DVRPC: Long-Range Plan and TIP open for public review

THE DELAWARE VALLEY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION (DVRPC) ANNOUNCES FOR PUBLIC REVIEW:

• DRAFT CONNECTIONS LONG-RANGE PLAN [17.8 MB .pdf]
• DRAFT DVRPC FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2010-2013 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP) FOR NEW JERSEY; and
• DRAFT TRANSPORTATION CONFORMITY FINDING [0.7 MB .pdf] FOR:

       DRAFT CONNECTIONS LONG-RANGE PLAN
       DRAFT DVRPC FY 2010 TIP FOR NEW JERSEY
       FY 2009 TIP FOR PENNSYLVANIA

DVRPC is seeking your input regarding the documents listed above and is therefore opening a public comment period on May 22, 2009.
Please join us for a public meeting and information session on the Connections Long-Range Plan, the Draft FY 2010 TIP for NJ and the Draft Transportation Conformity finding between the hours of 4 and 6 p.m. on:

Thursday, June 4, 2009
DVRPC Conference Center
190 North Independence Mall West, 8thFl.
Philadelphia, PA

Thursday, June 11, 2009
Cherry Hill Library
1100 Kings Highway North
Cherry Hill, NJ

As the federally designated metropolitan planning organization, DVRPC is charged with planning for the future of southeastern Pennsylvania and southwestern New Jersey. Since its inception, DVRPC has worked to address current issues while also looking toward the future to craft a vision for the region. Federal regulations mandate that DVRPC prepare and maintain a long-range plan with a minimum 20-year planning horizon. Connections: The Regional Plan for a Sustainable Future focuses on strengthening the linkages between land use, the environment, economic development and the transportation system in the DVRPC nine-county region. Recent long-range planning policies have emphasized sustainable growth, redeveloping existing regional centers, and funding transportation projects which support the plan’s goals. Additionally, Connections will address new focus areas such as climate change and energy needs.

DVRPC also develops the region’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is the regionally agreed-upon list of priority projects, as required by federal law. The TIP document must list all projects that intend to use federal funds, along with non-federally funded projects that are regionally significant. Also included are all other state funded capital projects. The projects are multi-modal; that is, they include bicycle, pedestrian, freight-related projects, and innovative air quality projects, as well as the more traditional highway and public transit projects. The Draft FY 2010-2013 TIP for New Jersey covers Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties. The Draft TIP for New Jersey contains more than 171 projects, totaling over $1.78 billion for the phases to be advanced over the next four years, averaging $445 million per year.

In conjunction with the release of the above documents, DVRPC has issued a Transportation Conformity finding. Transportation Conformity is the process that ensures that plans and programs receiving federal funding are consistent with the region’s air quality goals.

Copies of the draft Connections Long-Range Plan, Draft FY 2010-2013 TIP for NJ, and the draft conformity finding are available for review on the DVRPC website at www.dvrpc.org, at DVRPC’s Resource Center, and at various libraries throughout the Delaware Valley. The documents will also be on hand for review at the information sessions, and can be translated into alternative languages or formats, if requested.

The public meetings will be conducted jointly with the New Jersey Department of Transportation and serve as information sessions for the Draft FY 2010-2013 New Jersey Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which is available at www.state.nj.us/transportation/capital/stip1019. The public comment period for the Draft NJ STIP will also open on May 22, 2009, and will close on June 22, 2009.
Written comments and questions may be addressed to Plan/TIP/Conformity Comments, c/o DVRPC Public Affairs Office, 190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Fl., Philadelphia, PA 19106 or e-mailed to tip-plan-comments@dvrpc.org. Comments for all documents must be received no later than 5 p.m. on June 22, 2009.