Chester County Freight Plan
Posted August 23, 2023
Every day, Chester County's roads and rails transport a variety of goods to locations both inside and outside of the county. The impacts of the county's freight network were recently addressed in the Chester County Freight Plan, which was presented at the Chester County Planning Commission's August Board Meeting by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC)'s Freight Program Manager, Kristen Scudder.
Having been heavily involved in the development of the plan, Scudder discussed the ways that the freight plan (which stemmed from an action item under the Landscapes3 Connect goal) provides an important vision for the future of Chester County.
Her presentation included an overview of the plan's two phases, with the first focusing on the freight system — activities and areas of concern, public outreach, etc. The second phase was the creation of the action plan, with recommendations and strategies broken down into the following six goals: safety; efficiency; preservation and identity; environment; economic development; and community and place.
"This plan and looking at the freight transportation system is so critical because both the road and rail networks are a huge asset to Chester County, as they support industries that are vital components of not only the county economy, but also form part of the county identity," Scudder explained. “Understanding and planning for that freight activity — which supports businesses, communities, supplies the goods that make our communities livable and retail stores for us to shop at, restaurants, institutions, and even packages that you receive at your home — is critical in order to plan for them."
This collaborative effort included a mix of public and private stakeholders, along with DVRPC's project team and CCPC's Multimodal Transportation Planning Director, Brian Styche.
The Chester County Freight Plan is available online.
Thank you to those who helped to identify concerns to inform the development of a Freight Action Plan for Chester County!