The Task Ahead

Goals for the Future

An informed public is a powerful force. S.A.V.E. will continue to educate the public that there is a viable alternative to major roadway expansion. We will provide expertise that anchors effective public proponents of that choice. S.A.V.E. will continue outreach to elected officials, candidates and agency officials at all levels about the policy changes needed to make the smart growth principles of joint land use and transportation planning a reality.

A successful outcome for Route 41 will have statewide and even national implications. We have developed a model approach to community-centered roadway improvements. Success is contagious, and can dramatically change public policy. Our goal is to incorporate safe, sustainable, conservation-minded solutions in balance with the transportation needs of road improvement projects.

Some of the first winds of change were felt in late 2004 when U. S. Representative Joseph Pitts and Mr. Timothy O'Brien from PennDOT District 6 announced that the PA 41 improvement project would be "right-sized" and not only consider transportation needs but also land use goals and agricultural preservation. Thus, it appeared that PennDOT was moving away from plans to convert PA 41 to a superhighway. Since that time, much more has been accomplished. Collectively, this is great news. The impacts of our steady efforts are showing everywhere, and events are unfolding quickly. We are poised to make the two-lane alternative a reality on PA 41 and to influence other road, land use and conservation-related issues throughout southern Chester County.

Despite such progress, our work is far from done. According to the Chester County Planning Commission, all of the remaining open space in Chester County currently available for development, will either be developed into commercial, industrial or residential use or be permanently protected as open space within the next fifteen years! The S.A.V.E. board of directors, board of advisors, honorary board members and many other volunteers are all working to protect, even improve, the quality of life in our area by making sure that conservation opportunities are maximized and not counteracted by infrastructure projects such as transportation improvements that induce accelerated development. Your involvement is important to our success and is necessary to keep S.A.V.E. strong and sustain our efforts at this critical juncture. There are a variety of ways you can support S.A.V.E.'s efforts. And, with your help we can report even brighter news throughout 2006.