Note: This letter was also sent to the chairs of each county's panel whose addresses were listed.

RE:     Draft 2007-2010 Transportation Improvement Program for Southwestern Pennsylvania

Dear Dr. Hassinger:

The recently released “Regional Strategic Vision for Public Transportation Serving Southwestern Pennsylvania,” (Transit Vision) developed by and through extensive public participation, describes regionally integrated strategies that promote focused growth to support public transportation investments in Southwestern Pennsylvania .

The report addresses transportation and also recommends land use and development patterns that can maximize not only the effectiveness and service of public transportation but guide future economic investment decisions. Recognizing the constraints of adequate future funding, the report recommends a Focused Growth Regional Development Scenario that directs growth and investments to existing downtowns, brownfields adjacent to rivers, urban corridors, regional centers, and greenfields with existing transit access.

Sustainable Pittsburgh recommends that the projects currently being considered on the Draft 2007-2010 TIP be evaluated, qualitatively and qualitatively, for the extent in which they advance the Focused Growth Scenario. We urge that this assessment be made publicly available and used by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission as a means to program and prioritize projects on the TIP in step with the Transit Vision.

Sincerely,

Court Gould