Volume 45, Issue 3
TDM Week is September 18 - 22
September 18 - 22 is National Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Week. TDM Week is designed to raise awareness of the importance of safe and reliable travel options for all users in the transportation planning process and to encourage employers to adopt TDM practices that help reduce the carbon footprint of their employees’ commutes. TDM strategies may include employee subsidies for the use of transit and vanpools, preferred parking for carpoolers, flextime, telecommuting, and similar measures. These benefits can help businesses and local governments compete for talent, reduce roadway demand during peak hours, and help make our communities cleaner and greener.
During TDM Week, DVRPC and our partner Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) will be celebrating and promoting the positive benefits TDM has in our communities. To learn more about TDM, follow the hashtag #TDMWeek across social media platforms. You can also learn more about local TDM options by viewing DVRPC’s Mobility Alternatives webpage.
Expo Brings Street Mural to Oxford Borough
With assistance from DVRPC’s Expo: Experimental Pop-ups Program, and in partnership with Oxford Borough, PA, and Oxford Mainstreet, the Oxford Arts Alliance installed a street mural and traffic calming elements on Broad Street between 3rd Street and Railroad Avenue. The traffic calming elements included painted bump outs with delineators and new crosswalks.
The mural and traffic calming project, unveiled during Oxford Mainstreet’s First Friday on August 4th, is a step toward creating a safer pedestrian network in Oxford Borough. It also creates an opportunity to collect important traffic data and hear community feedback to help guide future pilots and recommendations for Oxford Borough’s Active Transportation Plan.
DVRPC’s Expo program offers assistance to communities in the region to test innovative solutions to transportation problems through quick build and demonstration, or pop-up projects. If you want to bring a similar project to your community, contact Cassidy Boulan at cboulan@dvrpc.org.
Safe Routes to School Applications Due November 17
The New Jersey Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is accepting applications through November 17, 2023, for the next round of funding. The SRTS program funds projects that make walking and biking to school safer and more appealing. Projects must be located within two miles of a school that serves students in grades Kindergarten through 12. This round of SRTS program funding is available for the construction of infrastructure projects, including the installation of sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, multi-use paths, traffic calming measures, and other means to ensure the ease and safety of children walking or biking to school.
The SRTS program is funded through the Federal Highway Administration's Federal Aid Program. New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) administers the program in partnership with DVRPC, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA), and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization (SJTPO). Visit NJDOT’s Local Aid Resource Center website for more information and to schedule a mandatory pre-application meeting. If you have any questions, please contact John Coscia, Jr. at jcosciajr@dvrpc.org or Dan Snyder at dsnyder@dvrpc.org.
Help Build the Circuit Trails, Bike and Pedestrian Infrastructure, and More!
DVRPC is hiring a Project Implementation Engineer to lead various non-traditional transportation projects through design project development. This position provides direct assistance to project sponsors – local governments and nonprofits – to implement various federally funded transportation projects in the Delaware Valley region. Projects include the Circuit Trails and other bicycle facilities (both on and off road), reconstruction and restoration of historic transportation buildings, and provision of pedestrian facilities through sidewalk and ADA ramp improvements, among other projects.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has asked DVRPC to coordinate and facilitate the implementation of these non-traditional projects for which the project sponsor is responsible for hiring and managing professional engineers to develop the plans, specifications, and estimates for the project and for submitting these through PennDOT for approval. The Project Implementation Engineer position offers a unique opportunity to independently manage these non-traditional projects and gain valuable experience as a project manager. Learn more on the Human Resources webpage.
Travel Options Program EOIs Due September 15
The Travel Options Program funds creative and innovative projects that will decrease the amount of single occupancy vehicles on the region’s roadways - a concept known as Transportation Demand Management (TDM). TOP funds planning and implementation projects that aid the goals created in A New Route to Better Travel for All: The Regional TDM Plan. Projects must address a TDM issue and solution, and produce measurable results.
The Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the next round of TOP are due by 5 pm on September 15, 2023. Applicants must have attended one of the mandatory information sessions offered to be eligible for EOI submission.
This program is competitive and a select number of applicants will be invited to submit a full application, due on January 8, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Stacy Bartels at sbartels@dvrpc.org or Amy Bernknopf at abernknopf@dvrpc.org.
Economic Development District Update
DVRPC’s Economic Development District staff took part in a regional application to the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) for a Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) designation and grant. Led by Ben Franklin Technology Solutions, the application brought together more than 50 organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region. Under this grant opportunity, EDA expects to designate at least 20 Tech Hubs across the country and provide implementation grants to selected regions and designated Hubs.
DVRPC staff also continue to work on the update of the FY 24 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). Visit the Economic Development webpage for more information on the process and timeline.
Survey: Pennsylvania Master Plan for Older Adults
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is developing a new Master Plan for Older Adults to address the needs of older people and people with disabilities. The Master Plan will help guide policies and programs for older adults and adults with disabilities for the next decade. The Pennsylvania Department on Aging has launched an online survey to capture the experience of older adults and adults with disabilities. All responses are anonymous and will be used to create a profile of the needs of older adults and adults with disabilities that will inform the Commonwealth's planning process. The survey closes on September 30, 2023.
Recent Publications and Resources
Chester County Freight Plan - The Chester County Freight Plan establishes a future vision for freight in the county and an action plan to realize this vision. The report begins with an overview of roadway infrastructure and railway infrastructure in the county and provides findings from a current conditions analysis. It also contains identification of key freight-generating industries, commodities and modal movement, industrial development patterns and trends, and an overview of freight activity at each of the seven identified freight centers in the county.
Enhancing PART Bus Stops in the Pottstown Area - This report provides recommendations for the Pottstown Area Rapid Transit organization and associated municipalities to improve transit stops, signage, system legibility, and overall rider experience, with the goal of increasing ridership and producing a more cohesive and usable bus system. The Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC) requested the study on behalf of Pottstown and the Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee (PMRPC), to build on the recent service changes designed to increase efficiency and better connect riders to regional destinations.
Upcoming LTAP Classes in PA and NJ
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 offered through Pennsylvania and New Jersey LTAP programs and open to any municipality.
Upcoming classes:
Traffic Incident Management Training for Emergency Responders
Virtual
September 13, 2023 (8:00 am - 12:00 pm)
Winter Maintenance Planning
Virtual
September 19, 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 and PennDOT's LTAP website to view courses in Pennsylvania. For any questions, contact Najah Jackson at njackson@dvrpc.org or 215-238-2836.
Staff Profile: Ethan Fogg, Capital Program Coordinator
What did you want to be growing up? Growing up I wanted to be a Hollywood actor or an archaeologist.
What was your first job? My first job was working as a page at my local library.
What did you study in college? I got my Bachelor’s Degree at SUNY New Paltz where I double majored in Sociology and Black Studies. I got my Masters in Urban Planning at University of Buffalo.
How did you end up at DVRPC? I was interested in working for an MPO, and I wanted to move to Philadelphia. I also felt that working in Capital Programs would give me an opportunity to do something different and learn more about an area of planning that I wasn’t familiar with.
What are your responsibilities? I am responsible for maintaining and updating the current New Jersey and Pennsylvania TIPs.
If you were Monarch for a day, how would you improve the region? Make transit accessible, convenient, and safe. Find ways to create more economic and social opportunities in underserved areas.
What is something colleagues don’t know about you? I’ve been teaching myself Spanish on Duolingo. My goal is to become fluent and be able to use it when I travel.
What is your favorite leisure activity? Baking pastries. I got into baking during the pandemic.
What is your recent obsession? I recently got into playing Wordle. I play it every night.
What are your Top 3 places you want to travel to? Alaska, anywhere in Europe, Mexico
Are you a cat or dog person? I’m a cat person. I don’t have any pets, but I have a family cat that I look after when my parents go on long vacations.