Butler County Commissioner Dale Pinkerton's views about long-range highway plans represent a good starting point.

The county and its municipalities need to make decisions reflecting the growth moving outward from Cranberry Township, even as far north as Slippery Rock by way of the Interstate 79 corridor.

Pinkerton put forth his opinions Friday at the annual breakfast meeting of the Community Development Corporation of Butler County.

But if the city of Butler and its environs are going to prosper in the decades ahead, not merely be the seat of county government and a "suburb" of booming Cranberry, comprehensive transportation studies must be carried out with the goal of connecting the city to a modern transportation network — with modern highways.

The situation that exists now speaks of poor vision over the last half-century and lackluster representation in Harrisburg and Washington in terms of working on the city's behalf.

Thus, the city doesn't have a straight, four-lane, limited-access link to Pittsburgh, which a modern Route 8 South would provide.

The city would benefit greatly from a direct, four-lane, limited-access link to Interstate 80, which a modern Route 8 North would provide.

The city needs an efficient, direct link to Cranberry, which Route 68 in its current form does not come close to providing.

Likewise, the city would achieve great economic benefits from a four-lane link to Route 28 — what Route 356 fails to provide.

Growth — and it could be properly managed growth — would spring forth around all of those new transportation assets, but officials must form a united front to plan, prioritize and then push for sought-after projects and improvements.

With the financial constraints in Harrisburg and Washington, it must be acknowledged that such planning would be for the long term. But planning for the long term must begin now, not be put on the shelf for someone else eventually to do.

In regard to the county and municipalities along Interstate 79 working together on a long-range development plan, Pinkerton said, "As people move to Cranberry Township to take these jobs, some are going to want (to buy land), and that corridor from Cranberry to Slippery Rock is where they'll find it."

He's correct. However, there also are numerous other development possibilities in the county beyond the immediate I-79 corridor. The county's rural character can be maintained — the goal of many county residents — even if better roads provide an economic boost by way of new industries, other new enterprises and additional homes.

Comprehensive planning will be the key.

During the big national highway construction boom of the 1950s, '60s and '70s, the theory was that once highways serving major metropolitan areas were completed, smaller cities such as Butler would then get theirs.

In some cases, such as with Butler, that didn't occur. And, as a result, there is no modern road to actually connect Butler to anywhere; there always are stretches of outdated roadways to navigate along the way.

Thus, the city is at an economic disadvantage in terms of competing with other areas, and will remain so as long as the current situation prevails.

Pinkerton and the other commissioners should shift into high gear the transportation planning to which Pinkerton alluded Friday. And included in that planning should be frequent contacts with state and federal transportation officials, as well as lawmakers who represent the county in the two capitals.

"In the past, I have felt that we (Butler County) have lost out on money because everyone applied for grants separately,"Pinkerton said.

That might have been part of the problem. However, he also should have made the point that the county's state and federal representatives didn't work hard enough on the county's behalf, neither in terms of identifying available funds nor in helping local officials plot strategies.

That must change if more than Cranberry and Adams townships and the Slippery Rock vicinity are to enjoy booming prosperity in the years ahead.

Pinkerton was on the right track, but his vision must extend beyond what he has identified. Focusing solely on one region will leave other regions at a disadvantage.