The City of Philadelphia, SEPTA, and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) Receive National Recognition with 'A Better Tomorrow' Awards
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Contact information: Maureen Farrell, Vice President, The 82 Alliance
*All photos courtesy of SEPTA
Philadelphia, March 5, 2026: The 82 Alliance recognized the City of Philadelphia, DVRPC, and SEPTA with its Annual 'A Better Tomorrow' Awards on Thursday, March 5, 2026. The 'A Better Tomorrow Awards' are annual awards designed to recognize organizations, nationally and internationally, that are making investments to help reduce trips, enhance the built environment, and improve equity and accessibility. Mobility and climate are interconnected, and to improve our climate, health, accessibility, and equity, we need to improve our mobility options.
"As a nonprofit mobility think tank, we believe it is imperative to recognize organizations making investments to improve transportation mobility within cities and communities. Our 'A Better Tomorrow' Awards are an opportunity to recognize national and international organizations that have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to improving mobility options to reduce trips, enhance our built environments, and improve the overall equity, health, and accessibility of our communities, " Rob Henry, President, The 82 Alliance.
Serving the Greater Philadelphia region for more than 60 years, DVRPC convenes partners across a nine-county, two-state region to increase mobility choices, protect and preserve natural resources, and create healthy communities that foster greater opportunities for all. As the Metropolitan Planning Organization, DVRPC’s Connections 2050 plan serves as a blueprint for prioritizing $78 billion in capital transportation investment in the region by 2050. It considers future population growth, economic trends, environmental concerns, and technological advancements to guide investments in roads, public transit, biking, walking infrastructure, and other transportation modes. The long-range planning programs DVRPC is implementing not only benefit its employees, but also the residents and employees working in the Greater Philadelphia region.
"DVRPC appreciates the recognition of Greater Philadelphia's Long-Range Plan, Update: Connections 2050," said DVRPC executive director Ariella Maron. "To realize our region's shared vision for a modern, safe, and multimodal transportation system that supports our economy, communities, and environment, DVRPC continues to build regional consensus around transportation investment priorities, enable data-based, community-centered solutions, and help put plans into action.”
The City of Philadelphia’s workforce is supported by transit-rich corridors and Center City's highly walkable environment provides convenient access to workplaces, services, and amenities. Additionally, bike parking is available at numerous City facilities, supporting employees who choose to commute by bicycle. During transit disruptions, departments coordinate informal carpooling to maintain continuity of operations. Together, these programs expand travel options, reduce commuting costs, and support the City’s mobility and sustainability goals.
“We are grateful to be recognized with our partners by the 82 Alliance for our collaboration and commitment to find new and better ways for public transportation to be more accessible, safer, and easier for residents and City employees in all areas of Philadelphia,” said Christopher Puchalsky, OTIS Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, City of Philadelphia.
The City of Philadelphia offers a range of commuter benefits to support diverse travel needs. Over 85% of employees have access to the SEPTA Key Advantage program, which provides fully-subsidized unlimited transit access across the SEPTA network. Employees may also participate in a pre-tax parking program to offset eligible driving expenses and can enroll in discounted Indego bikeshare memberships to support active and first/last-mile commuting.
"Our SEPTA Key Advantage program is critical for so many of our employees—not just as a way to get to and from work, but as a tool to help stretch paychecks and access every corner of our great city. The City of Philadelphia looks forward to continuing to provide its employees with a vibrant work environment, comprehensive healthcare and benefits, and the experiences they need to grow and excel as they make an impact in our communities," said Marsha Greene-Jones, Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer for Benefits Administration, City of Philadelphia.
With over 9,000 employees, SEPTA is the 6th largest mass transit system in the U.S., transporting approximately 750,000-800,000 daily trips throughout the five-counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. SEPTA service – on a multi-modal network of buses, trains and trolleys – helps to drive Pennsylvania’s most economically productive region. As SEPTA continues to manage through significant budget challenges, the organization remains focused on improving safety, service reliability, accessibility, and improving the customer experience. This will be a consequential year for SEPTA with progress on major initiatives and providing critical service during the World Cup and throughout the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations.
“SEPTA is honored to receive a 2026 ‘A Better Tomorrow’ Award from The 82 Alliance,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer. “Sustainable SEPTA service connects people to opportunity and catalyzes economic activity. Transit is worthy of public investment, and the mobility we provide every day helps this region and the Commonwealth achieve shared goals.”
Below is a full list of the national and international organizations recognized with 82 Alliance’s A Better Tomorrow Awards. The 82 Alliance will produce a report that will highlight data on how the award recipients are working towards creating a better tomorrow. This report will be available at www.82alliance.com.
Actionfigure
Alexandria Transit Company
Amazon
Bowman Consulting
Brandywine Realty Trust
CalTrans
Center for Urban Transportation Research
City of Philadelphia
DS&MG
DVRPC
GoBike Buffalo
Google
Jawnt
LaBella Associates
LandDesign
Liftango
Maryland DOT
Metropolitan Council
Movability Austin
Nashville DOT
One Commute
Penn State University
Princeton University
RK&K
SEPTA
Smart Mobility Associates
Sowinski Sullivan Architects
Steer
Tennessee DOT
Texas A&M University
THA Consulting
The Transit Alliance
Urban Engineers
Virginia Tech University
Vanderbilt University
Vanguard
WeDriveU
The 82 Alliance is a non-profit mobility think tank reimagining how people move throughout our communities. We want to plan a better tomorrow. If we work together, we can create a better future for all. www.82alliance.com.
Contact us:info@82alliance.com
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