Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Regional Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
PVPC says its work generates $629M annually and readies a PROTECT grant solicitation
Summary
PVPC presented a Donahue Institute economic-impact analysis showing about $629 million in annual economic activity and outlined plans to solicit regional projects for the federal PROTECT resilience grant with a February 2025 application window.
The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission presented results of an economic-impact study conducted by UMass Donahue Institute and outlined next steps to nominate regional projects for the federal PROTECT resilience grant.
Executive Director Kimberly H. Robinson summarized the Donahue Institute findings: member communities contributed roughly $114,500 in assessments this past year; every $1 in member assessments generated about $5,375 in regional economic activity; every $1 the PVPC brings in through grants generated roughly $83 in regional activity; total annual regional output attributed to PVPC activities was estimated at approximately $629 million; and PVPC’s work supported about 2,200 jobs when fractional job accounting is included. Robinson said PVPC employed about 48 staff and completed 156 projects in the last fiscal year.
In a separate briefing, staff described a MassDOT call for projects eligible for the federal PROTECT grant, which funds surface transportation resilience improvements. PVPC staff said they will solicit candidate projects from member communities the first week of December, use prior municipal vulnerability assessments to identify candidates, and work with the Joint Transportation Committee to prioritize projects. A prioritized regional list will be shared with MassDOT for the Feb. 2025 application round; PVPC expects to return to the MPO in January with a recommended list for MPO endorsement before submission.
Robinson said the economic analysis is intended to demonstrate PVPC’s regional value to member communities and stakeholders; staff said the PROTECT solicitation is a time‑sensitive opportunity to nominate projects that align with statewide resilience planning.
