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Women's history on Cape Cod is marked by resilience and leadership, with women playing pivotal roles in shaping the region’s communities since its early settlement. In the 19th century, while many men were away at sea, women managed households, farms, and local businesses, becoming the backbone of Cape Cod’s coastal villages. As educators, abolitionists, and suffragists, Cape Cod women like Mercy Otis Warren and Helen Augusta Crocker advocated for social change. During the 20th century, women continued to lead, from environmental conservation efforts to local politics. Today, women continue to be vital leaders in the region’s civic, cultural, and environmental spheres.

Data collection plays a vital role in keeping roadways safe and accessible for everyone. Every few years, the Cape Cod Commission updates a list of high-crash intersections to help identify areas in need of safety improvements. By tracking crash trends over time, Commission staff can pinpoint problem areas and prioritize locations for Road Safety Audits, planning studies, and other safety interventions. This list serves as a valuable resource for transportation professionals, guiding strategic investments to make the region’s roads safer for all.

A status on projects currently under review by the Cape Cod Commission.

The Cape Cod Commission recently conducted an economic analysis of Rock Harbor in response to a request from the Town of Orleans. The study aimed to assess the harbor’s contribution to the local economy and to better understand visitor behaviors. Using data collected through business surveys, intercept surveys, cellphone data analysis, and economic modeling, the report sheds light on the harbor’s importance as both a working waterfront and a desirable community destination.  

When creating digital plans, it’s essential to have an accurate representation of the natural and built environment. But how do you achieve that?

These representations of our landscape aren’t just developed on a computer screen—they are digitized versions of the real-world environment of the region. Planimetric data are digital points, lines and polygons representing features on the ground, such as manholes, coastal infrastructure and catch basins, that can be used in geographic information system mapping applications.

The Cape Cod Commission invites the public to attend a Cape Cod Vision Zero Action Plan public meeting to learn more about efforts to eliminate fatalities and serious injury crashes on Cape Cod's roadways. The meetings will provide an overview of the region’s High Injury and High Risk roadway and intersection network and a draft list of potential countermeasures, projects and strategies to reduce serious injury and fatal crashes in our region. Attendees will have an opportunity to provide feedback on potential solutions in their communities as we prepare the Action Plan document later this spring.  

Leaders across Cape Cod are embracing Vision Zero principles and committing to prioritizing safety. In February, the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Barnstable County Board of Regional Commissioners adopted an official Vision Zero goal to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries by 2050 and to reduce fatalities and serious injuries by 50% by 2035. This commitment ensures that Vision Zero principles will be integrated into transportation planning and investment decisions across the region. 

Unanticipated changes to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund’s financing of local wastewater projects have prompted urgent action from local officials. 

Each year, the Cape Cod Commission receives funding through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Living Communities to provide technical assistance to towns in our region. The District Local Technical Assistance (DLTA) program helps municipalities with sustainable development and encourages partnerships to achieve planning and development goals that align with state and regional priorities. 

Over the years, DLTA funds have supported housing and wastewater initiatives, studies of redevelopment options and economic development strategies, and targeted local planning and zoning efforts. Four projects received 2025 DLTA funds.

On January 13, 2025, the CCIWPF Board voted to approve two key motions to enhance financial support for water quality monitoring programs, highlighting their connection to the Fund's mission. These programs aim to improve the understanding of both coastal and freshwater ecosystems, ensuring informed, science-based decision-making for the region.