By Amanda Lozinak,

Continuing to raise awareness on initiatives for “livable communities” the Transportation Management Association of Chester County (TMACC) is hosting Shari Schaftlein, Director of Human Environment of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as their guest speaker for their Annual Meeting on Friday, June 24th.  

Transportation improvements such as train stations, bike lanes, sidewalks and land use reviews, support the concepts of new urbanism which focus on place making and livability.  

More and more communities in the Delaware Valley rank nationally on a range of “Best places to…”, not because of their roads but on the quality of place, options available for mixed use between work and recreation and ease of alternative transportation options.

“People are looking for options to commute or travel; time has value.” says Tim Phelps, Executive Director of TMACC. “Today, much of the redevelopment occurring in Chester County focuses on the ease of people’s access from their home to their place of work whether it’s via public transportation, ride sharing or connections to a trail.”

TMACC has been advocating for a shift towards more livable communities since 1991.  However, Phelps says that it is easier now to promote cleaner transportation options like biking to work and taking public transportation because funding is available for alternative modes of transportation.  

“People are looking for a community where they can live, work and play.  This can only be achieved through appropriate planning and policies.” Said Phelps.  For the past 10 years, Shari Schaftlein, Director of Human Environment at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been promoting context sensitive design and multimodal concepts.

“It’s all about creating ‘livable communities,’” said Shari Schaftlein, “Livability is tying the quality and location of transportation facilities to broader opportunities such as access to good jobs, affordable housing, quality schools, and safer streets and roads.  

“The Greater Philadelphia area is booming right now and communities need to be ready to put these practices into place to continue to make their locations a desirable place to live.”

TMACC’s Annual Meeting is on Friday, June 24th from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Waynesborough Country Club in Paoli.  The event is open to the public.

You can register for the Annual Meeting here.