Nantucket Planning Commission Authorizes Population Study Contract, Opens Two TIP Review Periods

NANTUCKET -- April 27, 2026, Nantucket planning commission votes to study seasonal population and redirect federal transit funds. The Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission voted unanimously at its April 27 remote meeting to authorize a $45,205 contract with the UMass Donahue Institute for a seasonal population study designed to capture not just year-round residents but seasonal visitors and day-trippers, subject to Select Board approval. The commission also opened two 21-day public review periods, both running May 7 through May 28, covering a $420,925 flex of federal highway funds to the Nantucket Regional Transit Authority for bus tracking equipment, staff housing, stop lighting, and shop equipment, as well as the draft FY 2027-2031 Transportation Improvement Program, which includes a $7.5 million Milestone Rotary reconstruction slated for 2031. MassDOT's Derek Schuster, attending remotely, warned that the highway funds are "basically use-or-lose" and cannot be carried forward past the September 30 federal deadline absent an eligible highway project.