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Age-Friendly Funding Alert: Community Transit Grant Program

April 23, 2019News and Updatesgrants, transportationJames Fuccione

The MassDOT Transit Unit has announced that the FY2020 Community Transit Grant Program Application Cycle is scheduled to open in May 2019.

The Community Transit Grant Program is MassDOT’s annual competitive grant program to distribute Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310: Enhanced Mobility of Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities funds, and State Mobility Assistance Program funds. A schedule of this year’s application training sessions is attached to this email, along with a general overview of the 5310/MAP funding programs. Continue reading →

MassDOT, MBTA Announcing Pilot and Partnerships to Support More Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicles

April 9, 2019News and UpdatestransportationJames Fuccione

MassDOT and the MBTA are announcing a one-year pilot program that will begin today, Monday, April 1, 2019, that provides financial incentives to transportation network companies (TNCs) in an effort to increase availability of wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs). During the pilot program, Uber and Lyft will receive a subsidy on a per-hour basis for every hour that wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available for use. Continue reading →

Massachusetts Communities Win APA National Planning Achievement Awards

April 3, 2019Systems and Best Practicesage-friendly communities, transportationJames Fuccione

Two Massachusetts communities won Gold-level National Planning Achievement Awards from the American Planning Association. Boston won for its “Climate Ready Boston Report,” and Stoneham won for its Transportation Advocacy Committee.

The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative highlights the Stoneham project for its similarities to what can be achieved through Age- and Dementia Friendly efforts, but mostly because it is a grassroots, citizen-led initiative that has attained results. Continue reading →

Age- and Dementia Friendly Transportation Featured at Transportation Innovation Conference

March 20, 2019ConferencestransportationJames Fuccione

The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative will join the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, UMass-Boston, Dementia Friendly Massachusetts and the City of Salem for a presentation on Age- and Dementia Friendly Transportation at the upcoming Transportation Innovation Conference. Continue reading →

MassDOT Announces Regional Transit Authority Additional Funding Awards

March 13, 2019News and UpdatestransportationJames Fuccione

MassDOT recently announced $5.1 million in additional funding awards for Regional Transit Authorities (RTA) across the Commonwealth to implement best practices and innovative services to benefit customers.

The full announcement of the RTA award winners are available here on the MassDOT Blog. Awards were selected based upon factors such as whether projects will increase ridership, demonstrate innovation, serve a priority population, be financially sustainable, and provide cost savings or operational efficiencies. Continue reading →

Age-Friendly Funding Alert: RFP on Improving Older Adults Health & Independence through Ridesharing

March 7, 2019Uncategorizedgrants, transportationJames Fuccione

Lack of transportation has a profound impact on an older adult’s well-being and can lead to social disconnection. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) and Lyft are partnering to pilot a senior center outreach and education program to test older adult willingness to learn ridesharing, and to determine the positive impact ridesharing can have on a person’s well-being. Continue reading →

Boston Front and Center in Latest AARP Newsletter

February 27, 2019News and Updates, Stories from the FieldtransportationJames Fuccione

The latest AARP Livable Communities Newsletter has a headline feature titled “Boston Is Putting Driverless Cars Through an Age-Friendly Road Test.” The article is focused on the public-private partnership that is setting an example for other cities to follow when it comes to autonomous vehicles.

Another article looks at more immediate area where Boston needed to set an example, which is the “Safest Driver Contest” aimed at accomplishing the city’s Vision Zero goals of eliminating traffic fatalities.

Continue reading →

Baker-Polito Administration Announces $3 Million in Complete Streets Funding Program Awards

February 26, 2019News and Updatescommunity design, transportationJames Fuccione

Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito joined Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, elected officials, and local leaders in Quincy to announce awards totaling nearly $3 million to eleven communities through the Complete Streets Funding Program.

These awards will be used to fund local, multimodal infrastructure projects that improve accessibility for bicyclists, pedestrians, public transit users, and people using other forms of transportation. In doing so, the Complete Streets program helps communities become more Age-Friendly (Complete Streets are highlighted in the AARP “Roadmap to Livability” Resource on Transportation). Continue reading →

MPO Survey Available on Improving Boston Area Transportation for Older Adults, People with Disabilities

February 6, 2019News and UpdatestransportationJames Fuccione

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) conducts federally mandated transportation planning for 97 communities in Greater Boston. Continue reading →

Age-Friendly Funding Alert: MassTrails Deadline Approaching

January 28, 2019News and UpdatesgrantsJames Fuccione

MassDOT is reminding the public that February 1, 2019 is the application deadline for funding from the Baker-Polito Administration’s MassTrails Program, a competitive funding program which will allow municipal and public entities to expand and connect networks of off-road, shared-use pathways and recreational trails in Massachusetts.

Continue reading →