Northern Middlesex Council of Governments

05/28/2026

The Northern Middlesex MPO is accepting public review and comment on the 2027 Unified Planning Work Program and Amendment #5 to the FFY 2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) through June 18. The UPWP describes the work that NMCOG staff will perform over the 2027 Federal Fiscal Year, from data collection and public engagement through long-range interdisciplinary planning and corridor studies.

Share your input via email, mail, or at our virtual public meeting on 6/3 at 12pm.
Read the materials and share your feedback: https://www.nmcog.org/publiccomment

05/22/2026

Have you ever lived or worked in Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Pepperell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, or Westford? If so, we want to hear from you.

Home Starts Here is a community storytelling initiative led by NMCOG and Health Resources in Action (HRiA) focused on collecting and sharing housing stories from people across the region. The initiative centers the voices and experiences that are too often missing from housing conversations.

We are looking to hear from renters, homeowners, housing providers, landlords, people experiencing homelessness, and others across the housing spectrum. Stories may reflect challenges, successes, or the everyday realities of finding and keeping housing in our communities.

By sharing these experiences, we hope to build greater understanding among local agencies, policymakers, elected officials, and neighbors about how housing policies affect people’s lives for better and for worse.

Learn more and share your interest in participating at:
nmcog.org/storytellers

05/15/2026

NMCOG has received a 2025 “Stormy” Award for the Merrimack River Revive initiative!

The award recognizes innovative regional work in stormwater management, flood resilience, and water quality planning across 13 communities in the Lower Merrimack watershed.

From stormwater mapping to watershed-scale modeling and culvert assessments, Merrimack River Revive is helping communities plan smarter and build resilience together in the face of climate challenges.

Learn more at http://www.nmcog.org/news



Art by Sector 37

05/13/2026

Come work with us and our communities in Greater Lowell! NMCOG is seeking a Regional Housing Coordinator to support local and regional housing initiatives and programs. The position will focus on assisting our member municipalities in developing, maintaining, and administering affordable housing. Learn more and apply: www.nmcog.org/jobs

05/05/2026

Reminder: public hearings on the draft Greater Lowell Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan are scheduled for tomorrow, 5/6 at 12pm and Thursday, 5/7 at 7pm. Zoom links and agendas are posted at nmcog.org/calendar.

Want to get a closer look at the bicycle and pedestrian network maps? Visit engage.nmcog.org/GLBPP for links to the map, to view the entire plan, and provide online comments!

04/27/2026

Housing affects our health, work, and daily lives. We’re launching Home Starts Here: a storytelling project to create a better understanding of how housing shapes Greater Lowell — and we want to hear from you.

Join our virtual info session on Wednesday, May 6, 4 pm to learn more and express interest in sharing your story. Gift cards available to thank the first 20 who register and attend – register today:

https://nmcog.org/homestartshere

04/27/2026

The Northern Middlesex MPO is accepting public review and comment on the 2027-2031 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) through May 14. This valuable program distributes federal transportation funding for important infrastructure projects in our region, and this year features two funding pilot programs: one to fund project design and the other to fund micromobility projects.

Share your input via email, mail, or at our virtual public meetings on 5/6 at 12pm or 5/7 at 7pm.

Read the 2027-2031 TIP and share your feedback: https://www.nmcog.org/opportunities-for-public-comment

04/23/2026

You helped create the plan, now review the draft! The final draft of the Greater Lowell Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan is available for review and comment through May 14. We are accepting feedback via email, mail, a dedicated online form (https://engage.nmcog.org/GLBPP), or two public hearings on May 6 (12pm) and May 7 (7pm). Learn more and let us know what you think: http://www.nmcog.org/publiccomment.

04/21/2026

The BuildSmart Housing Innovation TechHub Summit is happening on April 29th in Lowell, MA!

UMass Lowell and partners (including Northern Middlesex Council of Governments as co-sponsor) are establishing a global innovation hub to help address one of Massachusetts' biggest challenges: housing availability. Join us to celebrate the launch of this initiative. Kelly Lynema, NMCOG Deputy Director, will be speaking in the Aligning Policy, Zoning, and Finance to Accelerate Housing session at 11 a.m.

The special event brings together industry, academia, government, and community organizations to spark new collaborations and accelerate innovative solutions, from research and workforce development to finance, policy, and beyond.

Be part of the conversation shaping the future of housing.

April 29 | 8 AM – 6 PM
110 Canal Street, Lowell, MA
Register today (the event is free, but space is limited):

Dive into the future of housing with BuildSmart TechHub's summit on solutions for affordable, sustainable housing in Massachusetts.

04/10/2026