Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

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	Transportation Plan – The Last 25 Years OVERVIEW • VISIONS AND POLICIES • THE LAST 25 YEARS UNIVERSE OF PROJECTS • AIR QUALITY CONFORMITY • PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Changes in Commuting Patterns Changing settlement and employment patterns have dramatically altered transportation patterns and the transportation network in the past 25 years. Changes in the Transportation Planning Environment Federal transportation funds have long been distributed through a "continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative" (3C) transportation-planning process. Federal legislation in the past 25 years has broadened the scope of metropolitan transportation planning and provided billions of dollars for transportation investments in the Boston region. Clean Air Act of 1990 (CAA) This federal legislation recast transportation planning to provide for improved air quality. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) This federal legislation requires all MPO transportation projects, programs, and plans to be fully accessible to people with disabilities. Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) ISTEA was the first comprehensive federal transportation act, encompassing all surface transportation modes. It broadened public participation and required fiscal constraint in MPO certification documents. Executive Order 12898 of 1994 As a result of this federal legislation, the MPO identifies and addresses environmental justice transportation issues affecting minority populations and low-income populations. Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century of 1998 (TEA-21) This federal legislation extended federal surface transportation programs through 2003. It placed special emphasis on the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) to help improve operations and management. Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users of 2005 (SAFETEA-LU) This federal legislation authorizes the federal surface transportation programs for the five-year period of federal fiscal years 2005–2009. It continues to build on previous federal transportation funding legislation (ISTEA and TEA-21), with an increased emphasis on safety and security and on environmental considerations. Another significant change in transit planning is the Commonwealth´s legistlation on Forward Funding. This legislation altered the MBTA´s financial structure and expanded the MBTA´s service area from 78 municipalities to the current 175. The legislation establishing forward funding also directed the MBTA to prepare a Program for Mass Transportation every five years and an annual Capital Investment Program. Back to Top


State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA 02116 Directions 617.973.7100 Fax 617.973.8855 TTY 617.973.7089