10,000 friends of pennsylvania is the leading statewide and regional voice for creating great places to live and work. Founded in 1998, we advocate for policies and investments that build and sustain walkable, healthy communities for all pennsylvanians -- neighborhoods that enhance health, foster innovation, create opportunity and transform communities. As a recognized authority on responsible land use, we partner with and provide technical assistance to government officials, non-profit organizations and the private sector on policy and development solutions that enhance the natural and built environments through our integrated work on land use, infrastructure, community design and opportunity for all. Our work improves community quality of life in our state's diverse cities, towns, older suburbs, and rural communities. This alliance includes over 170 endorsing organizations representing over 300,000 pennsylvanians. 10,000 friends of pennsylvania envisions a commonwealth in which its c

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Smart community-based transportation - linking local and regional land use with infrastructure resources, especially transportation dollars, is critical to encouraging responsible land use. 10,000 friends is a pioneer in developing public policy and investment strategies that help state, regional and local agencies achieve these objectives. The following activities are delivering on this strategy: - regional transportation technical assistance - 10,000 friends is working on several community transportation initiatives around the commonwealth: - assist communities in submitting multi-modal projects. Now that the state's new multi-modal fund is operational, we are assisting communities in developing, prioritizing, and submitting quality community projects. We are now working with municipalities and urban planners to assist them in leveraging this new source of funding in order to have maximum impact and value for their efforts to revitalize and redevelop their communities. - regional transportation performance measures. 10,000 friends is assisting and advocating with regional metropolitan planning organizations (mpos) for the adoption of new transportation performance measures, to be applied as project selection criteria to future projects. - regionally-funded smart community transportation programs. Advocated for the creation of new smart community transportation programs at the county or local level, and the expansion of existing program at the regional level. Several counties have been identified as ideal for this opportunity and are targeted for regional program development. - allegheny county - a partnership with allegheny county to educate local officials and transportation investment decision-makers about the public health and community development benefits resulting from community-based transportation investments. New opportunities have been identified to employ our healthy communities action team to assist local communities in determining how to redevelop in ways that will promote healthier living, with more green space, walkable places and easy access to fresh food and other community serving services for all residents regardless of income. - montgomery county - 10,000 friends has been actively testifying and communicating in support of septa's proposed king of prussia rail extension project which will connect the norristown regional rail line to the king of prussia mall and related businesses. Kop is a massive employment center without any rail connection. This initiative portends to be a game changer for the region. 10,000 friends has worked with the local business and civic coalition supporting the effort to promote public acceptance and educate regional leaders. 10,000 friends board chair testified at the main public hearing held in november 2017. Work on this initiative will continue into 2018 and beyond. - supporting local partners - 10,000 friends works with municipal and county entities to demonstrate the benefits of coordinated transportation investments and to facilitate the establishment of local programs that create local sources of transportation funding. land use and environmental issues of statewide significance - state multi-modal fund development history - concept research and development undertaken by 10,000 friends to demonstrate the land use, environmental, and economic benefits of coordinated multi-modal investments. This work culminated in november of 2013 when the pennsylvania general assembly passed and the governor signed into law act 89, the pennsylvania transportation bill. The legislation as passed includes line-item funding for a first-time ever "multi-modal fund. " 10,000 friends played a critical role in educating stakeholders, legislators and the public about the benefits of such a permanent fund. We seek to maximize state investment in communities' multi-modal projects, making pennsylvania's transportation system more sustainable. These community- level multi-modal improvemen