ABOUT THE PIONEER VALLEY
The Pioneer Valley Region is comprised of 43 communities and is home to over 628,000 people based on the results of the 2020 census. Located in the Midwestern section of Massachusetts and bisected by the Connecticut River, the region is the fourth largest metropolitan area in New England, covering an area of 1,179 square miles. The region is extremely diverse in that it is comprised of a mixture of urban, suburban and rural communities.
Some highlights include:
• Nearly 4400 roadway miles
• 685 bridges
• 41 fixed transit routes and shuttles
• Over 50 miles of shared use paths
• Passenger Rail service connecting to New Haven, CT
• ValleyBike Share Program in 8 communities
RTP DEVELOPMENT
Staff at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission(PVPC) are currently working on the 2024 Update to the RTP. Over the next few months,draft versions of the RTP will be available for public review and comment. This process began
in October through attendance at local Farmers Markets and will continue into June of next year when a draft plan will be available for public
review and comment. A complete schedule of RTP activities is available on PVPC’s website:www.pvpc.org.
RTP VISION, GOALS and EMPHASIS AREAS
The Pioneer Valley region strives to create and maintain a safe, dependable, resilient, environmentally sound, and equitable transportation system for all. We pledge to balance performance based strategies and projects that promote sustainable development, reduced use of fossil fuels, healthy and livable communities, provide for efficient movement of people and goods, advance economic vitality and enhance connectivity in the region.
5 EMPHASIS
1. Safety and Security
2. The Movement of People
3. The Movement of Goods
4. The Movement of Information
5. Sustainability
13 GOALS
1. Safety
2. Operations and Maintenance
3. Environment
4. Coordination
5. Energy Efficiency
6. Cost Effectiveness
7. Intermodal Access
8. Multimodal Choices
9. Economic Productivity
10. Quality of Life
11. Environmental Justice
12. Land Use
13. Climate Change
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Gathering public input is an important part of the development of the RTP. PVPC staff collects, analyzes and summarizes all comments and responses received throughout the RTP planning process. This information helps to refine the plan and ensure that it reflects community values and interests. The continued growth of shared mobility services, maintenance needs of roadways and bridges, impact of self-driving vehicles, and expansion of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure are just a few of the transportation issues that must be addressed in the latest update to the RTP for the Pioneer Valley. For more information and to submit comments
on the RTP, please visit: www.pvpc.org