Regional Planning for the Hub and Spoke Network

Solutions for Sustainable Communities Conference September 27, 2011

Barry Seymour, Executive Director

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Who is DVRPC?

MPO for the Greater Philadelphia region, created in 1965

Planning for the “orderly growth & development of the region”

Encompassing 2 States, 9 Counties, & 353 Municipalities

“Hub and Spoke” Regional Rail Network

Stitched together from multiple legacy train systems

Original systems designed to connect outlying communities to Philadelphia Center City

Highway network parallels the rail transit spokes

Regional Travel Patterns (old)

Oriented to Center City Philadelphia Largely follows rail network

Trends In Automobile Use

68.8%

31.2%

9.8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

1980 2005

Year

Vehicle Miles Traveled

Automobiles

Population

Percent Increase Between 1980 and 2005

Development Patterns Define Travel Patterns

1930 1970 2000

222,000 acres developed; 3.3 million people

641,000 acres developed; 5.1 million people

920,000 acres developed; 5.4 million people

Regional Travel Patterns (new)

Movement is now suburb to suburbBus transit not supported by LU or road networkRoad network suffers from congestion

19802000

0100200300400500600700800900

PA-Phil NJ-Phil Phil-PA Phil-NJ PA-PA NJ-NJ

Co

mm

ute

rsMost Trips are Suburb to Suburb

A Jobs-Workers Mismatch

Jobs follow the highway and transit spokes

Poverty is concentrated in the Center City hub

40% of Philly residents do not have cars

EJ Analysis Informs Investments

DVRPC Policy Initiatives

• Regional Plan priority to invest in centers

• Job Access and Reverse Commute

• Revising the bus network to match travel

• Rethinking the transit stop as both origin and destination

• Transit Score – linking LU and Transit

• Leveraging Livability–Linking transportation, housing, environment, other investment–Seeking to maximize impacts of investment

2035 Planning Areas and Centers

Rationalizing Changes to the Transit Network

NJ TRANSIT 2015 BRT Network

Rethinking service in the suburbs

New modes of transit (BRT)

Developed in concert with land use planning

TOD as community building strategy – mixed uses provide sense of place for all people living there

Municipal change through zoning ordinance updates

Provides origins for residents and destinations for riders

Transit Oriented Development

Proposed Paoli Transportation Center

Regional Transit Score

Defines relationship between land use and transit viability

Links job, population, and zero-car household density with transit mode share

Descriptive and Prescriptive:

identifies how munis may develop to support new transit services

Leveraging Livability Tool

Mapping housing, environmental, transportation, and economic development

Identify opportunities to maximize value of future investment

Help partners focus new projects in fruitful locations

Density of Investment Activity

Regional Planning for the Hub and Spoke

Solutions for Sustainable Communities Conference September 27, 2011

Barry Seymour, Executive DirectorDelaware Valley Regional Planning Commissionbseymour@dvrpc.orgwww.dvrpc.org