Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

Title

Valley OnBoard: Toward a 20-year Vision for an Accessible, Equitable, Efficient Network for PVTA

Publication Date

Fall 12-2021

Comments

This report was prepared by the students in the Fall 2021 Regional Planning (RP 675) studio under the supervision of Dr. Camille Barchers as part of an FTA grant and subcontract with the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (AK0000000016809 PVTA HOPE PV-TRIPS PRIME USDOT).

Abstract

Massachusetts’ largest regional transit authority (RTA) partnered with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass) on a two-year project. The goal of this project was to analyze and redesign the current transit network and service offerings to enhance equity and economic vitality throughout its service area in Hampshire and Hampden counties. The UMass project, dubbed Valley On Board (VOB), is part of a larger Pioneer Valley Transit Review and Improvement Planning Study (PV-TRIPS) that also included an update to the comprehensive regional transit plan. Funded by a Helping Obtain Prosperity for Everyone (HOPE) grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the US Department of Transportation, Valley On Board advances the goal of the Federal HOPE Program, which is to improve public transit in areas of persistent poverty in the U.S. The Fall 2021 UMass Regional Planning Studio’s portion of the two-year project proposes a set of route alternatives to improve transit outcomes over the next 20 years for riders throughout the Pioneer Valley, with a specific focus on those living in areas that meet the State’s criteria for Environmental Justice Communities (EJCs).

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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