|
The Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD)'s bulletin is back! This semi-quarterly newsletter serves as a way for us to regularly communicate updates about upcoming meetings, projects, and grants to the communities we serve.
Be sure to check out this newsletter to learn about:
- New Regional Farmland Protection Initiative
- TIP and UPWP Development Updates
- Spring Time Technical Assistance Opportunities
| | |
The Comprehensive and Transportation Departments recently completed a corridor study of a 1.07-mile stretch of Route 103 near Swansea’s Ocean Grove neighborhood. The study’s multi-faceted approach highlights how SRPEDD can help communities develop or refine a vision for potential downtowns and village centers. First identified during the 2023 Comprehensive Planning Process, the project area highlights the alignment of several community goals in the plan’s Land Use, Economic Development, Transportation, and Natural and Cultural Resources chapters. Goals in these chapters all pointed to a section of Route 103 near the Ocean Groove neighborhood as having potential to become Swansea’s town center.
Thanks to funding from State Senator Rodrigues, SRPEDD staff were able to build on momentum from the Comprehensive Plan to continue work on refining the community’s vision through data analysis, public outreach, and design.
| | |
Data Analysis
Different analysis tools helped planners identify specific spots based on the corridors existing conditions.
| | Improvement Value to Land Value Ratio helps to signal which parcels have remaining untapped development potential | | Traffic analysis helped identify areas with high traffic volume and more dangerous intersections. | | |
Public Engagement
Materials helped residents get a clear idea of the corridor’s potential and possible recommendations.
| | An engaging video provided a project narrative accessible to many via Youtube. | | Community Partnerships with business owners along the corridor helped get the word out about upcoming workshops. | | |
Design Recommendations
The community’s involvement in the design process resulted clear visualizations of corridor improvements.
| | Visualization of the pedestrian improvement recommendations at Route 103/Macomber Intersection based on the planning process. | | | | SRPEDD is now collaborating with Swansea to develop a Mixed-Use Zoning Overlay Bylaw based on findings from the corridor study. Staff hope to continue working closely with local partners to develop projects that support community goals at the neighborhood level. | | |
SRPEDD, partnering with Wildlands Trust and Old Colony Planning Council, has officially launched the Southeastern MA Farmland Protection Initiative, a regional effort to strengthen municipal capacity to protect farmland across 44 communities in Bristol, Plymouth, and Norfolk Counties.
Supported by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Farmland Partnership Program, this initiative provides direct municipal outreach, workshops, and technical assistance to help communities respond to Right of First Refusal (ROFR) notices, utilize CPA funding, strengthen zoning tools, and proactively preserve agricultural land.
Over the next two years, the partners will host a municipal webinar series on land protection strategies and offer in-person consulting sessions around ROFR utilization, the use of CPA funds, and other Chapter 61A land protection strategies.
Contact Karen Pettinelli at kpettinelli@srpedd.org for more information.
| | Concerned with farmland loss in your community? | Sign up for project updates and webinar invitations here: | | |
Over the last year, SRAC purchased equipment for Canton and Mansfield, giving them the capability to transfuse whole blood in the field. In 2025, the program had 69 calls for service and transfused 21 separate patients who met the criteria. 18 of those patients survived to discharge as a result of the prehospital transfusion, including one patient who was in traumatic cardiac arrest and survived. Around 90% of those survivors would likely have died prior to arrival at the hospital without this treatment.
Additionally, the final draft of an official MA DPH Statewide protocol for Field Transfusion of Blood is slated to be released in the spring this year. “We are incredibly proud of that, as the protocol is a mirror image of our protocol at CFD. It actually includes a provision for Pediatric treatment, as well as utilizing the operational and logistical plan that I laid out for OEMS, and the transfusion paperwork that I developed with BMC.
| | |
"It feels like a huge win to see our hard work potentially resulting in statewide implementation of this life-saving program.” Said Leo Reardon, EMS Coordinator for Canton Fire Department.
To learn more about regional homeland security plans visit the Southeast Region Homeland Security Council (SRAC) Webpage.
|
| The Canton Fire Department stores blood in a temperature-controlled container for transfusions in the field. (Photo courtesy Leo Reardon/Canton Fire Department) | | |
In September 2025, SRPEDD staff wrapped up Phase 1 of the region’s Food Access and Security in Transportation Plan (FAST) and Age-Friendly Mobility Plan.
The FAST Plan acknowledges that Southeast Massachusetts residents use a combination of grocery and convenience stores, farmer's markets, food pantries, and other locations to access a variety of food choices. Similarly, the SRPEDD region is home to a wide variety of agriculture, businesses, and organizations that make up a diverse regional food system. In 2024, more than 1 in 3 households (27%) in the Commonwealth reported experiencing food insecurity within the last year, representing over 2 million state residents. The FAST Plan seeks to provide decision-makers with a better understanding of local community members’ current food access circumstances and recommendations for bolstering regional food resilience and equitable healthy food access through integrated transportation practices.
| | Phase 1 of the FAST Plan concluded with a detailed report describing the current food landscape of the SRPEDD region, as well as a food access mapping toolkit. This publicly accessible map (pictured above) visually represents the regional distribution of food access locations alongside transportation amenities such as bus service routes and regional bike networks. During Phase 2, staff will produce a food access scoring matrix to assess social vulnerability and affordability gaps at the census level alongside continued GIS spatial analysis, community engagement, and municipal involvement as part of the FAST Plan's final report. | | Outdoor fitness station at Taunton’s new Davol Park | | |
The Age-Friendly Mobility Plan is a transportation-focused regional planning effort designed to identify mobility needs, barriers, investment priorities, and future SRPEDD technical assistance work tasks that support healthy aging across Southeastern Massachusetts, particularly as the region’s population over age 65 continues to grow more rapidly than any other age group.
Phase 1 focused on initial mapping of older adult residential clusters, transit routes, and Councils on Aging (COAs) and development of customized Age-Friendly Mobility Livability Scores for communities and COA neighborhoods, recognizing COAs as crucial hubs for accessing transportation, food, and health resources as well as vital social connection. Recent community engagement at local events and meetings with Councils on Aging emphasized the importance of demand-response services, family carpooling, improved transit frequency and reliability—especially for healthcare access—, greater awareness of paratransit options, and volunteer capacity for driver programs.
During Phase 2, staff will continue spatial GIS analysis, collaboration with local COAs, municipalities, and regional transit authorities, as well as public engagement.
Help us plan for healthier communities by sharing our recently launched Healthy Living Survey to gather input on residents’ experiences with nutrition, aging, and transportation. The plans are scheduled for completion in Fall 2026.
Learn more about the projects and access the survey at: www.srpedd.org/transportation/food-access and www.srpedd.org/agefriendlyplan.
| |
FFY2027 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) Development
The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), developed on a yearly basis between February and May, lists the transportation-related projects, technical assistance, and other activities that SMMPO staff at SRPEDD undertake during each federal fiscal year (from October 1 through September 30).
Work tasks identified each year support the goals established in the Regional Transportation Plan, Moving Forward 2050. Ongoing tasks include support to the Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization (SMMPO), the Joint Transportation Planning Group, the SRPEDD Commission, and MassDOT; public outreach and engagement with emphasis on Title VI and underrepresented populations; TIP funding distribution analyses; the development of the TIP and UPWP, GIS and data collection for pavement management, traffic counting, bicycle and pedestrian facilities; congestion, safety, and bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts; and public transit planning support. In addition, environmental planning efforts help our communities prepare for climate adaptation and mitigation in parallel with transportation assets and challenges. The program also includes our popular Community Technical Assistance Program, which assists the region’s municipalities with data collection and planning assistance that does not require a major study.
During FFY26, larger projects include:
- Phase 2 of a Food Access and Security in Transportation Plan
- Phase 2 of an Age-Friendly Mobility Plan & Parking Lot Utilization Plan
- Phase 1 of Fall River’s Pleasant Street Corridor Study
- Phase 1 of an Economic Impact Analysis for Southeastern Regional Transit Authority’s free fare service
- Phase 1 of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Plan for Mansfield
- Update of the region’s Congestion Mitigation Plan
- Tabletop exercises focusing on operational coordination, critical transportation, and infrastructure systems for evacuation events.
As we develop the FFY2027 UPWP, communities are encouraged to reach out for assistance with transportation planning studies and technical analysis that align with the region’s goals.
To learn more, visit: www.srpedd.org/upwp.
| |
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Development
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the rolling capital plan for the 27 cities and towns in the SRPEDD region, documenting all transportation projects in the region that will receive federal funding over the next five years. There are several categories for funding projects and funding is generally split with a federal government share of 80% and state government share of 20%. Communities can apply for project construction funding through the TIP using MassDOT’s MaPIT portal. MaPIT allows communities, working with the MassDOT District 5 Office and SRPEDD, to define a project’s scope, costs, timeline, impacts and responsibilities, guiding them to approval through the MassDOT Project Review Committee. Communities are responsible for funding design, permitting and any right of way costs associated with the project. Typically, a project can take 5-10 years to design and fund through the TIP process.
| | |
February, March and April are critical months for TIP development. SRPEDD, as staff to the SMMPO, is responsible for guiding the SMMPO and Joint Transportation Planning Group (public arm of the SMMPO) through the TIP development process and annually assembling the regional TIP document. Recent project status information is gathered and presented at JTPG and SMMPO meetings along with potential funding scenarios. An evaluation scoring process, based on the region’s priorities for funding, is performed and the results are presented. Using the information provided, the JTPG and SMMPO select a scenario for funding projects in the region. When endorsed, the projects selected become programmed for funding and are included in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
For more TIP information, including videos about currently programmed projects, please see www.srpedd.org/tip.
| | Before (top) and after (bottom) image of John Glass Square in Middleborough, a 2021 TIP-funded project | | Click the link in the title to access the following tools and resources! | |
SRPEDD’s ITAP- Interactive Transit Accessible Park Finder Map
A tool created by SRPEDD staff to facilitate access to outdoor recreation and healthy living for youth and individuals with little to no access to a vehicle. This interactive map shows every public park within a half mile of a GATRA or SRTA bus stop or route in the Southeast Massachusetts region. It identifies bus routes that connect to the parks, amenities available at each park such as restrooms and ADA playgrounds, and nearby bike parking locations.
Accessibility Center for Consulting, Education and Support Services (ACCESS)
The Commonwealth’s ACCESS Digital Accessibility Training Resource Center houses a training library of self-paced training materials, live instructor-led trainings, office hours, automated testing tools, accessibility checklists, and procurement guidance for building accessible digital content for municipal content management systems, websites, applications, emails, and social media. In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice updated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires public entities to ensure that web content and mobile apps are accessible based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) A and AA standards. Municipalities with a total population of 50,000 or more must meet the standards by April 24, 2026. Smaller communities have until April 2027.
Bay State Roads
Program at UMass Amherst Transportation Center provides workshops and other training in Infrastructure Management, Roadway Safety, Work Zone Safety, Worker Safety, and Workforce Development typically for municipal staff and consultants who work with cities and towns. Check out their website for upcoming trainings, courses, and vast library of instructional and educational videos and for more information to request an onsite training near you. Spring 2026 trainings include Complete Streets, Creating Accessible Pedestrian Communities, and Paving Contract Bidding.
| | |
Is your community cyber-ready?
SRPEDD's Cyber Security Table Top Exercise
Over the course of a four-hour session, SRPEDD can facilitate a tabletop cybersecurity preparedness exercise in your community. Using gameboards and playing cards, players group within the game “community” to decide how to invest cyber credits to protect essential services. The community weathers multiple cyber incidents, shares information, and negotiates to prioritize cyber response resources needed to sustain the community’s critical functions.
The exercise is geared to cyber experts as well as leadership from the municipality, emergency management/public safety, utilities, local hospitals, banks, and business interests.
| | The exercise is geared to cyber experts as well as leadership from the municipality, emergency management/public safety, utilities, local hospitals, banks, and business interests. | Interested communities are invited to complete this interest form. To learn more contact Kham@srpedd.org | | | | | In September 2025, the new FREE Gateway Link bus service launched, providing vital connections between Fall River, Taunton, and Brockton. This new service operates hourly Mondays-Fridays offering stops at the Fall River Bristol Community College Campus, Stonehill College, and the Brockton VA Medical Center. This service connects three regional transit hubs including the SRTA Terminal in Fall River, the GATRA Terminal in Taunton, and the BAT Terminal in Brockton. Express services run from Fall River to Brockton every 2 hours. | | | | SRTA has launched a new micro-transit service providing curb-to-station transit for the cities of Fall River and New Bedford. This service provides direct connections between the MBTA stations and any location within the service areas of Fall River and New Bedford. This is a critical service that addresses the first-last mile gap between home and one’s destination. | | |
| As of Fall 2025, all regional transit authorities in Massachusetts have been providing fare-free service for fixed-route buses and paratransit services. Within the SRPEDD region, folks are able to travel for free on GATRA and SRTA fixed routes thanks to the Fair Share Amendment funds, otherwise known as the Millionaires' Tax. | | |
Warmer weather is right around the corner (let’s hope!), which means that the Spring 2026 project development and grant writing season is heating up. Several of the Commonwealth’s prominent funding programs are currently accepting or will soon be accepting applications.
These include the new Environment and Climate One Stop (known as “Eco One Stop”), the popular Community One Stop for Growth, and the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office’s new Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance (MTTA) program.
Working in partnership with the communities we serve, SRPEDD has a successful track record with various state and federal funding sources to find just the right fit for your projects.
Please reach out to SRPEDD’s grant writing team and explore the program links below. We stand at the ready to assist with brainstorming, project development, grant applications, matching funding (often through DLTA or Municipal Assistance), and project management and administration.
| |
SRPEDD Programs
2026-2027 ADU Technical Assistance Program
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through December 31st, 2026.
SRPEDD received an award through the Community One Stop for Growth to provide regional ADU technical assistance to its member communities. Please complete this form if you are interested in receiving technical assistance.
Contact Taylor Perez at tprez@srpedd.org for more information or learn more at: srpedd.org/ADUs. All projects will be completed by June 30th, 2027. The total dollar amount of technical assistance provided by SRPEDD will vary based on the requested work and timeline.
State Programs
FY27 Community One Stop For Growth
Applications due June 3, 2026
The Community One Stop Grants portal offers a streamlined way for communities to apply for economic development grants and technical assistance across several state agencies. Direct funding and support will go to projects related to placemaking, planning and zoning, site preparation, building construction, and infrastructure.
New funding programs in the Community One Stop for Growth Portal include:
For general assistance, please contact lgonzalez@srpedd.org or rcabral@srpedd.org.
FY27 Environment and Climate OneStop (ECO One Stop)
Applications due March 20, 2026
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs have launced a new streamlined portal to consolidate applications. Environmental-based and climate resiliency grants programs, such as the popular MVP Action Grants, CZM Coast Habitat and Resilience, DER Culvert Replacement and Assessment (and many more), will now be available through one application portal, ECO One Stop
The grant programs themselves are mostly the same and will continue to help fund many-needed environmental and climate-related projects in the SRPEDD region.
The Eco One Stop Portal will now host applications for the following grant programs:
Please contact enviro@srpedd.org or any member of SRPEDD's environmental team for assistance with navigating the new portal and/or applying to Eco One Stop programs.
Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance (MTTA) Grant Program
Applications accepted on a rolling basis for FY27
About $2.5 million will be available for the competitive Municipal and Tribal Assistance Grant Program (MTTA). This new program from the Federal Funds & Infrastructure Office will allow local governments and federally recognized tribes to seek grants for infrastructure, climate, and economic development project activities. Applications must be intended for projects that are seeking or have received federal funding.
Eligible uses for these funds include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Tax assistance (e.g., filing forms with the IRS for Direct Pay)
- Grant writing
- Project scoping and financial analysis
- Planning and feasibility studies
- Demonstration activities
- Post-award grant management support
Please contact lgonzalez@srpedd.org for more information or application assistance.
Massachusetts Community Health & Healthy Aging Funds
Applications due March 31, 2026
Municipalities, nonprofits, quasi-governmental organizations, regional planning agencies, and statewide organizations can apply for up to $50,000 (1-2 years) or $100,000 (3-5 years) from the MA Department of Public Health (MDPH)/Executive Office of Aging & Independence/Health Resources in Action for community-centered projects that disrupt barriers to health and their root causes including structural racism, poverty, and deep power imbalances.
Examples of eligible projects include: improving food access by helping launch a grocery store through a community process, shifting organizational or decision-making structures, advocacy for affordable housing policies, and staffing costs for initiatives that collaborate with communities to advance health equity.
Please reach out to aduarte@srpedd.org for more information on applying.
Cyber Resilient Massachusetts Grant Program
Applications accepted on a rolling basis
Cities and towns can apply for up to $25,000 from the Mass Cyber Center to fund narrowly focused cybersecurity technology upgrades, which will be identified through a cybersecurity vulnerability assessment.
Examples of eligible projects include: capital equipment, technology, and infrastructure for cybersecurity improvement projects, including vendors/contractors or IT-related staff costs to the municipality for performing the upgrade.
Please reach out to kham@srpedd.org for assistance with applying.
| | | | Regional Resilience Improvement Plan (RRIP) | |
SRPEDD is working to implement the recently completed Regional Resilience Plan (SRRP) through the creation of a Regional Resilience Improvement Plan (RRIP). Similar to the TIP, the RRIP will track existing and developing projects to find areas where communities (both locally and regionally) require support towards meeting their resilience goals.
If you feel your community has ongoing projects that contribute to our region's resiliency or align with best practices outlined in the SRRP, please contact mjones@srpedd.org.
Project Website
| | | | Food Access and Security in Transportation (FAST) Plan | |
SRPEDD staff is developing the regional FAST plan to gain a better understanding of current circumstances relating to food access and security in Southeast Massachusetts with the goal of identifying recommendations for bolstering regional food resilience and equitable access to healthy food through integrated transportation investments and practices.
Project website
| | | | Age-Friendly Mobility – Southeast Massachusetts Plan | |
SRPEDD is collaborating with local stakeholders across its 27 communities to identify mobility needs, barriers, investment priorities, and future SRPEDD technical assistance work tasks that support healthy aging across Southeastern Massachusetts.
Project website
| | |
South East Regional Coordinating Council on Transportation (SERCCOT)
SERCCOT is a voluntary coalition where representatives of SRPEDD, local human service agencies and organizations, transit authorities, consumers, advocates, and other stakeholders convene (bi)monthly to discuss the transportation needs of area older adults, people with disabilities, low-income, and transit-dependent commuters, and brainstorm ways to collaborate on solutions.
To learn more about the next SERCCOT meeting and transit updates for the Southeast MA region, contact Transit Planner Dan Brogan at dbrogan@srpedd.org or visit the project Website.
| | |
Fall River Pleasant Street Corridor Study
SRPEDD is partnering with the city of Fall River to conduct a transportation study of Pleasant Street from Troy Street to Eastern Avenue, with the goal of providing recommendations for improved safety and connectivity. Visit the project website for more information.
| | |
Mansfield Bicycle & Pedestrian Network Plan
Over the next year, SRPEDD is partnering with the Town of Mansfield to document where sidewalks, bike paths, and trails already exist and where improvements are needed in Mansfield. We are speaking with residents, collecting and mapping information, and learning about what people need to move around safely without a vehicle in Mansfield. A steering committee of residents is being created to help guide the project, and everyone in Mansfield will have a chance to share their ideas through surveys, meetings, and community events.
To become involved, sign up for emails through the Project website or contact Jon Gray at jgray@srpedd.org.
| | | | |
Amanda Pontarelli
Assistant Finance Officer
| |
Amanda Pontarelli joined SRPEDD in August 2025. She has an extensive background dealing primarily in the government sector and brings her experience of both municipal finance and capital improvement planning to SRPEDD.
Prior to joining SRPEDD, Ms. Pontarelli held the position of Capital Program Manger with the City of Providence, RI. During her tenure, she developed and implemented the city’s 5-year capital improvement plan. Prior to, she gained municipal finance experience in her role with the Finance Department of the Town of North Providence, RI.
Ms. Pontarelli holds a BA in Finance from Bryant University and is currently working towards her MBA. She is a firm believer in understanding not only a project’s budget, but the project as a whole and the benefits it will bring to the community for years to come. In her spare time she enjoys hanging out with her rescue pitbull and best friend, Coco.
| | | | |
Maya Couto,
Transportation Planner
| |
Maya received her B.A. in public policy from UMass Amherst and the Commonwealth Honors College. She is passionate about the intersection between community, wellbeing, and sustainability within the built environment. Her interdisciplinary interests lead her to developing skills in policy memo writing, qualitative and quantitative research, GIS, and design.
While studying abroad in Copenhagen, she built a deeper understanding of the influence of design on our daily lives, particularly, access to reliable and efficient transportation. Further, the importance of planning that puts people and our environment at the forefront. Maya returned to the U.S. and pursued an internship with the Community Engagement Department at MAPC. This experience strengthened her knowledge about how to intentionally include people from all backgrounds and experiences in the planning process.
Tying together her interests of wellbeing and transportation, her senior thesis focused on the influence of various modes of transportation on commuter subjective wellbeing. She found great insight on the influence of transportation infrastructure on experiences and willingness to use various modes of transportation.
Maya is excited to continue her interests in transportation and public engagement with SRPEDD.
| | | | |
Sisar Botelho,
Transportation Planner
| |
Sisar is a graduate of Boston University with a BA in International Relations, along with minors in Environmental Analysis and Policy, and Portuguese and Brazilian Cultural Studies. They will be heading the regional traffic counting program at SRPEDD as well as assisting with various other tasks.
Born and raised in Fall River, Sisar developed a passion for transportation because of their circumstances; they grew up without a car of their own in a non-walkable area and far away from things of interest. After moving to Boston and seeing what well planned cities and transportation can do for people’s freedom, Sisar decided to pursue the field.
In pursuing the field, Sisar took multiple steps, like learning how to utilize GIS, and completed an internship with the Chilean Ministry of Transit and Telecommunications in Santiago de Chile. In that internship they conducted a study identifying transit deserts in the southern half Santiago with the goal of bringing service to the historically underserved communities there.
Sisar is excited to start their career and bring all that they have learned from school, Chile, and Boston to the Southeast Region to help better their home!
| | | | |
Alexander Bergstrand,
Senior Environmental Planner
| |
Alex joined SRPEDD’s Environmental Department in January 2026 to support member communities with resiliency planning, watershed protection, and regulatory zoning updates. He brings a background in both state and municipal planning, having previously worked with MassDOT’s Office of Transportation Planning and the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts, during his graduate studies.
Alex holds a Master’s in Urban Planning and Community Development from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a B.A. in History and Environmental Studies from Stonehill College. He has been a longtime resident of Southeastern Massachusetts and is dedicated to supporting the communities he calls home.
| | | | |
Bryan Dole,
Environmental Intern
| |
Bryan joined the SRPEDD Environmental Team in January 2026. He earned a degree in Environmental Science from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. He also graduated with a minor in Sustainable Community Development and a certificate in Geographic Information Sciences and Technologies.
Before joining SRPEDD, Bryan worked as a planning intern for the City of Chicopee, MA and as a GIS Designer for the Center for Resilient-Metro Regions in Amherst, MA. His time in these positions has given him experience in research and data analysis, environmental justice advocacy, geospatial analysis, grant writing, and community engagement.
Through his education, work, and lived experience, Bryan is passionate about how humans can thrive within the intersection between the natural and built environments. He is especially focused on how this connection is influenced by broader social, political, and economic contexts, especially for historically underserved and underrepresented communities.
He is grateful for the opportunity to support the planners at SRPEDD with hazard mitigation planning, open space and recreation planning, watershed planning, climate pollution reduction grants, farmland protection programs, and other projects.
| | |
We are looking for self-motivated, reliable team players committed to growing and excelling in a hybrid collaborative environment.
Please click here to view all of SRPEDD's employment opportunities.
| | | | |
88 Broadway
Taunton, MA 02780
Phone: 508-824-1367
Fax: 508-823-1803
| | | | |
