The Council on Sustainability convened by the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (UMD) Sustainability Initiative and the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) held a forum on Rethinking Transportation: Moving Toward Sustainability" on September 23, 2010 at the Ocean Explorium in New Bedford. The event was designed to change thinking about our current transportation system and to work toward a sustainable transportation future. Part of the discussion included the development of Complete Streets and the inclusion of pedestrian and bicycle access throughout the region. Nancy LaRue Bonell, co-coach of VOICES for a Healthy Southcoast responded to the presentations by outlining some of the plans that are currently underway to develop bicycle routes and multi-modal transportation within Southcoast communities. For more information about the Council, contact the Director of the Office of Campus and Community Sustainability Susan Jennings at 508-910-6484. For more information about VOICES, contact contact Nancy Bonell at 508-996-9622 X 25.
 

(Top row, left) SRPEDD Executive Director Stephen Smith talks about the interface between land use planning and transportation. (Top row, center) SEA Semester Director John Bullard talks about the issue of sustainability in the context of Global Warming. (Top row, right) Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) South Coast Rail Project Manager Kristina Eagan describes the impact that the rail project will have on transportation. (Middle row, left) Charles Rutkowski of the Community Transportation Association of America describes current efforts to combine redundant transportation resources. (Middle row, right) SRPEDD planner Adam Recchia describes plans for expanding bicycle routes in the region. (Bottom row, left and center) Southcoast Hospital marketing and community relations director Kerry Mello and Nurse Clinician for the Southcoast Hospital Group Cardiovascular Prevention Program Donna Querim listen as VOICES co-coach and VP of Operations for YMCA Southcoast describes current plans. (Bottom row, right) Jenn Gonet of the UMass Office of Sustainability chats with Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julianne Kelly after the forum.