Northern Middlesex Council of Governments

The Northern Middlesex Council of Governments acts as the technical support staff for the northern Middlesex Metropolitan Planning Organization. This section highlights some of the activities that NMCOG staff is currently working on. For further information on these projects, as well as any comments please contact NMCOG Staff.

Regional Transportation Plan

The 2007-2030 Regional Transportation Plan is now available.

I-495 Corridor Study

Check out www.495studyinfo.com for more details on this study.

Drum Hill Traffic Study

A corridor traffic study is currently being conducted by NMCOG Transportation Staff in an effort to identify any congestion and safety problems along Drum Hill Road from Route 3 in Chelmsford to Princeton Boulevard in Lowell. This corridor has been identified by the Northern Middlesex Congestion Management Plan as a location with significant delays and congestion during the peak hours of the day. The High Hazard Intersection study also identifies multiple intersections along the corridor as having safety problems that need to be studied further.

National Park Service Trolley Extension Project

NMCOG is currently assisting the Lowell National Historical Park Service and the City of Lowell in a proposal to expand the current trolley system into a light rail heritage trolley system that would serve the downtown and Acre areas of the city. The new system would expand upon the existing trolley systemby adding three major extensions in a phased fashion. For further information please contact NMCOG Staff.

High Hazard Intersection Study

See our High Hazard Intersection Study Website for further details.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for the Northern Middlesex Region

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for the Northern Middlesex Region encourages safe walking and bicycling as some viable alternatives to single occupancy trips in automobiles. Accommodating the needs of pedestrians and cyclists helps to improve the quality of life of area residents and fosters a more livable environment in each community.

Responsible safety planning for alternative modes of transportation must include an understanding of the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists. Understanding the dynamics of the relationship between motorized commuters and non-motorized commuters will help in the planning process by giving a more detailed picture of where the system breaks down and what can be done to improve it.

The general transportation goal is to develop a balanced, multi-modal, cost effective transportation system that will encourage alternative modes of transportation such as bicycling and walking by connecting transit points inside and outside the region. The plan also strives to:

Increase integration and connectivity between various transportation modes.

Encourage development in areas most suitable as is consistent with regional and local land policies.

Minimize the use of energy resources.

Northern Middlesex Congestion Management System

NMCOG, under contract with MassHighway is developing a CMS for the region in response to the 2000 Census labeling the NMCOG region as a transportation management area. FHWA and FTA require that all TMA's provide a CMS in dealing with the growing congestion in the area. The Congestion Management Plan is designed to assist the NMMPO in evaluating and implementing strategies to manage congestion and improve mobility by

Providing timely information on roadway system performance;
Recommending congestion-reducing and mobility enhancing actions; and
Refining the scope of future congestion monitoring activities.