At a July 7 news conference, Mayor Dana L. Redd joined officials from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), Camden County, and City of Philadelphia to announce $1.8 million in grants. The grants, made possible through the DVRP’s Transportation and Community Development Initiative (TCDI) program, will support 26 revitalization projects throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.

One of those projects will include the planning and redesign of Camden’s Walter Rand Transportation Center. Leveraging support from various regional and federal partners, the Walter Rand center will undergo improvements that will increase its efficiency as a central transit hub for the PATCO High Speed Line, in addition to NJ Transit Bus and River Line services.

DVRPC Board Secretary and Freeholder Director, Louis Capelli, Jr. spoke to those in attendance about how the planned modernization of Walter Rand Transportation Center will be critical to the city’s future growth.

“It’s important that we take a look at Walter Rand and make sure that businesses and both current and future residents of Camden City have access to good public transportation. It is the vision of the Freeholder Board and the City of Camden to transform this building into a world class transportation center for the South Jersey region.”

Mayor Redd praised the DVRPC for their continued support in helping communities realize their visions of growth and improved quality of life for residents. “For the past 15 years, the TCDI program has served as a start to developing that vision by providing essential planning funds. Programs like [TCDI] act as a catalyst, laying the foundation for larger plans to come.”

Implemented in 2002, the TCDI grant program was created by DVRPC to address trends of disinvestment and decline in the region’s core cities. By placing a focus on linkage between land use strategies and transportation planning, cities will experience growth that culminates from a number of processes that include enhancing existing transportation structures, reinforcing and implementing improvements in designated centers, and supporting local planning projects that will lead to additional residential, employment, and commercial opportunities.

Barry Seymour, Executive Director of the DVRPC spoke about the program's holistic approach in which he said, “The TCDI program provides a mechanism for municipalities to undertake and address local priorities, which in turn helps build our vision for an economically strong and sustainable region.”

The 2017 funding marks the 9^th grant that the city has received from the DVRPC. “Through the TCDI grants, the City of Camden has fostered new partnerships with private and public entities and has been able to reach residents who wish to be a part of Camden’s rebirth,” said Mayor Redd. “With today’s announcements, we want to solidify our commitment to improving local communities while helping our region to become a destination where people want to live, work, and invest.”