dissolution of the long-standing Regional Citizens Committee in the fall of 2011, DVRPC is now calling for appointments from the nine counties and three cities in the region as well as searching for 12 citizens-at-large to fill the roster.

In addition to geographic diversity, DVRPC intends for the task force to represent the racial, ethnic, cultural, and income diversity of the region. Ideal candidates will have some knowledge of their city or county's priorities as well as regional issues. Candidates should be able to connect the Commission to a wide audience, with the ability to bring new groups of people to the regional planning table. Once appointed, members will participate in orientation sessions to prepare them for their responsibilities. They will serve staggered two-year terms.

Applications for the citizen-at-large positions will be available on February 1st in both paper form and online at www.dvrpc.org. Please contact Jane Meconi, AICP, Public Involvement Manager, at 215-592-1800 or public_affairs@dvrpc.org, with any questions.

 

Public Participation Plan Ready for Review and Comment

Because of changes made recently to DVRPC's public involvement program, it is now necessary for the Commission to update its Public Participation Plan, which was last adopted in 2008. This document was designed for our Board, staff, and the general public as an outline of DVRPC's overall strategy for public involvement and includes the policies that have been adopted and are inherent to the operation of the Commission. The plan conveys our commitment to a transparent and proactive process that strives to engage all residents of the Delaware Valley.

DVRPC will open a 45-day public comment period on January 30, 2012. A public meeting has been scheduled for 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on February 15, 2012 at the Commission's offices, located at 190 North Independence Mall West, Philadelphia. Copies of the draft plan are now available on DVRPC's website (www.dvrpc.org); in regional libraries, and in the DVRPC Resource Center. Comments should be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 14, 2012.

 

Safety Bulletin Reveals 28% Decrease in Road Fatalities

DVRPC has released its 2010 Annual Crash Data Bulletin, which features analysis of road safety and crash trends across the nine counties of the Delaware Valley region. The DVRPC bulletin revealed that from 2007 to 2010, the region's road fatalities decreased 28 percent, from 489 to 351. There was also a 6.3 percent decline in the region's traffic crashes, and an 8 percent decline in injuries over the same time period.

The document highlights the most recently available data, gathered in 2010, and is intended to raise awareness of traffic crashes and promote programs and agencies working towards improving safety. To view the complete Data Bulletin, click here.

DVRPC is working to continue improving the region's road safety by promoting a variety of policy measures and best practices. Safety is incorporated into many of DVRPC's efforts, ranging from corridor studies to the use of technology for operations and incident management. For more information on DVRPC's safety efforts, visit www.dvrpc.org/transportation/safety.

 

DVRPC Examines Challenges and Opportunities for Alternative Fuel Vehicles in the Region

DVRPC recently released Ready to Roll?: Overview of the Challenges and Opportunities for Alternative Fuel Vehicles in the Delaware Valley. The document provides an overview of alternative fuel vehicle technologies available today and expected to become available in the next 10-20 years, and discusses the key challenges and opportunities facing each technology.

Ready to Roll is a product of DVRPC's ongoing work to plan for alternative fuel vehicle technologies in Greater Philadelphia. This work also includes an effort, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, to evaluate the opportunities for increased electric vehicle use in southeastern Pennsylvania and plan for ways that government, the private sector, and consumers can best prepare for the advent of this technology.

An executive summary and full version of this report are available on DVRPC's website.

 

DVRPC Hosts Freight Peer Exchange

On January 18, a number of freight planning experts and key officials gathered at the DVRPC offices to help inform PennDOT's preparation of a statewide comprehensive freight movement plan. This "peer exchange" was sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and included representatives from the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, and Oregon departments of transportation (DOTs), WILMAPCO, and DVRPC. The participants candidly discussed their own freight plans, and the strategies of producing a successful plan. As part of the program, peer exchange members also attended the quarterly meeting of the Delaware Valley Goods Movement Task Force.