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For the most recent information on the following public meetings and others that may have been scheduled after TRANSReport went to press, go to www.bostonmpo.org or call (617) 973-7119. A photo ID is required to access most meeting sites.
Public comments will be accepted on state plan through September 7
Earlier this summer, the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) voted to approve the federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2015–18 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), a plan for financing approximately $670 million for highway projects and $1.3 billion for transit projects in the metropolitan Boston area over the next four years.
This TIP allocates federal funding for highway projects that include interstate resurfacing work, bridge replacement and repairs, roadway reconstruction projects, and multimodal improvements to the transportation network that improve mobility for all and provide better access for bicyclists and pedestrians.
It also authorizes spending for transit projects that will upgrade rail, subway, and bus fleets, and for projects that will modernize the transit system’s infrastructure. Among those transit projects is one major expansion project, the Green Line Extension to Route 16 in Medford. The detailed project lists are available by clicking here.
Since the MPO’s approval of the TIP, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has incorporated this region’s project list into the draft FFYs 2015–18 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP is a compilation of the projects selected to receive federal funding by the Commonwealth’s 10 MPOs and by the three regional planning commissions that serve as MPOs.
MassDOT released the STIP for a 30-day public review period in August and will be accepting comments through September 7. Click here to view the project lists for the entire Commonwealth.
Public comments on the STIP may be sent by mail to the STIP Coordinator, MassDOT, Office of Transportation Planning, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 4150, Boston MA 02116; by email to Allam.Sreelatha@state.ma.us; or by fax, 857-368-0639.
The Boston Region MPO is accepting nominations for candidates to fill four elected municipal seats on the MPO’s 22-seat board for three-year terms.
Two of the seats are open to municipalities within each of two specific subregions of the MPO planning area: the SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee and the North Shore Task Force. (The map below indicates which municipalities are eligible.)
The other two municipal seats are at-large and will be filled by one city and one town from any of the eight subregions. Each elected municipality will be represented by its chief elected official (or a designee).
Nomination papers must be submitted by Friday, October 3, to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), one of the MPO member agencies that facilitate the election.
The election will occur at MAPC’s Fall Council meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, October 29. (See the listing in the Calendar for details.)
For more information, contact Eric Bourassa, MAPC, at ebourassa@mapc.org or 617-451-2770 ext. 740 (phone); or Paul Regan, MBTA Advisory Board, at pregan@mbtaadvisoryboard.org or 617-426-6054 (phone).
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Draft Amendment to Transportation Improvement Program Released
The Boston Region MPO released Draft Amendment Four to the federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2014–17 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for a 15-day public review period, which started on Monday, August 25, and will end at 5:00 PM on Monday, September 8, 2014.
The proposed amendment addresses cost increases to several bridge and highway projects. They include the reconstruction of Rantoul Street in Beverly; demolition of a bridge over an abandoned railroad in Bellingham and the installation of a culvert to accommodate a future bicycle path on the rail bed; and the reconstruction of Beacon Street in Somerville. Other changes documented in the proposed amendment are adjustments to cash flows of bridge replacement projects on Route 128 and a cost decrease for a project that will replace traffic signals and make safety improvements at four intersections in Winchester.
The amendment would remove funding for the South Bay Harbor Trail in Boston. On the transit side, it would add four projects and remove one project from the Cape Ann Transportation Authority’s Capital Program; and it would program a cost increase for one project in the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority’s Capital Program. The proposed changes are shown in tables that may be viewed by clicking here.
MPO Seeks Feedback on Draft Public Participation Plan
The MPO also released its Draft Public Participation Plan for a 45-day public-review and comment period, which will close at 5:00 PM on October 8, 2014. The Draft Public Participation Plan is available by clicking here. It outlines how the MPO communicates with the public and, in particular, what the MPO is doing to facilitate public input. This includes stepped-up activities to break down barriers for people who traditionally have not participated in the MPO decision-making process. The MPO will hold public meetings about this plan in Framingham, Dorchester, Lynn, and Quincy. (See the Calendar for meeting details.)
The MPO welcomes feedback and ideas about ways to enhance public participation. All comments will be presented to the MPO members prior to their approval of a final Public Participation Plan. That vote is scheduled to take place at the MPO meeting scheduled for October 16, at 10:00 AM, in conference rooms 2 and 3 of the State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, in Boston.
To submit a comment online, please click here, or see below for the MPO’s mailing address and phone number.
New Studies
Last December, a study was completed that examined the concept of redesigning McGrath Highway (Route 28) in Somerville to potentially remove the McCarthy Overpass, a 1950s-era elevated structure, and rebuild the roadway at street level. The Grounding McGrath study produced a recommendation to further study the concept of a Complete Streets boulevard design. MassDOT is now pursuing various design alternatives.
In support of MassDOT’s study team, the Central Transportation Planning Staff (the staff to the MPO) will be conducting travel modeling to forecast the potential traffic consequences of converting the overpass to a four-lane or six-lane boulevard (two or three lanes in each direction), and the traffic impacts on surrounding roadways, such as Rutherford Avenue.
Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT) Update
MassDOT has embarked on a comprehensive self-review to determine the extent to which people with disabilities are restricted from accessing its facilities and services. John Lozada, Manager of Federal Programs for MassDOT’s Office of Diversity and Civil Rights, provided an update on the activities of the agency’s ADA/Section 504 Interim Transition Plan Working Group at the July AACT meeting. The Interim Transition Plan can be viewed by clicking here.
Mr. Lozada, who is co-chair of the Transition Plan Working Group with David Anderson, MassDOT Deputy Chief Engineer, discussed several aspects of the review. One involves inventorying approximately 50,000 sidewalk curb ramps on MassDOT-owned property. His staff has already visited about 20,000 curb ramp locations, using a software tool to record images and take measurements of the ramps.
The next steps involve prioritizing the curb ramps for improvement projects. The prioritization system takes into account the technical noncompliance of each ramp and the extent to which it provides access to public buildings, hospitals, transportation services, and/or other locations where access for the public is important. He noted that the Working Group has also developed a range of policies and procedures, including some for providing notice of rights, addressing complaints, constructing ADA-compliant curb ramps, and installing accessible pedestrian signals.
The Working Group has begun to evaluate accessibility at Registry of Motor Vehicle sites and will also address highway service plazas and rest areas. They are also studying the extent to which snow and ice removal is an issue on MassDOT sidewalks, which will lead to work with other state agencies and municipalities to coordinate snow removal policies.
Regional Transportation Advisory Council Update
The Advisory Council will hold a Community Transportation Forum at its next meeting, on September 10, at the State Transportation Building in Boston. (See the Calendar for details.) Community transportation refers to transportation services that are provided through initiatives at the local or multimunicipal level. These services include all existing transportation resources in a community that are available to help meet residents’ mobility needs, and also potential services that might be developed through coordination and collaboration among local entities. These include both public and private services and resources, such as shuttles for seniors, vans operated by churches or community organizations, and other transportation services.
Guest panelists will include Heather Hume, of the MassDOT Rail and Transit Division; Theodora Fisher, of the Office of Transportation Services at the Human Services Transportation Office; and Sue Temper, of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Specific local projects will be discussed by the other panelists: Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Executive Director of the 128 Business Council, and Mike Gowing, who represents the Town of Acton on the Council. Ms. Tibbits-Nutt will discuss her transportation management agency’s transportation network, program development, and engagement with private partners. Mr. Gowing will talk about the CrossTown Connect, an intermunicipal transit service that demonstrates innovative local transportation programs and coordinated services.
Also at the September 10 meeting, nominations of Advisory Council officers for next year’s term will be advanced by the Elections Committee. Nominations will also be received from the floor. The election will be held at the October 8 meeting.
The October meeting agenda will also include a discussion on freight and updates on the Boston Region MPO’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, now in development, and its Draft Public Participation Plan, which is now available for public review and comment.
The Advisory Council encourages participation by a wide variety of transportation advocates, including municipalities, agencies, and advocacy groups. Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 3:00 PM in the State Transportation Building conference rooms.
The time has come again to take a long look ahead and think about the transportation system we will have in the region 10, 15, or 20 years from now, and to consider how investments in the existing system can best meet our needs for personal mobility, access to jobs and services, and getting around by healthy modes of transportation.
Every four years, the Boston Region MPO updates its Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which defines a vision for the region’s transportation network for at least the next 20 years and guides the MPO as it makes strategic investments in the region’s transportation system. The current LRTP, Paths to a Sustainable Region, was adopted in 2011. The MPO will update that document over the next 10 months with the goal of approving a new LRTP in June 2015. The MPO will ask for the public’s involvement throughout this period.
Those who participated in the development of Paths to a Sustainable Region will recall that the process began by defining a vision for the region and the goals for realizing that vision. The MPO prepared a Needs Assessment that documented the state of the region’s transportation network and identified the high-priority transportation needs to be addressed in order to attain the defined vision and goals.
The development of the new LRTP has begun in much the same way. The MPO discussed its central vision, goals, and objectives in August and released a draft of them for public review and comment. The MPO staff is now working on the update to the Needs Assessment. After the needs have been identified, the planning process for the new LRTP will have some distinct differences from the process used to develop the last LRTP.
Performance-based Planning
MPOs across the country are now measuring the performance of their investments through performance-based planning, as called for in federal regulations. The Boston Region MPO will expand and formalize its performance-based planning by developing strategies, targets, and performance measures to mark progress toward various goals. These goals will focus on the topics of safety, system preservation, traffic congestion reduction, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution mitigation, mode shifts away from automobile usage, equity for low-income and minority populations, economic vitality, and freight movement.
Scenario Testing
This year’s LRTP process will also involve scenario planning to a greater degree than in earlier plans. The MPO will test for outcomes that could be expected from implementing various groupings of transportation projects and programs. The scenarios could be designed to address specific needs or goals—for example, the need to reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector or the goal of inducing a shift away from automobile usage toward more environmentally friendly transportation options. The results of the scenario testing will inform the MPO’s final selection of a group of projects and programs to include in the LRTP for future funding.
New Modeling Tools
Several new and improved modeling tools will be applied during the scenario planning process. The MPO’s regional travel demand model—used to forecast travel patterns and highway and transit usage—was updated within the past year to reflect contemporary travel behavior of people in the region. A new integrated land use and transportation model will provide insight into questions about how investments in the transportation system can improve accessibility to existing and planned employment centers, services, and neighborhoods. In addition, the modeling software TREDIS (Transportation Economic Development Impact System) will be used to incorporate economic factors into the planning process.
Public Involvement
Throughout the planning process, the public will have the opportunity to provide views, ideas, and suggestions regarding specific aspects of the new LRTP. For example, comments can now be submitted on the draft of the LRTP’s central vision statement and goals and objectives, along with the MPO’s Draft Public Participation Plan (see the article below), which is currently circulating for public review.
Another opportunity to comment will be in October, when the Needs Assessment will be made available. Members of the public are also invited to participate at any time during the planning process through the MPO’s website by submitting comments, taking surveys, or reading the updates.
Those interested in learning more about the LRTP are invited to a special forum on Tuesday, September 23, at the Boston Public Library. Registration is not required. (See the Calendar listing for details.)
Notices about other public involvement events throughout the year will be posted on the MPO’s website and will be issued through email updates and this newsletter. To sign up to receive notices, please click here.
Schedule for Long-Range Transportation Plan Development
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The Boston Region MPO, in concert with the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project (a joint effort of Alta Planning and Design and the Institute of Transportation Engineers), is recruiting volunteers to collect data on the bicycle and pedestrian usage of transportation facilities. These data are needed by planners to compare the benefits of bicycling and walking transportation modes to the benefits of motorized modes.
The next national count dates are September 9–14. To support this initiative, on September 8, the Boston Region MPO will launch a new volunteer registration and orientation website for those interested in doing counts in the Boston region.
The website will allow volunteer counters to find times and locations where counts are needed most. Priority locations may be those where a transportation project is planned and data are required as a baseline to measure the project’s effectiveness after construction. Or they may be locations where travel is monitored by the MPO but where bicycle and pedestrian counts have not been conducted in several years.
The new online registration system will orient volunteers to the MPO’s counting methodology, describe how to address counting nuances, and provide count sheets. Please visit the MPO’s website to sign up, starting September 8.
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Apply Now for Livable Community Workshops and Transportation Technical Assistance
The Boston Region MPO and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) are planning a new round of Livable Community Workshops for 2015, and are offering technical assistance on transportation issues to municipalities.
Workshops
Livable Community Workshops are offered free of cost to municipalities that want to explore ways to improve “livability” in their neighborhoods.
Some of the topics covered in past workshops were bicycle and pedestrian planning, how to draft a Complete Streets policy, ADA-accessible routing, and parking. This past year, workshops were held in the towns of Hudson, Hull, Ipswich, Framingham, Medford, Natick, and Stoneham.
For each community that hosts a workshop, the program staff discusses issues of concern with municipal officials and conducts a site visit. They then organize a community workshop, which includes a presentation followed by a site visit and group discussion. The findings are documented in a report.
Technical Assistance
The MPO and MAPC are also accepting applications for the MPO’s Community Transportation Technical Assistance Program. This program provides municipal officials with technical advice for addressing local transportation concerns.
Recommendations from past studies focused on safety and operational improvements for pedestrian circulation, accommodations for bicyclists, traffic calming, livability improvements, intersection redesign for effective and safe traffic channeling, traffic-signal evaluations, and access management.
Municipal officials taking part in the program meet with a team of transportation engineers and planners for a site visit to observe the existing conditions and discuss issues of concern. The team then documents the identified issues, performs analyses, and offers recommendations for addressing the concerns.
For more information about Livable Community Workshops and Community Technical Assistance
The MPO contact person for both programs is Mark Abbott, Manager of Traffic Analysis and Design, at 617-973-7095 or mabbott@ctps.org.
The MAPC contact person for the Livable Community Workshops is Jessica Robertson, Transportation Coordinator, at 617-451-2770 or jrobertson@mapc.org. The MAPC contact person for the Community Transportation Technical Assistance Program is Eric Bourassa, Transportation Manager, at 617-451-2770 or ebourassa@mapc.org.
Applications for both programs are available on the MPO’s website. Click here for the Livability application, and here for the Technical Assistance application.
The MPO complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and other federal and state nondiscrimination statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. The MPO does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, English proficiency, income, religious creed, ancestry, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or military service. Any person who believes herself/ himself or any specific class of persons to have been subjected to discrimination prohibited by Title VI, the ADA, or other nondiscrimination statute or regulation may, herself/himself or via a representative, file a written complaint with the MPO. A complaint must be filed no later than 180 calendar days after the date on which the person believes the discrimination to have occurred. A complaint form and additional information can be obtained by contacting the MPO or at www.boston mpo.org.
