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C NEWSPRVD

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F D E L A W A R E V A L L E Y R E G I O N A L P L A N N I N G C O M M I S S I O N

WINTER 2007 ISSUE:▼ Impacts of Casinos Felt Across Region 2

▼ DVRPC Works to Enhance Public Safety 3

▼ Providing Commuters Reason to Carpool 3

▼ Making the Most of Reclaimed Brownfields 4

▼ TransitChek on Board with PATCO FREEDOM 5Card System

▼ Freight for a Day Provides Complete Scan 6of Regional Operations

▼ Commission Launches Initiative to Market 7Older Neighborhoods

▼ Website Now Accessible to All Citizens 7

▼ DVRPC Adopts Title VI Compliance Plan 8

Steven Wray, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Economy LeagueSoutheastern PA, stresses the importance of thinking and actingregionally. The Pennsylvania Economy League is an independent,nonprofit public policy, research and development organization. It works to promote better government and more competitive regionaleconomies by providing information and support to the civic leadershipin Pennsylvania.

George Hawkins, Esq., Executive Director of New Jersey Future,makes a presentation about future trends. New Jersey Future is anorganization located in Trenton, NJ, which works to achieve growth thatcontributes to the economy without taking away remaining open spacesand farmland. Hawkins also teaches environmental law and policy forthe Princeton Environmental Institute at Princeton University.

DVRPC’s Fiscal Year (FY)2008 Work Program, the document that willguide this agency’s work

from July 1, 2007 through June 30,2008, represents an evolution fromprevious years.

To develop this Work Program,staff asked the Commission’s Boardand committee members to focus onpriorities during the annual BoardRetreat in September. The Retreatgathered more than 100 public and private sector representatives to consider an agenda for the com-ing fiscal year. Feather Houstoun,President of the William PennFoundation, George Hawkins of New Jersey Future, and Steve Wrayof the Pennsylvania Economy Leagueprovided introductory presentations.Participants then broke into groups to discuss ideas and vote on whichinitiatives they would like to see inthe FY08 Work Program.

The projected Work Program, with a total budget of more than $25 million, also represents a newdirection initiated by DVRPC’sExecutive Director, Barry Seymour.Related projects have now beengrouped together to promoteincreased flexibility, improvedefficiency, and greater impact. Over 100 distinct projects from the FY07 Work Program have beencondensed into 25 major programareas. And with the guidance ofBoard Retreat participants, newinitiatives include such projects asPlanning for the Reuse of Brownfields,

Joanne Denworth, DVRPC Board Chair, welcomed attendees.

CHARTING A NEW COURSE

Planning for a World Class Region, FundingRegional Transportation Infrastructure, Inter-Jurisdictional Coordination, A PublicTransportation Network Vision Plan, andSeamless Regional Transit Access.

The success of this approach to WorkProgram development and the utilization ofthe Board Retreat as a “think tank” for guid-ing the future direction of the Commissionhas regenerated the process and now allowsstaff to work more cohesively as we deal withnumerous timely issues.

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The collective regional impact of the four casinos on our trans-portation system is more uncer-tain, as trips will be spread over a number of highways. However, the concentration along I-95,which is already heavily congest-ed, will likely be felt the most with increased delays andextended peak travel periods.“The two casinos in Philadelphia

are close to residential neighbor-hoods, and special care must betaken to decrease the negativeimpacts of this new development,”says DVRPC Executive Director,Barry Seymour. “Local transporta-tion improvements are essential, and the City must now work with the casinos and communitygroups to protect and improvequality-of-life in the affectedneighborhoods.”The study recommends that

transit service, and bicycle andpedestrian facilities, be expand-ed and enhanced to all of thelicensed gaming facilities to serve both patrons and employ-ees. In addition to the specifictransportation improvementsidentified for each of the pro-posed casinos, the DVRPC report recommends a series ofimprovements along ColumbusBoulevard, including improvedtransit service, access manage-ment, traffic calming, signaltiming, intersection reconfigura-tion and streetscaping. The Impacts of Gaming in the

Greater Philadelphia Area isavailable on DVRPC’s website,www.dvrpc.org (simply click on the announcements).

The introduction of four casinos into thePhiladelphia region will increase congestion

and elevate safety risks unless stepsare taken to mitigate communityimpacts, according to a recentDVRPC study. With two casinosites approved at the PhiladelphiaPark Racetrack and Harrah’sChester Racetrack, and two more recently approved in the City of Philadelphia, the impacts of casinos will be significant.

In late December 2006, thePennsylvania Gaming ControlBoard announced its decision toapprove two of the five proposedcasino sites in Philadelphia–Foxwoods Casino in SouthPhiladelphia, and SugarhouseCasino in Northern Liberties. Tworacetrack facilities in Bensalem and Chester were approved forlicenses in September 2006, andboth recently opened. The twoPhiladelphia sites will be locatedalong the Delaware River, creatinga “Casino Corridor” along I-95 in Bucks, Philadelphia andDelaware counties.

The DVRPC study examined alleight of the proposed casino plansin the region and focused on theindividual and collective land use,transportation and signage impacts.While the study did not recom-mend any one site over another, it found that each of the four newcasinos will increase local traffic,generate additional new adjoiningdevelopment, and have a strongvisual impact with new signs and advertising.

COMMISSION BELIEVES IMPACTS OF CASINOSWILL BE FELT ACROSS THE REGION

ABOVE: A vacant lot on Columbus Boulevard in South Philadelphia, is the future site ofthe Foxwoods Casino.

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PROVIDING COMMUTERS WITH ANOTHER REASON TO CARPOOL

The Plan provides a roadmap for effec-tive cooperation, collaboration and coordi-nation among safety professionals andstakeholders throughout the region. ThePlan also maintains DVRPC’s focus ontransportation safety by:

� assessing plans, goals and priorities of institutions in the region;

� determining regional emphasis areas through a cooperative process, strategies and priorities; and

� integrating goals and accompanying strategies from the “Destination 2030 Long Range Plan”.

The Regional Safety Action Plan incorporates the “4E’s” of safety conscious planning — engineering, education,

DVRPC WORKS TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETYenforcement and emergency managementservices. It attempts to match availableresources with prioritized emphasis areasand strategies, and it is complementary to DVRPC’s Destination 2030 Long RangePlan, Transportation Improvement Program(TIP), and New Jersey and PennsylvaniaDepartments of Transportation StrategicHighway Safety Plans. As the Safety Planwas being developed, stakeholders moved to implement many of the identifiedstrategies within their jurisdictions.

The Regional Safety Action Plan willalso include an Implementation Plan, and will be finalized during the Winter of 2007. For more information on theDVRPC Safety Program visitwww.dvrpc.org/transportation/safety.htm.

Between 2003 and 2005, a crashoccurred every six minutes onDelaware Valley roadways, andsomeone suffered a crash-related

injury every ten minutes. In an effort to improve these statistics, DVRPC’sRegional Safety Task Force recentlycompleted the Executive Summary of the Regional Safety Action Plan.

“The Plan provides a roadmap for effective cooperation, collaboration

and coordination among safetyprofessionals and stakeholders

throughout the region.”

Association (TMA) to approve usage andarrange for the rental car. The rentalcompany will then pick the commuter up,or bring a car to his or her worksite.Registered commuters can use the servicetwice in a calendar year, and there is a$5.00 co-pay when the rental car is used.

The Emergency Ride Home programalso helps companies looking to qualify forthe Environmental Protection Agency’sdesignation as a “Best Workplace forCommuters.” An ERH program is amandatory requirement to apply for thisdesignation. Companies who qualify as aBest Workplace use this status to attractand retain employees, and keep a compet-itive edge over their peers.

For more information about EmergencyRide Home or to sign up for the freeShare-A-Ride program, visit www.share-a-ride.org, or go towww.dvrpc.org and quick link to MAP.

Commuters in SoutheasternPennsylvania now have a“safety net” for sharing theride to and from work, thanks

to DVRPC’s new program, Emergency RideHome (ERH).

“With increasing gas prices, parkingcosts and congestion on the highways,residents are looking to alternative ways to get to work. People are often afraid of carpooling, vanpooling or taking transit in case they have an emergency ormust work late unexpectedly,” said StacyBartels, Manager, Office of Marketing andCommuter Services, DVRPC. “This pro-gram ensures a ride to their car, home, orplace of emergency, if needed.”

The program is simple. A commuter is provided a rental car when he or she has an emergency and can’t ride in thecarpool. The commuter must contact hisor her local Transportation Management

“The ERH program also helpscompanies looking to qualify for

the EPA’s designation as a “Best Workplace for Commuters.”

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MAKING THE MOST OF RECLAIMED BROWNFIELDS

The Delaware Valley is home to hundreds of brownfields —previously developed, under-utilized properties such as

abandoned factories and rail yards, gas stations, parking lots. Many of thesesites are located near rail lines, establishedcommercial areas, and major highways —ideal settings for many forms of newdevelopment. DVRPC advocates for the clean-up and reuse of brownfieldproperties as a means of supportingcommunity revitalization. In an effort to help inform municipalities about the benefits and resources available tothem, the Commission has released a new Municipal Implementation Tool onreclaiming brownfields.

Facilitating and investing in brownfieldredevelopment projects can stimulateinvestment in underutilized properties,elevating the economic and social well-being of the community. The devel-opment also encourages efficient land use and enhances public and environ-mental health through the remediation of contaminated properties.

“Facilitating brownfield redevelopmentprojects can stimulate investment in

underutilized properties.”

The Municipal Implementation Tooloffers information about national andstate-level policies and procedures, as well as case studies of brownfields in the region that have been successfullydeveloped. The brochure also includesresources and searchable websites forlocating brownfields.

Copies of the new MunicipalImplementation Tool are available in the DVRPC Resource Center, or onDVRPC’s website, www.dvrpc.org.

BEFORE: A former brownfield, just south of Commodore BarryBridge in Chester, Pennsylvania.

AFTER: Barry Bridge Park, which now provides residents ofChester with attractive recreational space and a direct link tothe Delaware River waterfront.

BEFORE: An underutilized industrial property in Camden, NewJersey, which was previously an RCA factory.

AFTER: The redeveloped site, now the Victor Lofts, a luxuryapartment building.

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TRANSITCHEK ON BOARD WITH PATCO FREEDOMCARD SYSTEM

Electronic uploading of TransitChekbenefits will be available once theFREEDOM system is launched system-wide, which is planned for early 2007.With electronic uploading, employers willno longer need to order paper TransitChekvouchers for their PATCO-riding employ-ees and the cost of administering theprogram will not change.

According to PATCO’s website(www.ridepatco.org), staff plans to meetpassengers in the stations during roll-out to facilitate signing up for the FREEDOMcard. At other times, FREEDOM cards can be purchased at the new AutomatedVending Machines (AVMs).

Please note, employees who commutevia other transit systems in our region(SEPTA, NJ Transit, RiverLINE, Amtrak,DART) can continue to redeem papervouchers on these systems and will not be eligible for the FREEDOM card.

Questions about the electronic transferof TransitChek benefits to FREEDOMcards, should be directed to TransitChek

staff at 215-238-2855 or 215-238-2865. For information about the FREEDOM card system, visit www.ridepatco.org or callPATCO Customer Service at 856-772-6900or 215-922-4600.

Commuting will soon be even more convenient forPATCO riders. PATCO is rolling out its new fare

collection system — the FREEDOM card.Featuring smart-card technology, theFREEDOM card is a credit-card sized,stored-value card that will eliminate theneed for coins and tickets.

TransitChek staff has been workingclosely with PATCO to ensure thatPATCO riders can use the FREEDOMcard while still enjoying the tax savings of TransitChek. TransitChek users will be able to load their TransitChek benefitamount onto FREEDOM cards in a variety of ways:

1.� EASY ELECTRONIC UPLOADElectronic benefits transfer is the recommended, easiest way to use TransitChek and FREEDOM cards.Along with their usual order for paper vouchers,employers should include a separate list for FREEDOM card participants with their benefit amount. TransitChek forwards this order to PATCO. The next time a TransitChek commuter taps his/herFREEDOM card at the fare gate, the TransitChek benefit is automatically loaded onto the card.

2.� IN-PERSON REDEMPTIONTransitChek vouchers may be redeemed at theBroadway Customer service window. The voucheramount will be immediately placed on the FREEDOM card.

3.� MAIL-IN REDEMPTIONCustomers can mail TransitChek vouchers directly to PATCO, and the value will be downloaded to theFREEDOM card. This option entails a longer waitingperiod and may only be available for a limited time.

“PATCO riders can use the FREEDOMcard while still enjoying the tax savings

of TransitChek.”

INCREASE IN TRANSITCHEKMONTHLY CAP

As of January 1, 2007, the IRS monthly

maximum for tax-free transit benefits

is $110, an increase of $5 from 2006.

Employers and employees are encouraged

to adjust their TransitChek orders to take

advantage of increased tax savings.

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A wide variety of informationwas collected about the freightactivities in the region in this24-hour period, such as:� The last port of call for some of the cargoships serving Delaware Valley terminals was asfar away as Brazil, West Africa, and Australia.

� CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the CanadianPacific operated 51 freight trains to, from, andthrough the region (note: this was augmentedby additional local service).

� Aggregated hourly traffic data for checkpoints on 5 major highways revealed that the percentage of trucks (all sizes) can range from 4-20% of total traffic over the course of the day.

� Over 21,000 cases and 23,000 bottles of wine and spirits were delivered to 60Pennsylvania “State Stores” in the region.

� As part of region-wide enforcement, safety, and security activities, the U.S. Customsscanned 49 shipping containers and oneMercedes Benz in search of contraband and explosives.

� On the Sunday preceding “Freight For ADay,” there were 45 “help-wanted” ads fortruck drivers in one local newspaper.

Additional related activitieswere organized in conjunctionwith Freight For A Day, andinvolved planners from DVRPCmember governments andfreight facility operators. Theactivities included evaluations of National Highway System(NHS) connectors, tours ofoperations centers, and over-night visits to truck rest stopsand service plazas.

For more information aboutFreight for a Day, visit the freightsection of DVRPC’s website at:www.dvrpc.org/transportation/multimodal/freight.htm.

Last fall, DVRPCconducted the first-evercomprehensive scan offreight operations in the

Philadelphia-Camden-Trentonregion. This unique data-sharingexercise, called Freight For A Day,documented activity on theregion’s extensive freight networkfor one full, 24-hour period.

The purpose of the scan was to prepare a snapshot of dailyfreight activity and to demon-strate how vital this activity is to the region. Special emphasiswas placed on the DelawareValley’s main freight corridors,consisting of interstate high-ways, the major rail lines, the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers,and Philadelphia InternationalAirport. Freight For A Day alsoprovided a framework to identifyissues and opportunities whichcan be addressed by DVRPC’sfreight planning program.

Over 50 planning partnersfurnished data to DVRPC regard-ing their activities and shipments.This included trucking firms, rail-roads, ports, warehouse operators,and others. The majority of theparticipating companies andagencies are active members ofDVRPC’s freight advisory com-mittee, the Delaware ValleyGoods Movement Task Force.

RIGHT: WATCHING FREIGHT IN MOTION

Five teams, consisting of a total of 50 volun-teers from the DVRPC planning community and Delaware Valley Goods Movement TaskForce, participated in organized site visits inconjunction with “Freight For A Day” and theNHS connector evaluations. Pictured is the teamwhich visited port facilities in Camden, NJ.

ABOVE: NHS CONNECTOR EVALUATIONS A special focus of “Freight For A Day” was the systematicevaluation of NHS connectors that serve the region’s intermodal facilities and carry 100 or moretrucks per day by direction. The evaluations considered items such as pavement conditions,turning radii, directional signs, and land use issues and community impacts.

FREIGHT FOR A DAY PROVIDES COMPLETE SCANOF REGIONAL OPERATIONS

ABOVE: SERVING CONSUMER NEEDS Each day, countless shipments of goods are made tobusinesses, industries, and residences within the Delaware Valley. The purpose of “Freight Fora Day” was to capture a snapshot of typical activity and to collect data about goods beingmoved by air, highway, rail, and water.

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COMMISSION WEBSITE NOW ACCESSIBLE TO ALL CITIZENS

“Many suburban municipalities andurban neighborhoods lack the resourcesnecessary to launch sophisticated and

effective marketing programs.”

Coming Home is among the first regionalmarketing efforts of its kind in the country.The initiative will promote residentialinvestment and economic developmentopportunities in older communitiesthroughout the Philadelphia region, bothin Pennsylvania and New Jersey. DVRPCwill oversee the development of a market-ing strategy that will benefit older suburbsand urban neighborhoods as a whole, andalso provide individual municipalities withthe tools they need to launch their owncampaigns in the future.

Last year, DVRPC issued a Request forProposals to select a consultant team that

COMMISSION LAUNCHES INITIATIVE TOMARKET OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS

could assist with the market research andmedia components of Coming Home. A selec-tion committee comprised of regionalstakeholders and DVRPC staff reviewedthe 12 submitted proposals and ultimatelyselected the partnership of GoldsmithKahnAssociates, LevLane, Reed Group, and TriadAssociates. These four Philadelphia-areafirms collectively offer extensive experi-ence in municipal outreach, advertising,grant writing, community development,and real estate market analysis.

Coming Home is funded through a grantfrom the William Penn Foundation and ispart of DVRPC’s larger Strategies for OlderSuburbs initiative. The grant enablesDVRPC to supplement the ability of local officials to undertake and supportreinvestment efforts in older areas.

For more information on the ComingHome project, contact Karen Cilurso at 215-238-2813 or visit www.dvrpc.org.

Older suburbs and urban neigh-borhoods will be getting some much-needed attention,thanks to Coming Home, a new

DVRPC initiative. The project will createa multi-faceted, multi-media marketingcampaign that promotes these oldercommunities as attractive places to live,work, shop and play.

“Older communities are often at a com-petitive disadvantage when it comes toattracting new businesses and residents,”says Barry Seymour, DVRPC ExecutiveDirector. “With attractive and affordablehousing, downtown shopping, and con-venient transportation options, these could be the communities of choice in the Delaware Valley. Yet, many suburbanmunicipalities and urban neighborhoodslack the resources necessary to launchsophisticated and effective marketingprograms.”

“We are among the nation’s firstMetropolitan Planning Organizations todirectly address the issues of equity,

opportunity, community awareness and citizen cooperation.”

Public Involvement/Title VI Compliance Manager. “We are among the nation’s firstMetropolitan Planning Organizations todirectly address the issues of equity,opportunity, community awareness andcitizen cooperation. By making our websiteavailable to all citizens of our region, weare better ensuring that everyone’s needs,opinions and concerns will be consideredin our decision-making process.”

DVRPC had some of its core documentsand reports professionally translated, such asthe Citizen’s Guide, Marketing Guide, theDVRPC newsletter, Annual Report, andportions of the Planning Work Program andthe Environmental Justice report. However,this is a very costly endeavor. In order tomake the rest of the website readable byvisitors to the Translations Webpage, theCommission offers “on-the-fly” machinetranslations through a link at the bottom of every webpage.

Visitors can log on to the DVRPCwebsite (www.dvrpc.org) to view informa-tion about the Commission and how to getinvolved; to access reports and studies; andto learn about issues affecting the region.

To meet the needs of the region’s increasingly diversepopulation, the DVRPCwebsite (www.dvrpc.org) is

now accessible to non-English speakingresidents who wish to translate documentsinto Spanish, Russian, and TraditionalChinese. DVRPC examined the region’sdemographics in order to determine whichlanguages to offer on the website.

“DVRPC’s commitment to making ourinformation accessible to as many citizensas possible is a serious one. Our decisionsin transportation and land use planningare based on equitable treatment for everycitizen,” said Jane Meconi, DVRPC’s

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DVRPC NEWSPublished by Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Office of Communications and Public AffairsCandace Snyder, Director Elise Turner, Editor

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State of New JerseyPennsylvania Dept. of Transportation New Jersey Dept. of TransportationPennsylvania Governor’s Policy Office New Jersey Dept. of Community AffairsBucks County Burlington CountyChester County Camden CountyDelaware County Gloucester CountyMontgomery County Mercer CountyCity of Chester City of CamdenCity of Philadelphia City of Trenton

FY 2007 BOARD OFFICERSJoanne R. Denworth, Chairman Charles E. Romick, SecretaryJerald R. Cureton, Vice Chairman Carol Aichele, Treasurer

Barry Seymour, Executive Director

DVRPC fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulationsin all programs and activities. For more information, or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, view theDVRPC website (www.dvrpc.org) or call (215) 238-2871.

DVRPC News is funded through grants from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the FederalTransit Administration (FTA), the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of transportation, andDVRPC’s member governments.

Since its establishment in 1965, DVRPC has been instrumental in ensuring the orderlygrowth of the bi-state region. As the federally-funded metropolitan planning organization,DVRPC also provides data and consulting services to public and private sector organizations,and fosters cooperation among all levels of government. Shown above is the nine-countyDelaware Valley region.

GLOUCESTER

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DVRPC N E W SDELAWARE VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION190 NORTH INDEPENDENCE MALL WEST, 8TH FLOOR,PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106-1520

PHONE: 215-592-1800FAX: 215-592-9125WEBSITE: www.dvrpc.org

V O L U M E 2 8 , N O . 2 PUBLISHED BY THE DELAWARE VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

WINTER 2007

DVRPC has a long history ofmeaningful and inclusive publicinvolvement. As one more

declaration of this intent, the Commissionhas adopted a Title VI Compliance Plan.Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, aswell as subsequent statutes, mandates thatno person on the grounds of race, color,national origin, sex, age or disability beexcluded from participation in, be deniedthe benefits of, or be otherwise subjectedto discrimination under any federallyfunded activities.

DVRPC’s Plan establishes a frameworkfor the Commission’s efforts to ensurecompliance with Title VI, as well as with other environmental justice andnon-discrimination mandates, and out-lines how Title VI and environmentaljustice considerations are reflected in the Commission’s Work Program,

“DVRPC has a long history of meaningful and inclusive public

involvement.”

publications, communications, publicinvolvement efforts and general way of doing business.

The adoption of the Plan followed a 45-day public comment period whichincluded outreach to more than 2000constituents, a public meeting, anddocumentation of comments received. For information regarding the Title VICompliance Plan, or to request a copy,please contact Jane Meconi, Manager of Public Involvement and Title VICompliance at 215-238-2871 orjmeconi@dvrpc.org. An electronic version of the draft Plan is also availableon DVRPC’s website, www.dvrpc.org.

DVRPC ADOPTS TITLE VI COMPLIANCE PLAN