By Mason Fish
SPC
5/29/2026

Every few years, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) works through a planning process that quietly shapes how people move throughout the region. Roads are repaired. Bridges get replaced. Bus fleets get updated. The decisions made during this cycle have ripple effects that can last years, and right now residents have had an opportunity to be a direct part of it.

Active subscribers of the SPC Newsletter will already be familiar with Built to Thrive: The Long Range Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania (currently SmartMoves), which will establish a 25-year vision for how our region grows, connects, and moves. But as some readers will already know, a vision that massive can’t be implemented all at once.

Instead, it comes to life through a series of shorter-term investment blueprints known as Transportation Improvement Programs, or TIPs. Each TIP serves as a four-year steppingstone that translates those bigger picture regional goals into real-world, funded projects.

Right now, SPC is in the final stretch of an important planning cycle. Earlier in May, the Draft 2027–2030 TIP was officially made viewable to the public on the commission’s website, and the public comment period has been active throughout the month. As we head into the first week of June 2026, residents still have a window to review the draft program and provide comments.

What’s New?

This upcoming edition of the TIP outlines a $4.7 billion regional investment over the next four years across our 10-county region. The funding is split into two major categories (Public Transit and Highway/Bridge.  For those who closely track our regional infrastructure or follow SPC, this program marks a subtle but important evolution as the draft continues proactive asset preservation. In essence, this means saving taxpayer money by dedicating more resources to extending the life of the region’s transportation infrastructure through preservation activities, rather than relying strictly on a more traditional and reactionary repair strategy.

The region is allotted $2.7 billion in funding for the Transit TIP, with projects focusing heavily on system operations and reliability. This money will keep transit systems running smoothly across the region, fund crucial bus and rail maintenance, upgrade local stations, and purchase more than 450 new buses and shared-ride vehicles.

$2 billion is dedicated to highways and bridges, targeting the region’s most urgent roadway needs., For example the TIP will invest over $880 million in projects to address poor bridges and to preserve and extend the life of good bridges,  a targeted effort projected to drop our region’s poor-bridge count by more than 13%.

Over $750 million of the Highway/Bridge TIP are on projects within a mile of critical regional freight facilities, recognizing the industrial, manufacturing, and distribution activity that sustains Southwestern PA’s economy and keeps goods moving through the region. Additionally, another large chunk goes toward system reliability improvements like signal upgrades and Intelligent Transportation System communications, investments that tend to be less visible but have a real effect on how smoothly traffic flows from day to day.

Beyond standard paving and transit operations, the program weaves in essential upgrades throughout our daily commutes. Instead of breaking these down into endless individual line-item budgets, the TIP groups hundreds of millions of dollars into broader modernization priorities. This includes funding for intersection upgrades, roundabouts, and landslide remediation at high-risk locations, alongside flood mitigation to protect aging infrastructure from the ever-changing weather patterns of Southwestern PA.

Whether someone drives on a state highway every morning, rides a bus through Pittsburgh, or walks a shared-use path on the weekend, the TIP has something to say about the quality of each of those experiences.

It’s important to make note of the fact that these are not distant infrastructure abstractions. They are the bridges people cross, the buses people ride, and the roads people navigate every single day, which is exactly why public input is so critical for our organization during this process!

The projects in the TIP reflect years of data, community feedback, and regional priorities, and resident voices that are part of how those priorities get shaped. Two in-person public meetings still remain before the public comment period officially closes on June 5, and both offer the chance to speak directly with SPC staff, PennDOT representatives, county planners, and local transit operators.

The final open-house meetings are scheduled for early next month, offering a chance to speak directly with SPC staff, PennDOT representatives, and local transit operators during the vital last week of the public comment period:ations, and purchase more than 450 new buses and shared-ride vehicles.

The remaining $2 billion is dedicated to highways and bridges, targeting the region’s most urgent roadway needs. Nearly half of that highway budget goes directly toward replacing or repairing poor-condition bridges, a targeted effort projected to drop our region’s poor-bridge count by more than 13%.

Furthermore, the plan extends well beyond roads and bridges. Over $750 million supports projects near regional freight facilities, recognizing the industrial, manufacturing, and distribution activity that sustains Southwestern PA’s economy and keeps goods moving through the region. Additionally, another large chunk goes toward system reliability improvements like signal upgrades and Intelligent Transportation System communications, investments that tend to be less visible but have a real effect on how smoothly traffic flows from day to day.

Beyond standard paving and transit operations, the plan weaves in essential upgrades throughout our daily commutes. Instead of breaking these down into endless individual line-item budgets, the TIP groups hundreds of millions of dollars into broader modernization priorities. This includes funding for intersection upgrades, roundabouts, and landslide remediation at high-risk locations, alongside flood mitigation to protect aging infrastructure from the ever-changing weather patterns of Southwestern PA.

Whether someone drives on a state highway every morning, rides a bus through Pittsburgh, or walks a shared-use path on the weekend, the TIP has something to say about the quality of each of those experiences.

It’s important to make note of the fact that these are not distant infrastructure abstractions. They are the bridges people cross, the buses people ride, and the roads people navigate every single day, which is exactly why public input is so critical for our organization during this process!

The projects in the TIP reflect years of data, community feedback, and regional priorities, and resident voices are part of how those priorities get shaped. Two in-person public meetings still remain before the public comment period officially closes on June 5, and both offer the chance to speak directly with SPC staff, PennDOT representatives, county planners, and local transit operators.

The final open-house meetings are scheduled for early next month, offering a chance to speak directly with SPC staff, PennDOT representatives, and local transit operators during the vital last week of the public comment period:

• Butler County: June 3 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Forward Township Municipal Building (207 Ash Stop Road, Evans City PA).
• Beaver County: June 4 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Beaver County Courthouse, Commissioners Meeting Room (810 Third St., Beaver PA).

If you are unable to attend the open houses, you can review the full draft documents and pin your thoughts directly to the interactive project map at spcregion.org or send your perspective via email to comments@spcregion.org before the window officially closes. SPC always reviews 100% of public comments, whether they are made digitally or in-person.

All in all, it’s easy to view a multi-billion dollar regional blueprint as an abstraction entirely out of our hands, but infrastructure plans are ultimately only as good as the local insights that shape them. Taking a few minutes to voice your perspective ensures that the next four years of development accurately reflect the people who live, work, and commute all across our region.

By Mason Fish
SPC
4/30/2026

On her first morning at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), Rena Liu-Belshe would never have predicted she would still be there 26 years later.

It was the Summer of 2000, and she had just arrived for her first day as the agency’s export assistance manager. By mid-morning, the organization had received devastating news — its executive director had passed away unexpectedly after being struck by a motor vehicle, and a team of people she had only just met was suddenly faced with an unimaginable loss. For most people, that kind of start might have been enough to reconsider. Rena stayed anyway.

Twenty-six years later, she is retiring as one of the longest-tenured members of the SPC team, leaving behind a program that has quietly shaped how Southwestern Pennsylvania businesses compete on a global stage.

Her colleagues celebrated her with a breakfast last week, a send-off that drew people from across the organization. For Rena, it was a fitting way to close a chapter defined far less by titles and trade missions than by the relationships she built along the way.

Rena’s Work at SPC

Ask Rena to explain her role, and she will stop you before you get too far into the phrase “international trade.”

“International trade is a pretty broad term,” she said. “But export is very specific. We only do export, and export is helping our people sell their product overseas.”

In practice, that means being the first call for a small regional business that woke up one morning to find an inquiry in its inbox from a buyer in Japan, Germany, or South Korea, and had no idea what to do next. The services SPC provides through the program are free to businesses, which Rena said is part of what made her work feel meaningful.

“I truly want to help this company,” she said. “I don’t have anything at stake whether you use my service or not. I’m not selling anything.”

The companies that come to her are almost always small, she said. Whether it be a family-owned manufacturer or a local food producer looking to test an overseas market, she would walk them through pricing strategy, export documentation, cultural differences in doing business abroad, and when to refer them to someone with more specialized knowledge.

“Today I’m talking with somebody selling coffee,” she said. “The next day, talking with somebody selling airplane parts. You just have to learn all kinds of different things.”

A Region on the Rise

Rena has worked under six Pennsylvania governors and watched the export landscape shift considerably. When she started, leading trade delegations to China was a major undertaking. She would serve as interpreter, guide, and logistics coordinator all at once. Today, she said, that kind of handholding is largely unnecessary.

Additionally, Rena has watched SPC itself transform. When she arrived, the organization was relatively unstructured and, in her words, operating well under the radar. A new executive director brought professional systems and a clearer organizational identity, but the organization remained largely unknown to the general public. She recalled a business owner who told her he had lived in Pittsburgh for decades and had never heard of SPC, only to discover at a bar one evening that his neighbor’s wife worked there.

That began to change in recent years. Rena credits the organization’s current leadership under Executive Director Rich Fitzgerald with raising SPC’s public profile significantly, bringing visibility to work that had always been strong but rarely celebrated.

“Before, we were a great book without a good cover,” she said. “Now we have that cover.”

Within the state’s export network, she said Southwestern Pennsylvania has emerged as what program partners now call a rising star, driven by the region’s growing technology sector and the attention it has attracted from state and national leaders.

What Will Rena Miss Most?

Rena confidently stated that she never once dreaded coming into the office. In nearly three decades, she could not recall a morning when she woke up and did not want to come in to work. That, she said, is not something everyone gets to say.

She will miss the people within the organization the most. Particularly, Jackie, her colleague of 17 years, whom she described as the second most important person in her Pittsburgh life after her husband. She also cited that loyalty as one of the reasons she decided it was finally time to go.

“If I keep working, Jackie never gets the chance to be promoted,” Rena said with a laugh. That was something she knew from her very first day.

Ultimately, retirement has turned out to be much less daunting than she originally expected. Her husband retired a few years ago and has barely slowed down, having enrolled in the Osher Lifelong Learning Program at Carnegie Mellon University, a national initiative that offers retirees the chance to take courses without the pressure of grades or exams. Rena has already followed him into the program.

There is also travel. She noted that she has been to Chile many times on business and never once made it to Patagonia, an iconic travel spot located at the Southern tip of Chile and Argentina, known for its stunning landscapes.

“My friends would always ask me, ‘You lived in Venezuela for so long, how have you never been to that place [Patagonia]?'” she said.

Last Christmas, along with her husband, sister, and brother-in-law, she finally went.

“Business travel and leisure travel are two completely different things,” she said. “You can go to a foreign country on business and probably never see the sky. When you go on your own, you can do whatever you want. You see the things that are meaningful.”

She plans to stay subscribed to the SPC newsletter. For an organization she stumbled into in one of the strangest ways imaginable, that feels about right.

By Mason Fish
SPC
3/31/2026

We are now less than 25 days away from the 2026 NFL Draft, which will take place in Pittsburgh from April 24 to 26, and with hundreds of thousands of fans expected to descend on the city, getting there smartly could be just as important as getting there at all.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) has played an important role in helping shape the regional transportation plan for this year’s draft. As the designated metropolitan planning organization for the region, SPC has worked alongside partner organizations to coordinate a comprehensive approach to moving fans safely throughout Pittsburgh and the surrounding region.  

A key part of that effort was ensuring that fans from outside of Allegheny County had real options for getting into Pittsburgh efficiently. 10 regional transit agencies across southwestern Pennsylvania will provide expanded and connected service during draft week, with express routes, extended hours and connections to park and ride locations that link directly into Pittsburgh’s transit system. 

The draft’s footprint spans two main areas: Point State Park on the Downtown side of the Allegheny River, and the North Shore near Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) and city officials have developed a comprehensive transportation plan to facilitate safe and efficient movement between the two sites, and in many cases, for free.  

Sheetz has partnered with PRT to make light rail and the Monongahela Incline completely free from April 23 through 25. The free-fare initiative covers all travel on the Red, Blue, and Silver lines with no tickets, transit cards or apps required to board. Fans can use the Gateway, Wood Street, Steel Plaza or First Avenue stations for rides to North Side Station. Riders should note that Allegheny Station will be closed April 22 through 25 and should plan to use North Side Station instead.  

Those looking for a more scenic option can walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge, which will be closed to vehicles and open exclusively to pedestrians as a dedicated gateway between the two draft sites. For a unique and distinctly Pittsburgh experience, the Gateway Clipper Fleet will also run shuttle boats throughout the weekend, connecting Point State Park to the Acrisure Stadium Quay, and more running between Station Square and PNC Park. 

For fans coming from outside the city or looking for a broader picture of their transit options, SPC Transit Staff has put together an interactive transportation planning map specifically built around the draft. The map, accessible at platform.remix.com, displays all active transit lines serving the greater Pittsburgh area during draft weekend, including bus routes, light rail lines, the inclines, and park and ride locations throughout the region. 

Using the map is straightforward. Visitors can toggle different transit lines and data layers on and off to focus on the routes most relevant to where they are coming from. A park and ride layer is also available, making it easy to identify the nearest lot, plan a route into the city, and avoid the congestion and parking challenges that come with any major downtown event. 

Regardless of where you’re coming from, the map offers a clear starting point for building your game plan before draft weekend arrives. It’s definitely worth taking a look at for those interested in maximizing efficiency. 

Additionally, city and transit officials are strongly recommending against fans driving into the city altogether during draft weekend. However, for those who must drive, the ParkPGH app allows users to track real-time parking availability. Carpooling is also encouraged to help reduce congestion in the Golden Triangle. Parking restrictions will be strictly enforced throughout the weekend, and vehicles in restricted areas may be ticketed or towed. 

Significant road closures will be in effect across Downtown and the North Shore in multiple phases. The most widespread closures run April 22 through 25 and include Federal Street, the 6th and 7th Street bridges, Penn Avenue from Stanwix Street to 9th Street, Liberty Avenue and several highway ramps into and out of the area. 

Road closure updates will be shared in advance of each phase and posted on the NFL OnePass app and pittsburghpa.gov, and PRT’s full transit guide for the draft can be found at rideprt.org/2026-draft/draft. 

Beyond the logistics, there is plenty to look forward to once fans arrive. Free public events at Point State Park and the North Shore include interactive fan experiences, a Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibit, food from local Pittsburgh restaurants, and live music. Fans are also invited to watch Round 1 on Thursday and Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday from the field at Acrisure Stadium. Draft picks begin at 8 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday, and noon Saturday. Doors will officially open at noon on Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday. 

However you plan to get there, officials agree on one thing: the earlier you plan, the better your weekend experience will be. 

By Mason Fish
SPC
2/27/2026

Earlier this month, a series of wrong-way crashes in our region captured the attention and concern of residents all across Southwestern Pennsylvania. When these incidents make headlines, they can cause urgent questions from people wondering how these types of crashes happen, and what we can do to stop them. This period also offers us an opportunity to highlight an important internal effort in the 2025 Regional Safety Action Plan. 

Developed by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), the Regional Safety Action Plan (RSAP) is a data-driven blueprint to save lives and prevent serious injuries across the region’s ten counties. Instead of reacting to each crash in isolation, the plan zooms out to see the bigger picture. It studies crash patterns, pinpoints high-risk corridors and intersections, and lays out coordinated strategies to make travel safer for everyone. 

Impact in the SPC Region 

Recent wrong-way crashes in Southwestern Pennsylvania have drawn eyeballs and reminded us that our roads are complicated systems shaped by design, driver behavior, and safety measures. In just the first ten days of February alone, there were four reported wrong-way crashes in the Pittsburgh region. 

While wrong-way crashes are historically uncommon, the consequences when they do occur tend to be extremely serious and tragic. According to SPC’s transportation experts, there is no true explanation for why they may occur. 

“It can be a variety of things,” SPC Transportation Operations and Safety Manager Evan Schoss explained. “Elderly or intoxicated drivers and other factors can contribute, but it can be hard to nail down sometimes.” 

This is part of the uncertainty that shows why careful safety planning is critical. Wrong-way crashes are just one piece of the larger safety puzzle. Speeding, impaired driving, distractions, and not wearing seat belts all contribute to thousands of serious and fatal crashes in our region each year. SPC’s RSAP zeroes in on these challenges, using data to find real solutions. 

About the RSAP 

The Regional Safety Action Plan helps guide decisions and investments to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries in Southwestern Pennsylvania. It supports the region’s long-term transportation goals and adds a local focus to Pennsylvania’s statewide safety plan. Our experts rely on data and community feedback to find where safety improvements are needed most. 

At its core, the plan is about achieving the fewest number of families changed forever by preventable crashes as possible. While the plan addresses many types of crashes and safety concerns, recent wrong-way incidents across the region have underscored why this work matters. 

The plan is based on a safe system approach, which means understanding that even careful drivers can make mistakes. Road design, policies, and programs should all work together to help prevent those mistakes from leading to tragedy. The RSAP looks beyond just roads and signs, but also considers human behavior, emergency response, working with local partners, and the needs of people walking or biking. 

Crashes are more than just numbers. From 2020 to 2024, nearly five thousand crashes in our region led to death or life-changing injuries. About one thousand of these were fatal, and the rest caused serious harm. With the attention drawn by recent wrong-way incidents, there is no better time to discuss how safety planning works and why it matters to everyone on the road.  

The RSAP gives planners, engineers, local leaders, and safety advocates shared tools to see where serious crashes happen, why they happen, and how to prevent them. By using crash data, census information, and details about roads, decision makers can find which intersections or roads need the most attention. It also emphasizes supporting safety for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. In addition, it encourages continued use of road safety audits and proven safety countermeasures to address locations with high rates of serious crashes. 

Because transportation safety is influenced by many factors, the plan recognizes that collaboration across agencies and jurisdictions is essential. SPC works with PennDOT, county officials, local municipalities, law enforcement, and other partners to implement actions from the plan and monitor progress over time. 

What Can You Do? 

All in all, planning and engineering are important, but how each person drives is still key to road safety. Every driver can take simple steps to help lower the risk of crashes. 

Always wearing a seat belt substantially increases the likelihood of surviving a crash. Avoid distractions like texting or adjusting music so you can stay focused on driving. Pay attention to road signs and only enter roads in the correct direction, especially at ramps and intersections. Staying alert and calm helps keep everyone safe. 

In addition to these personal steps, transportation agencies are seeking public input to better understand driving behaviors and priorities. PennDOT is currently conducting an online survey about traffic safety and driving habits. This survey covers topics including seat belt use, impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving, and the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. The survey takes about five minutes to complete and is open through February 28, 2026 and can be found here: www.pa.gov/dotsafety. 

By taking part, residents can help guide the creation of safety programs and determine where resources go. Public feedback is just as important as crash data and expert analysis. 

What’s Next? 

Reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries takes time and the involvement of planners, engineers, partners, and the public. The RSAP gives everyone a guide to make roads safer, and lays the groundwork for future projects, policies, and education to help stop incidents before they happen. 

After the recent wrong-way crashes, it makes sense that many people want to know how to prevent similar tragedies. While safety planning cannot solve everything, it gives us a way to understand the problems and work together on solutions. 

To learn more about the Regional Safety Action Plan and SPC’s ongoing safety work, visit spcregion.org to read the full plan and find helpful resources. 

By Mason Fish
SPC
1/30/2026

On the surface, long range planning can often be perceived as distant or overly technical. However, current decisions regarding jobs, transportation, and infrastructure have a direct impact on daily life in Southwestern Pennsylvania. These choices influence residents’ access to employment, business growth, and the long-term desirability of communities. 

At its core, the Long Range Plan is a guide that helps the region prepare for change and serves as a strategic roadmap for making smart future investments. 

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is recognized as both the region’s Economic Development District by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the Local Development District for the Appalachian Regional Commission. These roles let SPC bring together counties, towns, employers, educators, and residents to set priorities and coordinate resources across the region. 

In 2019, SPC combined the Long Range Transportation Plan and the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy into a single comprehensive plan. This approach recognizes the close link between economic development and transportation access and aims to deliver better results for the entirety of the region. 

Why Does It Matter? 

The Long Range Plan is designed to address a central question: What does Southwestern Pennsylvania require to remain as a strong, competitive, and livable region over the coming decades? 

The economic development side of the plan, called the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), is mandated by the federal government and helps the region qualify for funding. However, CEDS is also very strategy-driven in its aim to make the economy stronger and more resilient. It brings together public agencies, businesses, schools, and community groups to find the best ways to support the region’s economy. 

The transportation portion of the plan examines how people and goods move throughout the region. It covers roads, bridges, public transit, freight, and emerging transportation technologies. It also acknowledges a reality faced by every region: there will never be enough funding to do everything at once. Long range planning helps ensure that limited dollars are prioritized and spent where they can have the greatest impact. 

Together, these parts create a plan for regional growth, better infrastructure, and more opportunity. 

Understanding Both Sides 

Like many regions, Southwestern Pennsylvania is constantly undergoing demographic and economic changes. Since 2010, the region has experienced population decline, and several counties now have more residents over age 65 than youth. Nearly one-quarter of the population is past retirement age, resulting in workforce shortages across multiple industries. 

At the same time, the region produces tens of thousands of college graduates annually, yet a large percentage relocates elsewhere. Employers report challenges in filling open positions, even as sectors such as energy, healthcare, technology, and advanced manufacturing continue to evolve. 

The CEDS part of the Long Range Plan addresses these issues by building capacity. This means improving things like affordable housing, utilities, broadband, and redevelopment sites, as well as workforce training, partnerships, and leadership skills. 

This process helps communities and partners work together to find the best investments for economic growth and long-term stability. The strategy is updated every five years to keep up with changes and stay eligible for federal programs. 

Moreover, strong transportation systems are essential for economic development. People need safe and reliable ways to get to work, businesses need efficient routes to move goods, and seniors need access to services that help them stay independent and connected. 

The transportation system in the SPC region is diverse and complex, serving urban, suburban, and rural communities. Maintaining this infrastructure presents ongoing challenges, especially as assets age and funding remains constrained. 

Additionally, remote and hybrid work are changing how people travel, with less traditional commuting and a greater need for broadband and flexible transportation. The Long Range Transportation Plan helps SPC and its partners focus on safety, system upkeep, and keeping everyone connected. Even though road deaths have gone down, the goal still remains zero. Every investment is made with the belief that any loss of life is unacceptable. 

At the same time, the rise of electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and data centers is driving higher demand for power, land, and infrastructure. Long range planning helps the region prepare for these changes proactively, instead of reacting after they happen. 

What This Means for Residents 

All in all, even though the Long Range Plan spans multiple decades, its impact is felt every single day. It influences how projects are prioritized, how funding decisions are made, and how communities prepare for the future. 

For residents, the plan influences several key aspects including but not limited to: 

• Access to jobs and training opportunities 
• Safe and reliable transportation options 
• Community redevelopment and infrastructure investment 
• Long term economic stability for the region 

By integrating economic development and transportation planning, SPC wants to help ensure that investments work together rather than in isolation. The result is a more coordinated approach to growth that reflects shared regional goals. 

Overall, long range planning is about more than just forecasts and data. It focuses on working together and getting ready for what’s to come. By keeping the public involved and building partnerships, SPC’s Long Range Plan helps the region stay connected and ready for whatever comes next.