PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ADD THE SOUTH JERSEY BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM TO CONNECTIONS – THE REGIONAL PLAN FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Background and Project Description In July 2009, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) adopted Connections – The Regional Plan for a Sustainable Future (www.dvrpc.org/connections) as the region’s comprehensive long‐range plan. Connections provides a vision for the region’s future that seeks to encourage development in existing centers, preserve open space and natural resources, build a strong economy, and modernize the transportation system. Connections also identifies strategies to attain the vision, including a fiscally‐constrained set of transportation investments.

NEW JERSEY TRANSIT has recently completed an Alternatives Analysis study with regional planning partners including city and county governments, the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), and DVRPC. The study focused on improving transit service along a wide corridor that included the Atlantic City Expressway, New Jersey Routes 42 and 55, Interstates 76 and 676, and downtown Camden and Philadelphia. The need for improved transit service along this corridor was identified during the Southern New Jersey to Philadelphia Mass Transit Expansion Alternatives Analysis study completed by the DRPA in 2009. The study found that enhanced bus service improvements, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems offer the benefits of light rail but with more flexible implementation and lower costs.

The Alternatives Analysis identified a preferred alternative for a South Jersey Bus Rapid Transit system that will provide a new high quality transit service to Downtown Camden and Center City Philadelphia for residents of Gloucester and Camden counties. The service will also serve customers in Camden and Philadelphia traveling to points in New Jersey, such as the Camden County Community College in Blackwood. The 23‐mile line would start at the Avandale Park and Ride lot in Winslow Township and travel on the Atlantic City Expressway, Route 42, I‐76, and I‐676 to Camden and Philadelphia. A branch of the service will serve a new Park and Ride lot in Gloucester County, traveling along Route 55 before joining the other branch of service at the merge of Routes 55 and 42.

The South Jersey BRT System will provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling. The proposed system includes major park and ride lots (an expanded Avandale Park and Ride lot and a new Park and Ride lot at College Drive & Delsea Drive, providing approximately 1,800 new parking spaces), and express service to the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden, New Jersey, and new stops along West Market Street in Center City Philadelphia. The South Jersey BRT also includes plans for 3.2 miles of shoulder‐based bus lanes, low‐floor vehicles, new stations at each stop, real‐time bus arrival information, off‐board fare collection, and traffic signal priority technology at signalized intersections in Camden and Philadelphia. The proposed service was developed with independent utility from the proposed Glassboro to Camden rail line and all forecasts were based on the assumption that the Glassboro to Camden line would be built. Project completion is estimated for 2020 with portions of the project, such as rolling stock and park and ride lot expansion happening earlier. The projected cost for the project is $46 million and inclusion of the project will maintain the Plan’s fiscal constraint. Additional information on the project is available at www.SouthJerseyTransit.com.

Consistency with the Long‐Range Plan In order to receive federal transportation funding, transportation projects must be included in the region’s long‐range plan. The Connections Plan includes a set of transportation investment priorities that will help the region achieve the vision for the year 2035. NEW JERSEY TRANSIT has requested that DVRPC add the South Jersey BRT system to the fiscally‐constrained set of projects contained in the Connections Plan. Amendments should demonstrate consistency with the goals and policy recommendations of the Plan. The South Jersey BRT system is consistent with the future vision and goals set forth in the Connections Plan, as described below:

 Consistency with the Land Use Vision and Goals A key principle for future transportation projects is to only make investments in areas that are currently developed or have been identified as appropriate for development over the life of the Plan. The South Jersey BRT system is consistent with the 2035 Land Use Plan Map and will serve areas that are either currently developed or are designated as a Future Growth Area on the Land Use Plan Map.

 Invest in Designated Plan Centers The Connections Plan identifies over 100 designated Centers in the region that provide a focal point for future investment. By concentrating future growth in centers, the region can both preserve open space and reduce infrastructure costs. The proposed project will serve several regional Plan Centers, including the Core Cities of Philadelphia and Camden and provide a focus for new development, including revitalization, infill, and adaptive reuse.

 Improve Mobility and Accessibility Mobility refers to the movement of people and goods and accessibility refers to the ability to reach desired destinations within the region. Mobility is heightened when the transportation system is multimodal and provides connections between various modes. The ability to reach destinations throughout the region is a challenge for many members of society who do not have access to an automobile. The South Jersey BRT system will increase the mobility options for residents of the region. Additionally, the proposed project will also improve accessibility in the region by serving new areas in Center City Philadelphia that are not currently served by NEW JERSEY TRANSIT.

 Reduce Congestion The Congestion Management Process (CMP) identifies congested corridors in the region as well as appropriate strategies to combat congestion. Appropriate strategies for each CMP corridor are selected in a multistep process that includes review by stakeholders. Although new highway capacity is sometimes the only appropriate response, preferable methods include those which provide for more non‐auto options, reduction in travel demand, and making the most efficient use of the existing transportation system. The CMP Priority Subcorridors are a selected subset of CMP corridors that have the greatest significance for carrying regional travel. The Route 42 and 55 corridor was identified as a congested corridor in the CMP and additional transit service was included as an appropriate strategy to reduce congestion. Furthermore, this corridor was identified as a Priority Subcorridor due to its impact on regional travel.

 Limit Transportation Impacts on the Natural Environment ‐ Transportation facilities have a significant impact on the natural environment and the Connections Plan encourages the reduction in use of travel modes that contribute significantly to air pollution by promoting the use of public transit, bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Future model runs indicate that the proposed BRT system will increase overall transit ridership in the region, thereby contributing to a reduction in air pollution levels in the region.

 Fiscal Constraint and Air Quality Conformity Federal regulations require that the Connections Plan be fiscally‐constrained. This means that total transportation expenditures identified in the long‐range plan must not exceed the total revenues reasonably expected to be available for the region over the life of the Plan. Including the South Jersey BRT system in the Connections Plan will not impact the funding or timing of any project currently in the Plan and will maintain the Plan’s overall fiscal constraint. The project has also been included in the region’s draft conformity determination which indicates that the transportation projects being funded through the region’s Long‐Range Plan and Transportation Improvement Program do not hinder our ability to achieve federal air quality standards.

Public Comment Period Public comment is being sought on the proposed amendment to the Connections long‐range plan. The public comment period will open on May 3, 2012 and close at 5 pm on June 1, 2012. There will be two public meetings and information sessions during the public comment period.

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 from 4 to 6 pm Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012 from 4 to 6 pm DVRPC Conference Room Deptford Township Municipal Building 190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Floor 1011 Cooper Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Deptford, NJ 08096

Written comments and questions may be addressed to Plan/TIP/Conformity Comments c/o DVRPC Public Affairs Office, 190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106; faxed in c/o Plan/TIP/Conformity Comments to 215‐592‐9125; e‐mailed to Tip‐Plan‐[email protected]; or posted online at www.dvrpc.org/connections.