Community Leaders Debate Transportation Future At Forum

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A proposed $100 million increase in state funding for the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority may not be such a boon.

BRTA Administrator Gary Shepard said on Monday that the increase doesn't include provisions to secure a reoccurring funding source and doesn't give the BRTA its own line item in the state budget.

While an increased focus on transportation funding is appreciated, it really only forward-funds the organization, a move that should have been done years ago, Shepard explained at a transportation forum on Monday at Berkshire Community College.

"The $100 million doesn't represent expansion, it represents forward funding. I can't look you in the eye and say I can do more with this. The $100 million just gets us up back to zero," Shepard said, explaining that the BRTA is retroactively funded each year.

Shepard wants the resources to expand services but this proposal is only one step toward it. Transportation funding is going to be a hot-button issue on Beacon Hill this upcoming session.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is in need of help as it was two years ago, but in order to get the political support to save it, legislators are being asked to provide additional funding for the state's RTAs.

"The MBTA is a deep, dark hole of financial instability," said state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield. "People in the Berkshires shouldn't have to keep bailing out the T."

But Shepard said the conversation wouldn't be happening at all if the MBTA wasn't in trouble.

Farley-Bouvier has introduced a bill that would mandate more equity in public transportation funding, revamp the funding mechanisms and set goals for transportation, as well as making newer projects fit them.

"We are taking money set aside for capital costs and we are using that money to pay for operations," Farley-Bouvier said.

Further investment in public transportation in the "Gateway Cities" was identified as a key to the financial future for the entire state by MassInc, an independent research company.

He used the proposed rail line from Pittsfield to New York City as a good addition to the transportation system but once the tourists get here, they'll be stuck in the county without adequate public transit. Plus, he said, public transportation makes it worthwhile for teens to work and buses can be part of the county's branding.

Chamber of Commerce President Michael Supranowicz said a survey conducted last year and found nearly every industry indicated increased public transportation would be a benefit.

"When the industry left, we turned into a service industry and we've got places open 24 hours now," Supranowicz said after recalling the days when stores would not be open on weekends or night.

Even the existing manufacturers said public transportation would help their business, Supranowicz said.

BCC President Ellen Kennedy said "you'd be amazed" at how many students rely on public transportation.

"People can't take classes at night if they rely on public transportation," Kennedy said, adding that if students wanted to, they wouldn't have even been able to attend the 4 p.m. forum if they relied on public transportation.

Both Kennedy and Supranowicz advocated for longer service hours, more routes and availability to more people.

In other transportation discussion, Mayor Daniel Bianchi advocated for a greater connection with upstate New York and more predictable Chapter 90 highway funds.

Berkshire County Getting $4M Toward Housing Improvements

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:12AM / Friday, December 19, 2025

Housing Secretary Ed Augustus has been a frequent visitor to the Berkshires and says a new rural designation for the Housing Choice Initiative grew out of conversations with small towns.  

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Millions of federal Community Development Block Grant funds are coming to Berkshire County for housing and economic development. 

On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said announced $33.5 million in federal CDBG funds, of which $5.45 million will be coming to the county. 

Great Barrington, in conjunction with Egremont and Stockbridge, has been allocated $1.25 million to rehabilitate approximately 14 housing units. 

"We really recognize the importance of having strong local partners who are doing that hard work every day, educating our kids, keeping our neighborhoods safe, investing in the best of what makes our community special, places we make memories, places that drive the economy," said Driscoll at the Housatonic Community Center.

"These dollars in particular can help do all of that, along with helping cure older housing stock and meet the needs of community members who might find a desire to have a new roof or make a housing unit more accessible, but don't always have the resources to do it. These dollars are really special, and we're really grateful." 

The federal fiscal 2025 CDBG awards, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, help small cities and towns undertake projects that benefit low and moderate-income residents.

The more than $33 million will be dispersed to 52 communities across the commonwealth. Hinsdale and Florida will share a total of $950,000 to rehabilitate 11 housing units; Lenox and Sandisfield will share a total of $1,050,000 to rehabilitate 12 housing units, and New Marlborough, Mount Washington, and Otis will see a total of $1,250,000 to rehabilitate 15 housing units. North Adams is getting $950,000 for the second phase of senior center improvements and road repairs.

The funds can be used for projects involving housing rehabilitation, sidewalk and road improvements, planning studies, public facility upgrades, and social services such as food pantries, youth programming, and homelessness prevention. 

Town Manager Liz Hartsgrove said this reflects what is possible when federal, state, and local governments work together, and that the public investment shares significance beyond dollars alone. 

"These programs and projects become instruments of stability, equity, and trust. It allows the government to meet real needs, strengthen neighborhoods, and ensure residents can remain safely and securely in their homes. Places where lives are built, memories are formed, and community identity is shaped for generations to come," she said. 

"Investments like CDBG reduce uncertainties for families, provide reassurance for seniors, and create pathways for households to remain rooted in the communities they contribute to every day. When individuals and families are supported in this way, they are better positioned to thrive, and when people thrive, communities grow stronger, more resilient, and more connected."