You can feel it in the air—change. Not the kind that sneaks in quietly, but the kind that rumbles beneath your feet. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, it’s not just one thing shifting. It’s everything. Our people, our neighborhoods, our economy, even our weather—it’s all evolving.

And honestly? That’s not a bad thing.

What matters is how we respond. That’s where SmartMoves for a Changing Region comes in. It’s not just a government report collecting dust on a shelf. It’s a real plan with real projects aimed at helping real people. It’s about meeting change with intention and shaping a region that works—now and long down the road.

Let’s talk about what that actually means.

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So What Is the Big Vision?

Picture this: you wake up in a walkable neighborhood, hop on reliable public transit, and get to work without stress. The air’s cleaner, your street’s safer, and your town is actually growing—not shrinking. Your kid has access to high-speed internet, no matter what part of the region you live in. That’s not a pipe dream. That’s the Regional Vision.

Here’s how they put it:

“A world-class, safe and well-maintained, connected multimodal transportation system that provides mobility for all, empowers resilient and sustainable communities, and supports a globally competitive economy.”

In short? Better buses. Smarter streets. Greener cities. More jobs. More access. Less stress.

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Big Goals, Bigger Stakes

The SmartMoves plan stands on three legs. Without any one of them, the stool wobbles.

1. Connected Mobility

It’s not just about cars anymore. We’re talking buses, bikes, walking paths, rail lines, broadband, and—yep—connected and autonomous vehicles. The idea is to create a system where everything flows together. Think of it like a regional bloodstream: the better it circulates, the healthier everything becomes.

Some standout ideas here:

• Expanding transit hubs.
• Better linkages between rural areas and cities.
• Safer bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
• High-speed internet in places that have been skipped over.
  

And let’s be real—mobility is about more than movement. It’s about access. Access to jobs, healthcare, education, even joy. Equity is baked into the plan from the start.

2. Sustainable and Resilient Communities

This one hits close to home. Literally. It’s about revitalizing the neighborhoods that built this region—without bulldozing what makes them special. Instead of sprawl, think infill. Instead of demolition, think creative reuse. And yes, that includes making room for green infrastructure and tackling climate risks head-on.

Key takeaways:

• Turn vacant buildings into housing, retail, or community space.
• Invest in stormwater management (because floods are no joke).
• Support affordable housing and complete streets.
• Leverage broadband to connect rural and urban communities alike.
  

It’s the kind of work that takes patience and grit. But it’s the stuff that keeps communities alive, not just on a map, but in spirit.

3. A Globally Competitive Economy

You know that phrase “if you build it, they will come”? It’s not always true. But if you train your workforce, invest in next-gen infrastructure, and build high-speed digital roads alongside physical ones—then yeah, they might just come.

What this looks like in practice:

• Preparing workers for jobs in robotics, AI, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing.
• Prioritizing infrastructure that fuels innovation (like tech-ready corridors).
• Building out energy storage hubs and supporting decarbonization industries.
• Making broadband non-negotiable across the entire region.
  

This isn’t about being Silicon Valley. It’s about being Southwestern PA—strong, smart, and self-sufficient.

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The Human Side of Infrastructure

Let’s take a beat and talk people. Because infrastructure isn’t just concrete and steel—it’s stories. It’s a mom getting her kid to daycare on time because the bus came when it was supposed to. It’s a retired steelworker biking safely to a community garden. It’s a high schooler in Greene County who can finally log onto Zoom without their screen freezing.

SmartMoves doesn’t just throw money at problems. It’s about fitting projects to the lives of the people who live here. That’s why things like Complete Streets, transit equity, and public engagement matter. Because if the fix doesn’t feel human, it’s not really a fix.

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Turning Plans Into Pavement‍

We’ve seen plans like this before. Some stay stuck in PowerPoint land. But SmartMoves comes with teeth. It connects directly to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)—basically, the funding roadmap that makes things happen.

And the vision isn’t just pie-in-the-sky. Some projects are already underway:

• Downtown to Oakland BRT: Streamlined, frequent buses between two key economic hubs.
• Trail expansions: From Etna to Freeport, new connections are happening.
• Modernizing Route 30 and other high-priority corridors: Better traffic flow, safer roads.
• Broadband expansion across rural counties: Laying fiber, not just talking about it.
  

Still, let’s not sugarcoat it—funding is tight. We’re not fully covered for everything the region needs. That’s why the plan puts such a strong emphasis on collaboration: public + private, urban + rural, big ideas + local needs. Because nothing gets built without people pulling in the same direction.

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What’s Next? And Why Should You Care?

Coming out of COVID, there’s a collective feeling that we’ve got to do better—at planning, at building, at caring for the places we live. SmartMoves is part of that.

It’s about future-proofing. About connecting the dots between where we are and where we could be. And honestly? It’s about time.

This plan matters whether you’re a commuter in Cranberry, a small business owner in Charleroi, or a college kid in Oakland. Because it’s your roads, your internet, your neighborhood, your air, and your future.

The work’s already started. The question is: do we keep the momentum, or do we stall out waiting for someone else to fix it?

You know what? Let’s move.

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Check out the PDF https://www.spcregion.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/PD10155_Executive-Summary-Sept-2023.pdf