We also want to send a warm Thank You to our gracious Sponsors for helping us to host the event!
We also want to send a warm Thank You to our gracious Sponsors for helping us to host the event!
2026 ASCE Pennsylvania Infrastructure Report Card Effort to Begin
The four Sections of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in Pennsylvania will be undertaking their combined effort to create and produce the 2026 Report Card on the Commonwealth’s infrastructure in early 2025. The Report Card is issued every four years by the ASCE Pennsylvania State Council to provide a snapshot of our built environment and 2026 will mark the sixth such time this document has been produced. ASCE National also produces a Report Card on the nation’s infrastructure conditions and the next release for this document will be in 2025.
The PA Council’s Report Card Committee handles the research and document review necessary to document background information and conditions for development of the grades and backup/support materials. For the 2022 Report Card, a team of over 75 engineers and representatives of related professions volunteered their time to collect and analyze data, prepare and present their findings for the Report Card. Background information was gathered for each of the 15 categories evaluated, which included reports, studies, surveys, financial programs, budgets, and related research materials from professional societies, non-profit associations, and local, state and federal agencies.
The grades are developed in the simple A to F school report card format, assigning letter grades based on criteria that includes capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience and innovation. The grades are based on current baseline conditions and represent an evaluation of the current state of the physical infrastructure itself. The grades are not meant to be a reflection on the agencies responsible for the infrastructure being graded, which are often working with limited resources.
The Report Card has proven to be a successful method of getting the message across on infrastructure conditions and needs and has been effectively used in the press and by elected officials.
The categories that were evaluated in 2022 are Aviation, Bridges, Dams, Drinking Water, Energy, Hazardous Waste, Levees, Ports, Public Parks, Rail, Roads, Solid Waste, Stormwater, Transit and Wastewater. We anticipate that at least one additional area, Inland Waterways, will be included in the 2026 effort. More information on this can be found at Pennsylvania Infrastructure | ASCE’s 2021 Infrastructure Report Card.
The ASCE PA Council will begin enlisting volunteers for assistance with the category evaluation effort in early 2025. If you have an interest in being part of the Report Card effort, or you would like to obtain additional information/have questions on this, please contact PA Council Vice Chair Bob Wright (rwright@bowman.com). You do not have to be an engineer or a member of ASCE to participate in this effort.
We hope to see you at our Ed Bacon movie night on December 5th from 6-8pm! It will be held at Temple University Room 103 in the Architecture Building (entrance on N. 13th Street between W. Norris and Diamond Streets). Soda and popcorn will be provided. Stay tuned for more details!
Please contact the Events Committee Co-Chairs if you have any questions: Danielle A. Baer, AICP at dabaer@urbanengineers.com or Lorianne DeFalco, AICP at ldefalco@akrf.com
WSP is looking for a Lead Transportation Planner in their Philadelphia office! Click here for the full job announcement.
Please join us for APAPASE’s 2024 Annual Event!
Thursday, November 7, 2024
5:30 – 8 PM
at Center for DesignPhiladelphia
1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia
The theme of this year’s annual event is The Future of Housing: Planning, Development, and Zoning Solutions in SE Pennsylvania! Come hear from our expert panel and learn how planners can be part of the solution to the housing crisis, nationally and locally. We intend to offer CM credits (stay tuned!).
This is a great opportunity for networking and socializing with planners, students, and other related professionals.
This year’s ticket includes an open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, and more!
Center for DesignPhiladelphia is located two blocks north of Market Street, between N. 12th and N. 13th Streets, with easy access to highways and transit.
Please contact the Events Committee Co-Chairs if you have any questions: Danielle A. Baer, AICP at dabaer@urbanengineers.com or Lorianne DeFalco, AICP at ldefalco@akrf.com
Mpact Transit + Community’s Regional Day program focuses on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reimagine regional rail for Greater Philadelphia and the Tri-State Area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, including service operated by SEPTA, NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak. During this afternoon program, start with an overview of SEPTA’s regional rail master plan along with best practices and recent innovations in other regional rail systems. Then, join breakout sessions focused on tools and programs to advance transit-oriented communities in the tri-state area, including two corridors along the Schuylkill River.
Regional Day will be a one-stop shop for getting up to speed about the future of regional rail. Scroll down for program details.
Please note: You do not have to be registered for the conference to attend Regional Day. A small separate fee is required. Register here. Under “I am attending” choose “Regional Day.”
Market rate housing at Willow Grove Station
Soledad Alfaro, Chief Operating Officer, The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Leslie S. Richards, CEO and General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
2:00 pm – 2:50 pm Freedom Ballroom
SEPTA’s regional rail network was created through a century of infrasructure investments and mergers. In this overview of the new regional rail master plan, we’ll hear about the state of the system post-pandemic, the Network Vision for the future, and how it will be implemented. Created with input from planning partners, customers and diverse perspectives from the region, the master plan outlines potential benefits across the region. SEPTA’s project team will recap the effort to transform SEPTA’s Regional Rail. A Q&A will follow, including a transit advocate’s perspective and audience participation.
Ryan Judge, Deputy Chief Planning Officer, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA
Joe Clemens, AICP, Manager, Strategic Planning, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA
Christof Spieler, PE, AICP, Vice President, Director of Planning, Huitt-Zollars, Houston, TX
Madeleine Pelzel, Planner, Huitt-Zollars, Houston, TX
Connor Descheemaker, Coalition Manager, Transit Forward Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
2:50 pm – 3:40 pm Freedom Ballroom
Learn about Germany’s S-Bahn “Regional Rail” service model and recent US innovations in regional rail, from Boston’s MBTA and Chicago’s Metra, two legacy commuter rail systems. Both MBTA and Metra are implementing aspects of the Regional Rail model, including more daytime and bi-directional service, new fare products, and marketing to increase and diversify ridership in the post-pandemic era.
Moderator: Christopher Kopp, AICP, National Practice Consultant, HNTB Corporation, Chicago, IL
Yoav Hagler, Vice President Technical Consulting, DB E.C.O. North America, Inc., Hoboken, NJ
Alistair Sawers, Head of Rail Modernization, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Boston, MA
Michael Rooks, Chief Railroad Officer, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Boston, MA
David Kralik, Director, Planning and Programming, METRA Commuter Rail, Chicago, IL
3:50 pm – 4:50 pm
Choose from 1 of 3 Breakout Sessions
Freedom Ballroom
The TOC program at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) plays a crucial role in supporting local municipalities and the region, providing research, tools and station area plans. Learn about these DRVPC resources and how you can tap into them. Similarly, SEPTA’s TOC program, with new Guidelines and Station Area Concepts, is promoting people-first places, multi-modal connectivity, and economic opportunity. By collaborating with municipalities, SEPTA is enabling more people to live and work near transit. Presentations will be followed by small group discussions about overcoming municipal barriers to TOC.
Karin Morris, AICP, Director of Community Planning, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), Philadelphia, PA
Andrew Svekla, AICP, Manager, Office of Smart Growth, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), Philadelphia, PA
Jennifer Dougherty, AICP, Manager, Long-Range Planning, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA
Kenny Starr, AICP, Manager, Joint Real Estate Development, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia South
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT)created its Transit Village Initiative over 25 years ago to spur TOC planning and development. NJ TRANSIT created a Transit-Friendly Planning Guidebook to inform municipalities about how to apply TOC practices to its stations. Rutgers University created a free Transit-Friendly Planning data application (www.transitfriendlydata.org) for users to identify TOD opportunities near transit facilities. Hear from public and academic leaders about how these initiatives have spurred TOC development and ridership, then join a discussion about best practices.
Jelena Lasko, Senior Transportation Planner, New Jersey Department of Transportation, Ewing Township, NJ
Megan Massey, AICP, PP, Assistant Director of Transportation Friendly Planning, New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit), Newark, NJ
Jon Carnegie, Executive Director, Voorhees Transportation Center, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
Philadelphia North
With its Regional Rail Master Plan complete, SEPTA is conducting a Manayunk/Norristown Corridor Study to model higher frequencies and new infrastructure. At the same time, the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority (SRPRA) is evaluating the proposed Reading to Philadelphia passenger rail project. Get to know more about the project development process for these rail corridors. Then provide “open house” input on TOC planning and multi-modal connectivity, including how to engage elected officials on projects. There will be open house style displays for group discussion and one-on-one input.
Thomas Frawley, Executive Director, Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, Reading, PA
Joe Clemens, AICP, Manager, Strategic Planning, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA
Pankaj Jobanputra, AICP, Planner / Project Manager, Simone Collins Landscape Architecture, Norristown, PA
Howard Brown, Senior Program Officer, Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation, Pottstown, PA
Matthew Popek, AICP, Transportation Planning Assistant Manager, Montgomery County Planning Commission, Norristown, PA
4:55 pm – 5:00 pm Freedom Ballroom
Jody Holton, AICP, Chief Planning & Strategy Officer, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA
Ariella Maron, Executive Director, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), Philadelphia, PA
Join AIA Philadelphia, Green Building United, Preservation Alliance, and ULI Philadelphia for the second annual Philadelphia Urban Resilience Forum.
This year’s forum will explore strategies and case studies for property owners and communities to mitigate climate hazards such as extreme heat and flooding. Join us for a series of conversations exploring urban resilience across multiple scales, from the regional scale to the neighborhood scale and finally, to the property scale. The Urban Resilience Forum will be a half-day program with three sessions featuring guest speakers presenting case studies, moderated conversations, and audience Q&A. The program will include lunch and networking breaks.
Credits: 3 AICP Credits approved
https://philadelphia.uli.org/events/detail/DEAD6AA8-CFC6-42D4-8784-E9E892A4A39D/