Volume 43, Issue 8
TCDI Funding Round is Open
On February 1, DVRPC announced the FY23 Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) funding round for eligible applicants located in DVRPC’s five Pennsylvania counties. 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 $1.2 million may be available. A major change to this program from years past is that the local match is no longer required. Interested applicants are encouraged to attend an information webinar on February 14th, prior to opening of the application portal on February 15th.
On January 19th, DVRPC released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for all consultants who wish to bid and conduct TCDI studies on behalf of project sponsors. Information is posted on the Doing Business with DVRPC webpage. For more information, contact Spencer Gober at sgober@dvrpc.org.
The New Jersey TCDI program will be available in 2023.
DVRPC Approves $8M for Bike and Pedestrian Projects
DVRPC has awarded $7.9 million to ten local projects in Southeastern Pennsylvania through the Regional Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program (TASA).
The federal program funds community-based "non-traditional" projects designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of the nation's intermodal transportation system. Selected projects include trail, sidewalk, pedestrian improvements, and on-road bicycle improvements.
In addition to this funding round, there are 15 additional projects worth $11.3 million, which will be recommended for funding through a Pennsylvania Statewide TA selection process in spring 2022. See the funded projects and learn more at www.dvrpc.org/tap/pa.
Learn About the New Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), was signed into law on November 15, 2021. The $1.2 trillion IIJA reauthorizes the nation’s surface transportation and drinking water and wastewater legislation, and includes an additional $550 billion in funding for new programs in transportation, energy transmission, resilience, broadband, and others, approximately half of which goes to the U.S. Department of Transportation over the next five years.
DVRPC recently launched a new webpage to house summary information about the BIL. The federal law focuses on investments that will address equity, sustainability, resilience, climate change, safety, and asset condition. It also expands eligibility and changes some policy requirements in legacy programs, and establishes several new formula-funded and discretionary programs. As new competitive funding program guidelines are announced, DVRPC will update the webpage. Visitors can also subscribe to receive occasional emails with these announcements.
Learn About Extreme Heat in Greater Philadelphia
Don’t miss a special joint meeting of the Healthy Communities Task Force and the Climate Adaptation Forum on February 16! The topic: extreme heat in the Greater Philadelphia region.
DVRPC’s Chris Linn will discuss the urban heat island effect, how climate change is making extreme heat more common, and how municipalities can prepare for the impacts of extreme heat events. His presentation draws from DVRPC’s Municipal Management of Extreme Heat brochure, published last year. Joining him is Alex Skula from the City of Philadelphia Department of Health, who will talk about how the city prepares for and responds to extreme heat events.
Register for the event and read more about DVRPC’s work to help municipalities manage extreme heat.
Board Approves FY23 Work Program
The DVRPC Board approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Unified Planning Work Program at its January 27, 2022 meeting. This document outlines DVRPC’s planning projects and programs for the nine-county region from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023.
The Work Program reflects policy direction and input from state and federal planning partners, member governments, operating agencies, and other regional organizations. Sample planning projects for the upcoming year include the Vine Street Cap, Delaware County Air Pollution Study, and Future of Freight Deliveries Scenarios in Pennsylvania; and the Burlington/Florence Connector Road Study, Safe Routes to NJTRANSIT, and the Mobility Element of the Mercer County Master Plan in New Jersey. See all projects in the Work Program at www.dvrpc.org/workprogram.
Regional Accommodations Sector Shows Signs of Recovery in 2021, But Still Below Pre-Pandemic Peak
The market for traveler accommodations across the Greater Philadelphia region improved in the first half of 2021 compared to 2020, according to a new Data Snapshot. Three key metrics—occupancy rates, average daily rates, and revenue per-available room—all increased over the previous year. However, the region’s traveler accommodations sector remains significantly weaker than prior to the pandemic.
The impact was also not distributed evenly across the region. Although hotels in Philadelphia, especially within the central business district (CBD), historically commanded a significant price premium over those in the surrounding counties, that advantage has been erased by the effects of the pandemic. The Data Snapshot found that the Philadelphia and CBD submarkets have been the most impacted over the first year and a half of the pandemic, while the Camden and Gloucester County submarkets have been the least impacted.
As a result, policymakers in highly-affected submarkets, as well as those in the least impacted submarkets, may want to consider how tourists will access hotels going forward and plan for greater resiliency in advance of potential future economic impacts to the tourism and hospitality industry.
This report is part of DVRPC’s Data Snapshot Series 2: Regional Economics, which consists of data-rich analytical reports with an economic focus. Read it in full on DVRPC’s website.
Travel Market Analysis of Atlantic City Rail Line Finds Potential Demand for Additional Service
A travel market analysis of the Atlantic City Rail Line (ACRL), conducted by DVRPC staff for New Jersey Transit, concluded that increasing the number of trips on the line could potentially attract more riders.
As part of the analysis, over 260 commuters and 34 employers representing around 17,400 employees along the ACRL corridor were surveyed about their commuting habits, both pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. Many respondents said that they would consider using the rail line for commuting if service was more frequent and reliable, especially in combination with better connections to major employment hubs such as Stockton University, located in Galloway Township. The survey also found that peak commute hours in the corridor have remained consistent with pre-pandemic trends.
Read the full travel market analysis on DVRPC’s website.
Team Sophon Wins Rack ‘Em Up Bike Parking Competition
Local agencies have selected Team Sophon as the winner of the Rack ‘Em Up Bicycle Parking Competition. Led by the Philadelphia Parking Authority and other agencies, this friendly design competition promoted innovation and creativity in the development of an on-street bike corral design that maintains fire hydrant access.
Dubbed HARBOR, Team Sophon’s bike rack included a solar-powered shelter with a protective roof, inset LED tubing, solar-powered lighting, motion sensitive security, and multiple vertical mounting structures, and bollards. See photos of their winning prototype here.
Coming in second place was Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Their design included a pretzel-shaped bicycle rack. The third-place design, Free the Wooder, was created by AECOM, and included a three-sided, custom, metal, screen mounted to a wooden platform. See photos from the judging event.
The competition was organized by the PPA and project partners: WTS Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (oTIS), the Philadelphia Fire Department, and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and DVRPC. DVRPC staff members created the branding and website, and served as judges of the competition.
Upcoming Online LTAP Classes
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:
Winter Maintenance 101
February 4, 2022 (8:00 am – 12:00 pm)
Highway Inspection Procedures for Federal Aid Projects
February 15, 2022 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm)
Visit Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation to see the 2022 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.