MCC Awarded Grant to Develop Public Transportation Participation Program

Manchester, Conn., – (October 27, 2009)… Manchester Community College (MCC) was recently awarded a $77,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Federal Transit Administration. The grant will fund the Public Transportation Participation Program (PTP) at MCC, where students will learn how to conduct discussions on transportation planning issues.

Students in communication and other related college courses will learn how to conduct discussions on the transportation needs of various community groups directly connected to youth, low-income, minority and underserved populations. These groups will participate in the discussion on how they can contribute to shaping regional public transportation plans.

These populations have been the most difficult for public transportation planners to reach and their public transportation needs are most critical. “Our goal is to improve the public participation practice by creating an environment where those people that usually don’t have a voice in public transportation planning, get a voice,” stated Dr. Rebecca Townsend, instructor of communications.

MCC will focus on a local planning context to develop and pilot a cost-effective public participation program that can be used as a model by the nation’s more than 1,000 community colleges. Additionally, MCC will collaborate with community organizations, local and state government officials, and the Capital Region Council of Government in Hartford (CRCOG) for this project.

Dr. Townsend and Martin Hart, instructor of business and accounting, will coordinate the program at MCC. The program is scheduled to begin in spring 2010.

Students of any age who possess the desire to pursue higher education are welcome at Manchester Community College. MCC is proud of its academic excellence, new facilities, flexible schedules, small classes, low tuition and faculty with both academic and “real world” credentials. The College offers over 60 programs, transfer options, financial aid and scholarships, as well as access to baccalaureate degrees through guaranteed admissions programs with several universities. MCC is situated on a park-like campus and is easily accessible from I-84.

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