SRPC's Monthly Newsletter

July 2, 2020

Strafford Regional Planning Commission Newsletter

Photograph from along the Sweet Trail on the Durham/Newmarket line. ( SRPC Photo)

Greetings,

Happy Fourth of July weekend! While this year is a little different with decreased social gatherings and activities, we hope that you all have some fun, smaller, outdoor activities planned. Whether that's grilling, hiking, or swimming, we hope you all enjoy the long weekend.

Here at SRPC we are beginning a data collection effort to assess all sidewalks in the region to complement the Bicycle Level of Traffic stress data collected last summer, kicking off our new fiscal year (Happy Fiscal New Year), and getting ready to announce some new contracts!

In this issue you will find information on COAST’s new operating schedule, upcoming webinars in ‘Planning Events of Interest’, SPRC’s latest press release about our improved mapping platform and products, NH’s news housing relief program in response to COVID-19, staff promotions and our new contract planner, the future of CommuteSMART Seacoast, and news you may have missed – including a link to the recording of our “Annual Meeting” webinar, and community happenings.

Until Next Month,

Shayna Sylvia

IN THIS ISSUE

COAST's New Operating Schedule

Planning Events of Interest

SRPC's Latest ~~Blog~~ Press Release

NH's Housing Relief Program

Staff News

The Future of CommuteSMART Seacoast

In Case You Missed It

Community Happenings

STAFF SNAPSHOTS - JUNE

ICYMI: SRPC's new data collection transit van (SRPC photo)

Screenshot from SRPC's "Annual Meeting" Webinar. (SRPC photo)

Alaina Rogers, data & analysis assistant, completing a sidewalk assessment in Farmington. (SRPC photo)

COAST Bus Launches New Operating Schedule

On Monday, Jun. 29, the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) launched its new operating schedule. The planning and coordination behind this new system have been an extensive two-year process, which included a large scale public outreach and engagement component.

As explained by Rad Nichols, COAST’s executive director in the Foster's Daily Democrat article, "The new system was designed to reflect the region’s changing travel patterns, and to adapt to COAST’s new financial reality."

The Foster's article also laid out key features of the new system which include:

Separated local routes from routes making regional connections.

Reduced travel times for many of the longest trips (by more than 50%).

Improved timely connections between routes.

Established hourly frequencies on most routes.

Introduced clockface schedules (bus coming to the same stop, at the same time after the hour, every hour) on most routes.

Enhanced Saturday service levels.

Extended service coverage to identified areas.

Increased flexibility to operate routes only when sufficient demand exists.

Improved use of downtime and bus movements to maximize revenue service.

Reduced overall cost reductions.

Learn more in the full Foster's article, or visit coastbus.org for more information.

________________________________

This article was written using the Foster' Daily Democrat article " COAST bus to launch new system with shorter travel times "

Planning Events of Interest

Safer at Home 2.0 Municipal Guidance Webinar - Wednesday, Jul. 8, noon to 1:00 p.m.

The NH Municipal Association is hosting a webinar aimed at governing bodies, library trustees, and those who manage municipal facilities and participate in reopening decision-making on Wednesday, Jul. 8 from noon to 1:00 p.m.

This training will address how policymakers, public health professionals, and other stakeholders are beginning to roll back the restrictions and resuming more typical government, business and social activities, with tips on how to do this in a safe manner.

Hosts of the webinar include New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Service's (DHHS) Deputy Director Trish Tilley, DPHS Program Manager Matt Cahillane, and NHMA's Municipal Services Counsel Natch Greyes for Safer at Home 2.0 Municipal Guidance.

Learn more or register online.

PLAN NH Webinar Series: Designing for Social Distancing - Thursday, Jul. 9, noon - 1:15 p.m.

PLAN NH will hold part two of its webinar series related to COVID-19 on Thursday, Jul. 9, from noon to 1:15 p.m. This workshop will center around the role of health and well-being in the built environment’s planning and design community, and look at how the current pandemic has identified area's where it’s working, where it’s not, and what might be possible moving forward.

Key discussion points will include:

How will we design for gathering in the future?
Finding a balance between personal and communal space
Considering the healing properties of nature
What is the role of wider sidewalks to address concerns about the pandemic
What are some faster, quicker, cheaper solutions to address public ways – including those in relation to street and streetscape design
How can tactical urbanism interventions be used to experiment?

This webinar is for municipal staff and leaders, as well planners, designers and builders who shape our New Hampshire’s places.

Registration is $10 for members, and $25 for non-members. To register, or to learn more visit the event page.

Webinar: Meeting People Where They Are: Tools for Engaging your Community this Summer and Fall - Jul. 15 and 22, 10 - 11 a.m.

UNH Cooperative Extension is hosting a "Meeting People Where They Are: Tools for Engaging your Community this Summer and Fall" webinar on Wednesday July 15 and 22, from 10 - 11 a.m.

This free training will include education about a variety of engagement tools: online polling and interactive maps; focus groups and interviews; mailings, posters and community art, and various online engagement platforms. Case studies will be used to exemplify some of these techniques.

Learn more, and/or register online.

SPRC' Latest ~~Blog~~ Press Release

Strafford Regional Planning Commission Launches Improved Mapping Platform and Products

Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) has recently launched a variety of new and improved Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping platforms and products. These include an updated GIS platform on ArcOnline with new tools, in addition to new maps for all eighteen municipalities within the Strafford region.

State Launches the NH Housing Relief Program

Beginning this week, on June 30, applications are now available for the New Hampshire Housing Relief Program. This program, which was announced by the Governor's Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery, is designed to help those in danger of losing their housing and to secure or maintain permanent housing for those that need it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program is made possible from Governor Chris Sununu allocating money from the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (“flex funds”) to support families or individuals in need of housing assistance.

The program has two parts, one-time assistance grants and a short-term rental assistance program.

As explained on the program's website, the one-time assistance grants do not exceed $2,500 and can be used to assist qualifying households with past-due rent, past-due housing/household related expenses that may impact an individual’s/families’ ability to remain housed; and/or other housing related one-time expenses that if not paid impact the ability to maintain housing.

The New Hampshire Housing Relief Program will also provide short-term rental assistance to maintain or secure permanent housing. This includes assistance for:

past-due rent that was not paid due to a COVID-19 related inability to pay and ongoing rental assistance on a short term basis using progressive engagement. The rental assistance will decrease over time as households regain stability; or
First month’s rent and ongoing short-term rental assistance to assist with initial costs to facilitate the transition of working households from shelters into permanent housing.

This program is managed by the Community Action Partnership. View the program flyer here. To learn more visit https://www.capnh.org/.

________________________________

This article was written using information in the "About" section at https://www.capnh.org/ /

Staff News

SRPC Promotes

Shayna Sylvia

Strafford Regional Planning Commission is proud to announce the promotion of Shayna Sylvia to Communications and Outreach Planner III.

Shayna originally joined SRPC as a marketing and communications outreach intern in November 2012.

Shayna will continue to coordinate SRPC's communications channels including the website, social media, and e-news, in addition to organizing Commission and executive committee meetings and working with other SRPC planners on outreach and engagement for regional and statewide projects.

Congratulations to Shayna, and we ask that you please join us in congratulating her on this wonderful news!

SRPC Promotes

Stefanie Casella

Strafford Regional Planning Commission is proud to announce the promotion of Stefanie Casella to Regional Planner II. Stefanie started as the data collection and analysis assistant with SRPC in April 2017.

Stefanie will continue to manage data collection and field work related to transportation planning. She will also continue in her role as Nottingham’s contract planner.

We're extremely happy for Stefanie and ask that you please join us in congratulating her on this wonderful news!

SRPC Promotes

Rachel Dewey

Strafford Regional Planning Commission is proud to announce the promotion of Rachel Dewey to the Regional Planner III level, with her remaining title, Data Analyst.

Rachel started as the data analyst with SRPC in November 2015.

Rachel will continue to facilitate the Partnering for Performance NH, co-manage SRPC's data collection programs and data team, organize and streamline SRPC's data library, and provide IT support to the organization.

Join us in congratulating Rachel on this exciting promotion!

SRPC Contracts with Liz Durfee, EF | Design & Planning, LLC on City of Dover Urban Tree Plan & Stormwater Management Coastal Resilience Project

SRPC is excited to announce the hiring of Liz Durfee as a contract planner on a new project in the City of Dover. Liz was a regional planner with SRPC from 2014-2017, and now is the owner & principal of EF | Design & Planning, LLC. She also recently won the honor of "Planner of the Year" from the NH Planner's Association at is annual conference.

Liz will be working alongside SRPC staffers Kyle Pimental, principal planner, Jackson Rand, GIS planner, Stephen Geis, planning technician, and data collection & analysis assistants Alaina Rogers and Jack Aponas, on the Dover Urban Tree Plan & Stormwater Management Coastal Resilience Project.

Supported by a NH Coastal Resilience Municipal Planning Grant, this project includes a comprehensive inventory of existing urban street trees within the Central Business District (CBD) to create a urban tree canopy map. This info will serve as the foundation for the long-term urban street plan, which will guide increased resiliency of the downtown core via preservation and enhancement of the urban landscape. It will also address invasive species and public space and rights-of way, including medians, planting strips, and sidewalks. It will have a strong focus on tree lifecycles, aesthetics, heat reduction benefits, groundwater uptake, nitrogen removal, and carbon sequestration

Liz will be working specifically on writing Dover' street tree plan following data collection efforts this summer.

For more information on the Dover Urban Tree Plan & Stormwater Management Coastal Resilience Project contact Kyle Pimental.

CommuteSMART Seacoast Gains New Ownership as Manager Anne Rugg Retires

In 2013, Anne Rugg was hired to establish a Transportation Management Association (TMA), CommuteSMART Seacoast, as a mitigation measure to reduce traffic congestion on the Spaulding Turnpike and connecting roads during the Newington-Dover Little Bay Bridges widening project. This initiative, housed under the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST), was funded by the Federal Department of Transportation Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program and the NH Bureau of Turnpikes.

Since its inception, Anne's energy and experience has led CommuteSMART Seacoast to become a widely successful program in the Seacoast region, which includes communities in both the Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC) and Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) regions. Involved on the advisory board since the beginning, Shayna Sylvia, SRPC communications and outreach planner, and Scott Bogle, senior transportation planner at RPC, have assisted in marketing and building the program alongside Anne, and other members of the advisory board.

In May, Shayna, as team captain for SRPC, coordinated participation in Anne's sixth and final B2B Commuter Challenge. The B2B challenge is CommuteSMART Seacoast's signature program, and encourages friendly competition among seacoast area businesses to commute sustainably each May for prizes and the glory associated with winning in different size categories. This successful and national award-winning program built by Anne, and its complimentary smaller commuter challenges will now be run by SRPC and RPC, as Anne celebrates her final days before retirement during the week of July 4.

This program being turned over to the RPCs has been a result of coordination between Anne, Rad Nichols, executive director at COAST, SRPC, RPC, and CommuteSMART Seacoast's statewide counterpart, CommunteSmart NH (CSNH) .

The plan moving forward is to forego the smaller Dump the Pump challenge that is usually held in the summer, and then to potentially merge the CommuteSMART Seacoast's B2B challenge with the statewide challenge, held in June.