A note about
Valley On Board
This project is sponsored by the Pioneer Valley
Transit Authority through a sub-award from their
FTA-funded HOPE grant, Pioneer Valley Transit Review and Improvement Planning Study (PV-TRIPS).
UMass Award ID: 016809-00002
What is Valley On Board?
We are a group of Regional Planning students at UMass Amherst who have been employed by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority to collaborate in creating a 20 year plan that is Accessible, Equitable, and Efficient. This work has taken place across two semesters: Fall Studio 2021, and Fall Studio 2022.
During the first Studio, Valley On Board collected data on the current state of the Valley. This was then used for a scenario planning process that yielded four possible futures, and four possible PVTA route recommendations.
During the second Studio, Valley On Board used last year’s insights to create a set of public engagement activities designed to solicit feedback on possible route redesigns. From this feedback, the team created a final recommendation.
HOPE: Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone Program
In keeping with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s focus on addressing the deteriorating conditions and disproportionately high fatality rates on our rural transportation infrastructure, Federal Transit Authority’s Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone (HOPE) Program supports projects that will address the transportation challenges faced by areas of persistent poverty.
On October 7, 2020, Federal Transit Authority announced 25 projects in 17 states will receive a share of approximately $8.5 million in funding through the Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone (HOPE) program.
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) was awarded grant funds for the Pioneer Valley Transit Review and Improvement Planning Study (PV-TRIPS) to conduct a comprehensive assessment and strategic planning of routes, services and facilities to inform the design of a sustainable transit system to support economic vitality across the Pioneer Valley.
As one of PVTA’s key partners on the HOPE project, the Department of Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning (LARP) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst will support the development of the network design and the stakeholder engagement program.You can learn more about the students involved here.
