Page 43 - BusinessWest July 21, 2021

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Grant
Announcement
On July 13, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and Bay Path University President Sandra Doran jointly announced that two health-focused graduate programs at the university have recently received two federal grants. The master of science in physician assistant studies program has been awarded a five- year, $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, Primary Care Training & Enhancement Program; and the master of science in clini- cal mental health counseling program is the recipient of a grant from the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program totaling $1.43 million over four years, funded through the American
Rescue Plan. At
top left, Doran addresses those gathered at a press conference at the university’s Philip H. Ryan Health Science Center in East Longmeadow. At bottom left, Neal, with Bay Path physician assistant studies students behind him, addresses the audi- ence.
Train
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“The pandemic really tanked rider- ship — all forms of public transporta- tion, actually,” said Heckscher, noting that most travelers felt much safer in their cars last year than among groups of people. “But since the vaccine came out, there’s been a comeback in rider- ship in the Valley Flyer service.”
MJ Adams, Greenfield’s director of Community and Economic Develop- ment, said the city has been waiting a long time for the Valley Flyer, “and we don’t want to be just a pilot.”
She feels the city, and the region, will benefit from a perception that people can get anywhere from the Greenfield area, and they may be more
willing to move there while continuing to work in the city. Many of those are people who grew up in Franklin Coun- ty and have a connection to it but still want to feel like they can easily get to work far away or enjoy a day trip with- out the hassle of traffic or parking.
There’s an economic-development factor related to tourism as well, Adams said. “People in New York City, Hart- ford, or New Haven can spend the day up here in the country — it’s not just
us going down to New York, but people from New York who get on a train, enjoy a nice stay in rural Massachu- setts, have a blast, and get back on the train to go home. It’s a two-way street.”
A recent report commissioned by Connecticut’s Capitol Region Council
of Governments (CRCOG), in consulta- tion with the PVPC, reinforced the idea of rail as an economic driver, finding a nearly 10-to-1 return on investments in passenger rail between New Haven and Worcester via the Hartford-Springfield metro area.
“In so many ways, the findings of this study confirm what we have seen with our own eyes for decades here in the Valley — regions connected by rail to the major economic hubs of Boston and New York City are thriving, while underserved communities like ours have lagged behind,” PVPC Executive Director Kimberly Robinson said. “We now know what the lack of rail has cost us economically, and this trend cannot continue further into the 21st century.”
Though she was speaking mainly of proposed routes along the state’s southern corridor, Heckscher believes in the economic benefits — and other benefits — of numerous projects being discussed across Massachusetts, including along Route 2.
“With rail, everyone has the ability to travel long distances,” he said — and the impact, while still uncertain in the details, could prove too promising to ignore. u
Joseph Bednar can be reached at [email protected]
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