Draft Memorandum for the Record

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
Meeting Minutes

August 21, 2025, Meeting

10:00 AM–11:41 AM, Zoom Video Conferencing Platform

David Mohler, Chair, representing Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Secretary of Transportation and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)

Decisions

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) agreed to the following:

• Approve the minutes of the June 26, 2025, MPO meeting
• Endorse the Federal Fiscal Years (FFYs) 2025–29 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Adjustment 4
• Endorse the FFYs 2025–29  TIP Amendment 14 and waive the public comment period

Meeting Agenda

1. Introductions

See attendance below.

2. Chair’s Report—David Mohler, MassDOT

There was none.

3. Executive Director’s Report—Tegin Teich, Executive Director, Central Transportation Planning Staff

T. Teich announced the New Shared Mobility Summit would be held on September 11­–12, 2025.­ The goal of the summit is to build a community of change agents intended to be a network of colleagues in leadership roles who can work together to accelerate transportation goals, particularly a shift to more people-centered mobility.

T. Teich shared an engagement update, noting that the Community Advisory Council’s first public meeting will be held on September 4 at 1:00 PM. At the meeting elections will be held, the charter will be discussed, and the council will learn more about the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

T. Teich stated that the pilot design for the Mobility Access and Transportation (MATI) Grant was developed. The grant is intended to result in designs that provide affordable community electric car sharing. It is funded by the Federal Transit Administration and managed by the University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies.

T. Teich stated the NO-HEAT: Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant has completed its first phase, developing high resolution data to help identify the heat risks that people walking and biking face throughout the Boston region. The second phase involves a partnership with four municipalities and four advocacy organizations to conduct walk and bike audits to assist the implementation of heat mitigation pilots.

4. Public Comments  

There were none.

5. Committee Chairs’ Reports

There were none.

6. Action Item: Approval of June 26, 2025, MPO Meeting Minutes

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

• June 26, 2025, Minutes (pdf) (html)

Vote

A motion to approve the minutes of the June 26, 2025, MPO meeting, was made by the City of Boston (Jen Rowe) and seconded by the Town of Arlington (John Alessi). The motion carried.

7. Action Item: FFYs 2025–29 TIP Adjustment 4—Adriana Jacobsen, MPO Staff

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

• TIP Adjustment 4 (pdf) (html)

A. Jacobsen stated that Adjustment 4 to the FFYs 2025–29 TIP includes changes to two Bluebikes State of Good Repair projects. Both are funded in the FFY 2025 year in the Regional Target Program, and the cost adjustments are due to the difference between the anticipated costs of the contract and the actual itemized costs. Both cost changes are relatively small and amount to a net decrease of about $90,000.

Vote

A motion to endorse Adjustment 4 to the FFYs 2025–29 TIP, was made by the North Suburban Planning Council (John Strauss) and seconded by the City of Boston (J. Rowe). The motion carried.

8. TIP Quarterly Readiness Update—Ethan Lapointe and Adriana Jacobsen, MPO Staff

E. Lapointe stated this presentation ties into the next agenda item and is meant to provide context.

E. Lapointe explained that the Quarterly Readiness Updates are a focal point of the MPO’s Operations Plan guidelines for improved information sharing. Quarter 4 updates are intended to review projects that had or still needed to advertise in FFY 2025 within the Regional Target Program. He explained that today’s objective is to examine how the expectations the board set for the program deviate from what will have happened by September 30, 2025.

E. Lapointe reviewed the core investment projects that the board programmed to be delivered in FFY 2025 and their current status. He also examined how the FFY 2025 surplus was distributed, primarily to transit fill-ins, and cost increases. He highlighted that the ability to incorporate cost increases and delays into the program does not only hinder the projects themselves, but also reduces the ability of the overall Regional Target Program to meaningfully deliver on the MPO’s goals.

E. Lapointe examined previous projects that were also delayed or had cost increases to emphasize that these problems are not new for this program. He emphasized the objective of the presentation was to demonstrate the gulf between what projects were ready for delivery for FFY 2025 compared to the board’s expectations for project delivery, and that it is likely further delays or cost increases will be encountered in FFY 2026.

E. Lapointe noted that there are two policies in development with the TIP Process, Engagement, and Readiness Committee that will be brought to the board for discussion. One policy regards five-year design guideline milestones and another regards project scoring policies.

Discussion

Jay Monty, City of Everett, emphasized that the cost increase issue is due to a complex combination of factors outside of the proponents’ control. He recommended digging into “why” the costs go up in honest conversations.

Dennis Giombetti, Metrowest Regional Collaborative, asked if there is a correlation between cost increases and change of scope.

E. Lapointe responded generally yes. He noted that MPO policies on rescoring if a scope change was incorporated were not enforced over the past two years.

D. Giombetti asked who makes the determination on accepting a scope change. E. Lapointe responded it is the board’s responsibility.

J. Rowe clarified that the board’s decision-making is focused on continued funding of a project, not the actual change in scope.

D. Mohler stated that the goal is to understand how much of a cost increase is related to scope and how much is due to other factors.

E. Lapointe emphasized that the goal of the presentation was not to litigate individual projects but rather to illustrate the program-wide impact of these collective increases.

J. Strauss asked if improvements are being made to procedures to get cost increases from proponents. E. Lapointe responded that it is an opportunity to better explain the existing policies.

Tom O’Rourke, Three Rivers Interlocal Council (Town of Norwood), asked if $40 million of the $120 million directed toward the Regional Target Program went to transit projects. E. Lapointe responded yes, and due to other changes that have taken place since then, $70 million of the $120 million is now going to transit projects.

D. Mohler clarified that the reason for the reallocation was a lack of project readiness for projects programmed in FFY 2025.

E. Lapointe highlighted that though many projects are local priorities, they were not local priorities in the spirit of the Regional Target Program.

J. Rowe noted that proponents of transit projects have worked to provide information for scoring earlier on, anticipating gaps in the Regional Target Program. J. Rowe also stated that the next TIP Process, Engagement, and Readiness Committee meeting will be held on September 4 and 2:30 PM, and will dig in deeper on some of the proposals.

Julia Wallerce, MAPC, took over as chair.

T. Teich emphasized that cost and scope increases can lead to projects being pushed out, which often further leads to cost and scope increases.

9. Action Item: FFYs 2025–29 TIP Amendment 14 Release—Ethan Lapointe, MPO Staff

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

• TIP Amendment 14 (pdf) (html)

E. Lapointe presented changes to the Regional Target and Statewide Highway Programs in the FFY 2025 element of the FFYs 2025–29 TIP: a delay of a Safe Routes to School project in Arlington from FFY 2025 to 2026, a cost increase on the reconstruction of Route 38 in Wilmington, and a cost increase on the Route 28 and Chickatawbut Road intersection improvement project in Milton.

John Bechard, MassDOT, stated that a culvert within the Wilmington project limits was going to be repaired, but as work began a replacement became more appropriate, leading to cost increases.

E. Lapointe requested that the public comment period be waived because the minimum length of a comment period would preclude the advertisement of two of these projects within FFY 2025.

Vote

A motion to endorse Amendment 14 to the FFYs 2025–29 TIP and waive the public comment period was made by the Town of Brookline (Erin Chute) and seconded by the Town of Arlington (J. Alessi). The motion carried.

10. Response to Reauthorization Request for Information (RFI)—Tegin Teich, Executive Director, Central Transportation Planning Staff

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

• RFI Reauthorization Response (pdf) (html)

T. Teich stated the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has a RFI – Advancing a Surface Transportation Proposal that Focuses on America’s Most Fundamental Infrastructure Needs. She emphasized the importance of reauthorization including more support for and better empowering MPOs in their roles as stewards of federal dollars. She summarized the points of her letter, noting they closely align with the National Association of MPO’s priorities.

The themes of the letter included enhancing transportation safety, accelerating project delivery for transportation projects, increasing opportunities through investment in transportation infrastructure, and strengthening partnerships with key stakeholders.

Discussion

J. Rowe asked if the City of Boston should also submit a response or sign on to this one. T. Teich responded that it would be good for them to submit as well, as it is important to include as many different stakeholders as possible.

Steve Olanoff, Town of Norwood, asked if a similar letter had been sent before and who would see the letter (Federal Highway Administration, Congressional Committee, etc.). T. Teich replied that it has not been done before, and the letter was intended to be seen by the US Department of Transportation.

D. Giombetti asked if all communities should sign the letter as a sign of support. T. Teich agreed that this would be a good idea but would require further coordination not possible in this timeframe.

J. Rowe shared her understanding that the RFI came out unexpectedly, leading to the sped-up timeline. T. Teich agreed.

11. Members’ Items

J. Alessi announced that this would be his final MPO meeting as he was moving to the McClure Consulting Firm. He thanked the board and staff for their work and shared that Lenard Diggins would likely be the primary designee moving forward.

12. Adjourn

A motion to adjourn was made by the Inner Core Committee (Tom Bent) and seconded by the Town of Arlington (J. Alessi). The motion carried.

Attendance

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