Western Massachusetts Historical Commission Coalition Meeting
Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning for Small Towns
Hosted by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission 

Thursday November 4, 2021, 10:00 a.m.

Auditor Bump calls for “Rural Rescue Plan” that will increase Chapter 90 funding, create a public infrastructure agency, and enhance access to broadband.

Annually, the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission recognizes projects, groups, or individuals who have made outstanding contributions to planning in Berkshire County. The award is named for Charles Kusik, a nationally recognized volunteer planner.

The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA) is affected and impacted by the nationwide workforce shortage. This lack of qualified drivers available to operate the BRTA vehicles is resulting in a reduction of transportation services, including fixed bus route and paratransit.

As part of the Berkshire Blueprint 2.0, 1Berkshire created a Transportation Strategy Group to explore the concept of creating a comprehensive and cohesively networked public/private transportation system in the Berkshires. Previous studies have identified limited access to public transportation and first/last mile connections as major transportation barriers in the Berkshires. To overcome these transportation barriers, the concept of a Berkshire County Transportation Management Association to provide demand responsive micro-transit was explored.

Through the COVID-19 Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP), there is a substantial expansion of free legal help for low-income tenants as well as low-income owner-occupants of 2-3 family properties navigating the eviction process.

A recent report by State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump pointed out that the Commonwealth’s payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program for state-owned lands (SOL) is underfunded and disproportionately disadvantages smaller, rural communities in favor of larger, wealthier communities.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission is pleased to announce the launch of two Community Development Block Grant CDBG CV Grant Programs to provide assistance to low to moderate income

BRTA will get you where you need to go safely!

Watch “Riding Safely with BRTA” video.

Please remember to:

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic disaster have changed the lives of all of us over the past several months. It will likely continue to impact us into the foreseeable future.