University of Massachusetts Amherst
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The Western Massachusetts communities of Northampton, Amherst, Holyoke, South Hadley, and Springfield, along with the University of Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission have crafted an inter-governmental compact to collaborate and advance efforts to bring bike share to the region. The agreement established the commitment of the partnership municipalities and institutions to move forward with a pilot scale bike share program that will include a combined total of 50 stations and 500 smart, electric assist bicycles for all participating communities. $1.2 million of Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration through its Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) program has been secured to cover the start-up capital equipment costs for the program which includes bikes and bike stations for all five of the municipalities. A vendor has been selected, Bewegen, who will launch and manage the system. Found within the Regional Bike Share Feasibility Study the Advisory Committee has established the following goals for this project: 1. To use bicycles to enhance and extend the range of the transit and rail services 2. To promote healthy, active living and support recreational use of bikes 3. To build demand for bicycle infrastructure, including bike lanes and bike parking 4. To provide visitors and local residents with an effective means of moving around the region, that is equitable and inclusive of elderly, lower income and other traditionally underserved populations 5. To promote economic development including jobs and schools 6. To promote green transportation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions 7. To create a bike share system that is financially sustainable 8. To create a bike share system that functions regionally 9. To make use of local opportunities to support bike sharing, such the prevalence of large health care institutions, the number of higher-learning campuses and large student population, and supportive local businesses. 10. Create more livable communities, and reduce the need for new areas to be developed for additional parking in our urban core and commercial areas. ValleyBike Share is coming soon to the Pioneer Valley! Projected target launch date is scheduled for Summer 2018.

Funded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's National Disaster Resilience Competition, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission partnered with the City of Springfield, the Springfield Climate Justice Coalition, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Partners for a Healthier Community to facilitate the development of a climate action resilience plan to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and to make the city more resilient. The plan has a social justice foundation and builds on the information included in Springfield’s 2012 Hazard Mitigation Plan, the City's Open Space and Recreation Plan and ReBuild Springfield. The CARP lays out a path to a resilient future for the City of Springfield. The CARP recognizes climate change as a threat multiplier that will compound existing public health, economic, and racial injustices, and seeks to address social justice in all of its strategies and goals. http://www.pvpc.org/projects/strong-healthy-just-springfield-climate-action-resilience-plan