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MAPC highlights DataCommon update, Climate Resilience Playbook and major grant activity
Summary
Acting executive director Lizzie reported an updated DataCommon open-data platform, the launch of a Climate Resilience Playbook, Barr Foundation pass-through grants with $800,000 budgeted and >$3M in requests, and a pending $26 million FHWA award to expand Bluebikes.
Acting Executive Director Lizzie briefed the MAPC executive committee on Sept. 17 about several agencywide initiatives including an updated DataCommon open-data platform, the Climate Resilience Playbook, and recent grant activity.
Lizzie said MAPC updated its DataCommon portal as an open resource for planners and local governments and is continuing development to make it a stronger platform for agency data. She noted that MAPC does not sell its data and aims to share it widely to support municipal planning.
On climate tools, Lizzie highlighted the official launch of the Climate Resilience Playbook, which MAPC rolled out in a webinar attended by about 375 people; the playbook is intended as an implementation toolkit for municipalities at different stages of resilience planning. She said MAPC collaborated with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs on the playbook.
Lizzie also reviewed the Accelerating Climate Resilience grants program, which MAPC administers as a pass-through for the Barr Foundation: MAPC budgeted $800,000 for FY26 and received more than $3,000,000 in funding requests, with a focus this year on increasing access for community-based organizations. “When your major funder does encourage you to do things, you usually do them,” Lizzie said, explaining why Barr pushed for greater CBO participation in awards.
In transportation, Lizzie noted an anticipated Bluebikes contract award to Lyft Urban Solutions (not yet public) and said MAPC had been notified of a roughly $26 million Federal Highway Administration grant to expand the Bluebikes system; the agency is working to advance a grant agreement.
Lizzie closed with staff and partnership updates, and asked committee members to treat some of these items as pre-release information because awards and public announcements were still being finalized.
Next steps: MAPC will publish a public release on awarded Accelerating Climate Resilience grants and continue to advance the FHWA grant agreement and Bluebikes procurement process.
