• The cities of Boston, Newton, Salem
  and Somerville
  
• Executive Office of Transportation
  
• Federal Highway Administration (ex officio)
  
• Federal Transit Administration (ex officio)
  
• Regional Transportation Advisory Council (RTAC)
  
• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
  
• MBTA Advisory Board
  
• Massachusetts Highway Department
  
• Massachusetts Port Authority
  
• Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
  
• Metropolitan Area Planning Council
  
• The towns of Bedford, Hopkinton, and Framingham
  

The metropolitan transportation planning process was first set out in the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962. In January 1973, a framework for regional transportation planning in the Boston area was institutionalized through a Memorandum of Understanding which established that the MPO agencies would:

• Work together on the federally required transportation planning process
• Establish a Joint Regional Transportation Committee (now known as the Regional Transportation Advisory Council) to ensure citizen participation in regional transportation planning
• Work together to ensure compliance with federally mandated planning documents
• Establish a joint technical staff to support decision making

The MPO's unified work program is carried out by the Central Transportation Planning Staff. CTPS was created as an integral part of the region's 3C process. It is composed of professional transportation planners and support staff that conduct comprehensive, multimodal transportation planning and analysis for the MPO. This arrangement promotes interagency cooperation, ensures consistency among planning efforts, and fills gaps in the capabilities of the individual MPO agencies.

The MPO Members Briefly Described

• The Executive Office of Transportation (EOT) is the Massachusetts agency that sets policy for and coordinates the transportation work of the various state departments, commissions, and authorities. Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen is the Chairman of the Boston MPO.
  
• The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) provides public transportation service by bus, rapid transit, light rail, trackless trolley, commuter rail, and ferry in its district, which comprises 175 cities and towns.
  
• The MBTA Advisory Board, which consists of representatives of the 175 communities included in the MBTA district, reviews and approves the MBTA's annual budget and Program for Mass Transportation, reviews the yearly Capital Investment Plan, and assists in the development of service quality standards and in service planning. It also serves as a public forum for the discussion of transit issues.
  
• The Massachusetts Highway Department (MassHighway) plans, designs, operates, and maintains state highways and bridges. It has direct responsibility for 2,909 miles of highway and 2,900 bridges.
  
• The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) operates aviation and maritime facilities and promotes economic development. It owns and manages Logan Airport, Hanscom Field, the Tobin Bridge, Conley and Moran container terminals, and other properties.
  
• The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority operates the Massachusetts Turnpike, the Massachusetts Turnpike Extension, and the Boston Harbor crossings (the Callahan, Sumner, and Ted Williams tunnels).
  
• The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is the regional comprehensive planning agency for the 101 cities and towns of the Boston metropolitan area. It is an autonomous public agency composed of municipal officials, state agency representatives, and independent gubernatorial appointees.
  
• Municipal representation in the Boston MPO is determined by Metropolitan Area Planning Council elections held every year. The cities of Newton, Salem, and Somerville and the towns of Bedford, Hopkinton, and Framingham are elected municipal members of the MOP. The City of Boston has permanent status on the MPO.
  
  Non-Voting Members:
  
• The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration serve the Boston MPO in an ex officio capacity and ensure that MPO plans and programs are carried out in a manner consistent with applicable federal planning and funding requirements.
  
• Regional Transportation Advisory Council (RTAC) provides policy advice to the other members on regional transportation issues and specific MPO actions. It is composed of representatives from cities and towns, community groups, subregions, and various state and regional agencies.

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