Media Receives $36,500 DVRPC Grant for Comprehensive Plan

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) has awarded $1.2 million to 24 municipalities in southeastern Pennsylvania through the Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) program, DVRPC announced recently.

Media Borough's Comprehensive Plan received $36,500 and Delaware County as a whole received $158,200 from DVRPC. Lansdowne and Swarthmore boroughs and Upper Darby Township were the other Delaware County municipalities that received the grant, according to DVRPC.

TCDI grants support planning for local development and redevelopment efforts.

Media's project will focus on a visioning and planning process that will result in a revised subdivision and land use ordinance appropriate to Media’s size and urban qualities and a revised building code that will promote green building practices and energy-efficient structures, according to a DVRPC press release. 

The TCDI program targets transportation investments in a sustainable way. Federal transportation funds are used to provide grants to local governments and select non-profit organizations to create plans that link transportation improvements with land use strategies, enhance established communities, and build upon existing assets. The adoption of the TCDI set into motion the ideology of coordinating regional transportation planning with local land use planning and decision-making, according to a DVRPC press release.

"These are challenging times for all local governments," said DVRPC Executive Director Barry Seymour. "The TCDI program provides a mechanism for municipalities to undertake locally directed actions to improve their communities, which in turn helps build our vision for an economically strong and sustainable region."

The grants support local planning projects that will lead to more residential, employment, or retail opportunities; improve the overall character and quality-of-life within these communities to retain business and residents; enhance and use the existing transportation infrastructure capacity in these areas to reduce demands on the transportation network; and reduce congestion and improve the transportation system’s efficiency, according to a DVRPC press release.