Economic Stimulus

This month’s eNewstetter is dedicated to the Economic Recovery and Investment Act and what it means for Chester County. We have focused on transportation projects under the economic stimulus package.

Recovery Act for Amtrak — Vice President Biden, Railroad Administrator, Members of Congress Announce Funding for Amtrak in Recovery Act — "Over 28M passengers ride Amtrak each year. That’s about 500,000 passengers a week – or 80,000 a day,” said Vice President Biden. “For too long, we haven’t made the investments we needed to make Amtrak as safe, as reliable, as secure as it can be. That ends now." The funds in the Recovery Act for Amtrak will help create jobs and at the same time, repair and update critical needs of our nation’s infrastructure. "Amtrak proved its viability in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, when people fled planes for the train, and last summer when fuel prices spiked at more than $4 a gallon. Where the Money Goes, rail experts weigh in on how the initial $1.3B in grants will get spent, and how else the agency can use the money to achieve self-reliance

Accelerating Mass Transit — This year will be the year transportation historians point to as the turning point for U.S. mass transit.

Economic Stimulus - Funding for Transportation Projects in Chester County — Several transportation projects in Chester County and the Delaware Valley Region will receive federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. With Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) Board’s approval, projects totaling $668M were added to the region's FY09 – FY12 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Projects in Chester County totaling over $32M include the Chester Valley Trail - Phase I construction, State St. Bridge demolition in Parkesburg, Exton Bypass maintenance, Malvern Station parking improvements, and signage upgrades at several R5 Stations. View online map of the stimulus projects in the DVRPC region.

Idea on line: Oaks-Great Valley by train — The Greenline: an 18-mile stretch of railroad billed as a way to get vehicles off of already-congested roads in Chester and Montgomery counties and connect people with major employment centers in Great Valley and the Oaks/Collegeville area. It also will offer a mass transit option for residents who work in Center City. The plan expects to lure more business and economic development activity in Great Valley and encourage residential infill in the Phoenixville urban center.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be carried out with full transparency and accountability -- and Recovery.gov is the centerpiece of that effort. In a short video, President Obama describes the site and talks about how you'll be able to track the Recovery Act's progress every step of the way.

Stimulus Money Puts Clean Coal Projects on a Faster Track — The allocation of $3.4B in the federal stimulus bill for carbon capture and sequestration, as carbon storage is often called, however, has allowed Duke Energy and other companies to consider mounting full-scale projects. The federal money is the latest sign of a growing interest worldwide in clean coal technologies. More...

Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Announces Emergency Actions to Provide Immediate Economic Relief — Says State of Economic Emergency Means Families Need Help Today. As the grip of a national recession continues to tighten around families across Pennsylvania, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced unprecedented emergency executive actions intended to provide immediate relief to citizens in need and spark economic recovery.

Chester County Commissioners approve distribution of $5.4M in Community Revitalization Program funds. Eleven County municipalities receive money for projects.

Chester County Receives $1,252,318 to Serve the Homeless — The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development's Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs Announces the 2008 Continuum of Care Awards.

 

Planning Related References

Chester County Planning Commission has shifted publications to an electronic format. Sign up now to get the latest news and receive emails about available publications. More...

The Chester County Agricultural Development Council (ADC) is accepting applications for the 2009 Chester County Agricultural Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is offered to a Chester County high school senior who will attend a 4-year college or university in the fall of 2009 to major in the field of agriculture or agriculture-related discipline.

Lancaster County Smart Growth Toolbox Transfer of Development Rights — Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program authorizes a landowner to transfer his right to develop a parcel of land to another parcel of land, allowing the other parcel to be developed more intensively than otherwise possible under existing zoning regulations.

U.S. Designates Four New National Natural Landmarks — The four new landmarks, announced by acting National Park Service Director Dan Wenk, are Nottingham Park Serpentine Barrens, Cave Without a Name, Big Bone Lick and Chazy Fossil Reef. "Each of these sites has been identified, evaluated, and designated through a scientific process that formally acknowledges their outstanding biological or geological features," Wenk said in the release. The Nottingham Park Serpentine Barrens contains one of the largest populations of serpentine aster in the world.

Upcoming Events and Training

WCCC Energy Conservation and Efficiency Summit — March 25, 2009 7:30 am - 10:30 am at Coatesville Country Club, Coatesville, PA.

Housing Partnership of Chester County Homeowners Assistance Rescue Project (HARP) — Spearheaded by the Housing Partnership of Chester County, the HARP will consist of two information sessions designed to help people who are at risk of losing their home due to foreclosure. Counselors, lenders, and attorneys will be available to discuss loan modifications, refinancing, reverse mortgages, and foreclosure assistance. HARP sessions will be held: May 1, and May 2, at Saint Paul's Baptist Church, West Chester PA.

National Train Day — May 9, 2009

Green $ense 2009: Beyond Buildings — March 30, 31 in Pittsburg.

Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia

Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference
May 7-9 at Penn State Conference Center, State College, PA — The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) are joining forces for 2009, merging PALTA’s annual PA Land Conservation Conference and CBF’s Biennial Confluence Conference to offer a joint event that focuses on both land and water conservation.

PA Career Link March 2009 Calendar

DVRPC Calendar of Events

Links