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Opportunities for Public Comment

Current Public Comment Periods

Northern Middlesex MPO:
FFY 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Available for Review and Comment

On April 23, 2025, the Northern Middlesex MPO approved the release of the draft FFY 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for public review and comment. The public comment period will be open through May 14, 2025. We invite the public to participate in the review process for this document as follows:

View the draft FFY 2026-2030 TIP.

How to submit comments:

  • Email: publiccomments@nmcog.org

  • Mail: NMCOG, 672 Suffolk Street, Suite 100, Lowell, MA 01854

  • Attend a public meeting: A virtual public meeting to receive comments on the Draft FFY 2026-2030 TIP will be held Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 5:00pm to 6:00pm via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84201364306
    or by calling +1-309-205-3325 using Meeting ID 842 0136 4306 for audio only.

NEXT STEPS

The MPO board will review comments for the TIP and vote to endorse it on May 28, 2025. This is an important opportunity for public participation and input into our region’s transportation planning. We encourage stakeholders and community members to attend the virtual public meetings and provide feedback.

Event Format and Activities
The May 7 public hearing will include the following activities and presentations:

  1. Presentation(s):

    • A PowerPoint presentation of all agenda items, summarizing key findings, presentation materials, charts, and maps as relate to the agenda.

    • A verbal presentation of each agenda item by MPO Board members, MPO staff, or invited guests.

  2. Public Comment Opportunity:

    • Participants will have the opportunity to provide input at the beginning of the meeting during the public comment period, and potentially during individual agenda items as facilitated by the meeting chair.

  3. Technology Used:

    • Presentations will include the use of the Zoom platform for remote participation with live captions interpreted by voice recognition software.

    • Participants may call in to participate via voice by calling

    • Materials will be projected on screens, with alternative formats available upon request (e.g., large print or electronic formats).

Language Access and Accessibility
The NMMPO is committed to providing accommodations to ensure full participation in the planning process.

  • Translation and Interpretation Services:
    Materials will be available in the NMMPO safe harbor languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Khmer, Chinese, Arabic, and Gujarati) upon request, and interpretation services will be provided in Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Khmer, Chinese, Arabic, and Gujarati upon request.

  • Disability Accommodations:
    Please note that even though this meeting has a virtual option and there will not be a need to be physically present, NMCOG is accessible to persons with disabilities and by public transportation via fixed route bus service and commuter rail.

Please refer to the LRTA (http://www.lrta.com/) and MBTA (http://mbta.com/) websites for additional information. The NMCOG office has secure bicycle parking available. Please do not leave bicycles in the lobby. The NMMPO provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats), as available.

To request accommodations, including alternative formats of meeting materials, language interpretation, or disability-related support, please contact Kelly Lynema at 978-454-8021 or klynema@nmcog.org at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting. 

Additional Information
For more details about the meeting or the NMMPO’s planning activities, visit www.nmcog.org or call 978-454-8021. 

Note to Attendees
The NMMPO encourages participation from all individuals, including members of the public who identify as persons with disabilities or who require language assistance. By providing details about the meeting format, activities, and technologies, we aim to ensure that all participants can make informed requests for accommodations and fully engage in the planning process. 

TITLE VI NOTICE OF PROTECTION

The NMMPO fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. The NMMPO does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, English proficiency, income, religious creed, ancestry, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, military service, or gender identity or expression. Any person who believes that he/she or any specific class of persons has been subjected to discrimination prohibited by Title VI or related statutes or regulations may, himself/herself or via a representative, file a complaint with the MPO. For more information regarding filing a complaint, please call (978) 454-8021 or email civilrights@nmcog.org, or visit the NMCOG Title VI webpage at nmcog.org/civil-rights-title-vi.

If this information is needed in another language, please contact the NMCOG Title VI Specialist at 978-454- 8021.

Si necesita esta información en otro idioma, por favor contacte al especialista de NMCOG del Título VI al 978- 454-8021.

Caso esta informação seja necessária em outro idioma, favor contar o Especialista em Título VI do NMCOG pelo telefone 978-454-8021.

Nếu quý vị cần thông tin này bằng ngôn ngữ khác, vui lòng liên hệ với Chuyên gia Bảo vệ Quyền Dân sự Bộ VI của NMCOG qua số điện thoại 978-454-8021.

ប្រសិនបើអ្នកត្រូវការព័ត៌មាននេះជាភាសាផ្សេងទៀត សូមទាក់ទងមកឯកទេសករផ្នែកទី VI នៃ NMCOG តាមរយៈលេខទូរស័ព្ទ 978-454-8021។

如果您需要使用其他语言了解这些信息，请联系北密德尔塞克斯政府协会(NMCOG)第六章专员，电话978-454-8021。

如果您需要使用其他語言了解這些信息，請聯繫北密德爾塞克斯政府協會(NMCOG)第六章專員，電話978-454-8021。

إذا كنت بحاجة إلى هذه المعلومات بلغة أخرى، يرجى الاتصال بأخصائي الفصل السادس في مجلس حكومات شمال ميدلسكس (NMCOG) على الرقم 978-454-8021.

જો તમને આ માહિતી બીજી કોઈ ભાષામાં જોઈતી હોય તો, કૃપા કરીને નોર્થ મિડલસેક્સ કાઉન્સિલ ઓફ ગવર્નમેન્ટ્સ (NMCOG) ટાઇટલ VI સ્પેશ્યાલિસ્ટનો ફોન નંબર 978-454-8021 પર સંપર્ક કરો.

Previous Public Comment Periods

  • NMMPO staff developed a significant update to the NMMPO’s 2017 Public Participation Plan. The changes reflect the agency’s post-pandemic approach to engagement and address corrective actions identified during the NMMPO Federal Certification Review process. The updated Public Participation Plan is written to an audience of NMCOG and NMMPO staff, municipal staff, and the general population of the region, providing guidance on various tools, methods, and strategies for engaging people in all types of planning the agency leads. Key information on how people can engage in the agency’s federally-mandated planning processes and clarity around public comment periods is also provided.

    View the endorsed 2025 Public Participation Plan

    The 45-day public comment period for the Public Participation Plan began on January 22, 2025 and ended on March 8, 2025. The NMMPO heard public and staff comments on the PPP and voted to endorse the updated Plan at their meeting on March 26, 2025.

  • On May 22, 2024, the MPO voted to release the draft Greater Lowell Vision Zero Plan for public review and comment. The public comment period was from May 22 through June 12, 2024, with a hybrid public meeting held on June 5, 2024 to review the plan and hear public comments.

    The revised draft of the Greater Lowell Vision Zero Plan will be brought back to the MPO at their July 24, 2024 meeting for evaluation and endorsement. Learn more about the Greater Lowell Vision Zero Plan here.

  • UPWPs provide a scope of work for MPOs to achieve the regional vision outlined in Metropolitan Transportation Plans (MTPs) in addition to the ongoing planning work of identifying and prioritizing federal aid projects on the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The UPWP is a means to coordinate many different planning activities, in order to address transportation planning concerns through a comprehensive planning program. It supports the “3-C” Process: comprehensive, cooperative, continuing transportation planning.

    The MPO periodically adjusts the annual Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) to respond to changes in project and planning readiness, staff availability, and other impacts. Amendments to the current year UPWP are described below:

    At the May 22, 2024 NMMPO meeting the Northern Middlesex Metropolitan Planning Organization (NMMPO) voted to release the draft FFY 2025 UPWP document for a public review and comment period through June 12, 2024. The FFY 2025 UPWP was endorsed by the MPO at their June 26, 2024 meeting. The final UPWP can be viewed here. The final amended UPWP is posted to the NMCOG website.

  • All approved amendments to the current year TIP may be viewed by visiting the Federal Certification Documents page of the NMCOG website.

  • At its February 22, 2023 meeting, the Northern Middlesex MPO voted to release the draft 2023 Title VI Plan for a 21-day public review and comment period, ending on March 17, 2023.

  • At the June 28, 2023 NMMPO meeting, Northern Middlesex MPO voted to release the draft 2023 Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Plan for a 21 -day public comment period.

  • On July 28, 2023, the Northern Middlesex MPO opened a public comment period for the draft Envision 2050: The Long-Range Transportation Plan. This period ended on August 17, 2023. Feedback was received via email, a virtual session on August 8, 2023, and by mail to NMCOG, 40 Church Street, Suite 200, Lowell, MA 01854

  • Nashua UZA MOU
    At their March 26, 2025 meeting, the NMMPO voted to endorse the updated MOU between NMCOG, the Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA), the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Nashua Regional Planning Commission Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission Metropolitan Planning Organization, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the Nashua Transit System, and the Manchester Transit Authority. The MOU was updated to reflect the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Decennial Census population information.

    Review the updated MOU