Memorandum for the Record
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization Meeting
December 6, 2012 Meeting
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Willett Room, First Floor, Norwood Civic Center, 165 Nahantan Street, Norwood, MA
David Mohler, Chair, representing Richard Davey, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization agreed to the following:
• approve the work program for Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadways
• approve
the minutes of the meeting of October 18 as revised
• approve
the minutes of the meeting of November 15
A public comment was heard later in the meeting. (See item 12.)
There was none.
Lourenço Dantas, Massachusetts Port Authority, announced that the Congestion Management Process (CMP) Committee would be meeting after this MPO meeting. The Intersection Improvement Program is on the agenda.
The next Advisory Council meeting will be held on December 12 at 3 PM in Room 4 of the State Transportation Building. Stephanie Pollack, Associate Director of Research at the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University, will be a featured speaker. She will be discussing the future of transit and development in Greater Boston.
K. Quackenbush introduced Michelle Scott, who has joined Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) as the new manager of the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). She previously worked for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, where among her other responsibilities, she served as a liaison to two MPOs.
J. Carroll welcomed the MPO to the Town of Norwood, which was founded in 1872 and is home to approximately 28,000 people. He discussed the inception and history of the Central Artery/Tunnel project, which he was involved in during the 1970s when he served as commissioner of Boston’s Department of Public Works. He credited Bill Reynolds for developing the idea for depressing the artery and Fred Salvucci and former Governor Michael Dukakis for their work to implement the project.
S. Mercandetti then discussed the Three Rivers Interlocal Council, one of the eight MAPC subregions and represented on the MPO by the Town of Norwood. The transportation infrastructure in the subregion includes Interstate 95, Routes 1,1A, 27, and 109. The commuter rail and MBTA bus route #34 E also serve the subregion. Major developments in the area include Legacy Place in Dedham and Patriot Place in Foxborough. Mixed-use developments are planned for Westwood Station and Sharon Commons, and there are other industrial and commercial developments in the area. She noted that major employers in the subregion include companies in the life sciences, health care, medical device, and retail industries. Some are Reebok, Duncan Brands, New England Sinai, Analog Devices, and Coca Cola.
She then discussed subregional transportation priorities. The reconfiguring of the interchange of Interstates 95 and 93 is a priority due to the need to improve safety and operational efficiency at that location, which experiences congestion and a high number of crashes and truck roll-overs. She noted that the interchange project is key to being able to realize the full potential of the Route 128 Add-a-lane project.
She distributed a document detailing the other local priorities, many of which will improve amenities for bicyclists and pedestrians. The projects are as follows:
• Route 1A North, Walpole
• Route 1/University Avenue, Norwood
• Route 1A and Upland Road/Washington Street and Prospect Street/Fulton Street, Norwood
• Route 138, Canton
• Central Avenue, Milton
She asked the MPO to consider geographic equity and funding for projects in the TRIC subregion when making their recommendations for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
K. Quackenbush introduced the work program for Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadways. The analytic work that will be conducted through this work program is similar to that which will be done as part of the recently approved work program for the Priority Corridors for Long-Range Transportation Needs Assessment, FFY 2013.
While the Priority Corridors work program will examine high-volume arterials selected from the Needs Assessment of the LRTP, this new work program will focus on lower-volume minor arterials and collectors identified through MPO outreach and discussions with MAPC’s subregions. MAPC subregions have identified roadways where there are issues associated with bottlenecks, safety, and access management.
The objective of the study is to analyze and make recommendations for multi-modal solutions to such issues on three corridor segments. The initial tasks of the study include soliciting input from the MAPC subregions, interacting with municipalities and agencies, and selecting corridor segments through a ranking system (a similar ranking system used in the Priority Corridors study).
The candidate locations will then be presented to the MPO. After receiving MPO approval, staff will conduct analyses related to crashes, truck-related issues, pedestrian infrastructure, traffic controls (including signal timing), and buses (including on-time performance, stop location, and accessibility). The outcome of the study will be recommendations that could relate to geometric improvements, traffic controls, pavement rehabilitation, trucks, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodation.
This MPO-funded project will span two federal fiscal years. In FFY 2013 $75,000 will be spent and in FFY 2014 $45,000 will be spent.
Members discussed the work program.
D. Mohler asked if staff expects TIP projects to result from this study. K. Quackenbush replied that staff aims to emphasize lower cost improvements that can be implemented by a community on a short-term basis. There is, however, often a longer-term component that identifies capital needs, and yes, some of these could potentially result in TIP projects.
A motion to approve the work program for Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadways was made by MAPC (Eric Bourassa), and seconded by the MetroWest Regional Collaborative (Town of Framingham) (Dennis Giombetti). The motion carried.
A motion to put the minutes of the meeting of October 18 on the table was made by the MetroWest Regional Collaborative (Town of Framingham) (D. Giombetti), and seconded by MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried.
These minutes had been edited to reflect that the Advisory Council abstained from a vote and to revise the wording of Motion #7. During the discussion of this item, S. Olanoff requested a revision to Motion #2 as well.
A motion to approve the minutes of the meeting of October 18 – as revised by S. Olanoff – was made by the MetroWest Regional Collaborative (Town of Framingham) (D. Giombetti), and seconded by MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried. The Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville) (Hayes Morrison) abstained.
A motion to approve the minutes of the meeting of November 15 as revised was made by the MetroWest Regional Collaborative (Town of Framingham) (D. Giombetti), and seconded by MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried. The Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville) (H. Morrison) abstained.
K. Quackenbush introduced the report on the Safe Access to Transit for Pedestrians and Bicyclists study, which identified low cost improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure around four stations that could potentially increase the walk and bicycle share to those transit stations, possibly increase total transit ridership, and help to make land use around the stations more efficient. MAPC contributed to this study by providing its land use expertise and by identifying areas of development around the stations.
E. Pagitsas then gave a PowerPoint presentation on the study. The purpose of the study was to identify issues regarding station access through the use of data analysis and community input, and then to identify low-cost and short-term measures to improve bicycle and pedestrian access to the selected stations. By improving access as such, the secondary goals were to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
To select stations for study, staff used the Needs Assessment of the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and the Congestion Management System (CMP) to identify stations that are at 85% or higher capacity. Other criteria used to select stations included the number of bicycle and pedestrian crashes around the station, the usage of the stations by bicyclists and pedestrians, the availability of infrastructure for those users, the potential for land use changes around the stations, and community input and interest in implementing study recommendations.
Four stations were selected: Oak Grove, Morton Street, Riverside, and Braintree stations. The study included analysis of intersections surrounding the station where crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians have occurred.
At Oak Grove Station the parking spaces are 99% utilized and the bicycle racks are 32% utilized. Thirty-three percent of the people who access the station do so by walking or bicycling. At Braintree Station the parking spaces are 99% utilized and the bicycle racks are 15% utilized. The station is accessed by walking or bicycling by 13% of its users. Morton Street Station has no parking for vehicles. It has 20 bicycle racks but they are not being used. Sixty-two percent of weekday riders walk to access the station. At Riverside Station the parking spaces are 90% utilized and the bicycle racks are 25% utilized. Twenty-two percent of the people who access the station do so by walking or bicycling.
Staff reviewed existing plans for station areas, conducted site visits to the stations and surrounding areas, and gathered input from the community to identify issues and concerns. They made recommendations for both short- and long-term improvements. Short-term improvements include items such as adding crosswalks, installing bicycle racks, signs, or sharrows. Long-term improvements could include building pedestrian bridges or bicycle paths.
E. Pagitsas provided several examples of recommended improvements for the four stations. To improve access to Oak Grove Station, staff recommended geometric changes to the intersection of Glenwood, Grove, Washington, and Winter Streets. These changes include adding new crosswalks and reducing the pedestrian crossing distance by adding curb extensions and crosswalks connecting to refuge islands.
As part of the analysis of Riverside Station, staff reviewed the site plan for the Riverside Station Redevelopment Project, which includes plans for two roundabouts. Staff made recommendations for improving residential access on the Grove Street corridor.
Recommendations for the Morton Street Station included moving a bus stop near the intersection of Morton and Fuller Streets closer to Gallivan Boulevard. A pedestrian fatality occurred at that location; the pedestrian died attempting to cross the street to reach the bus stop.
As a long-term improvement, staff proposed adding a pedestrian bridge to the Braintree Station across Union Street.
The recommendations of this study can inform the following plans: the MAPC Main Street Corridor Study in Melrose; a potential development mitigation plan in Braintree; MassDOT’s Morton Street modernization and Fairmount Line Improvement plans; and the Riverside Station Redevelopment Project.
Members asked questions and made comments.
D. Mohler noted that the study areas for each station differed (from a half-mile to two miles around the station) and asked why that was the case. E. Pagitsas responded that the study area was expanded in cases when there were not enough critical intersections within a half-mile of the station.
D. Mohler noted that the study area for Riverside Station was two-miles around the station, though there were high-crash intersections closer to the station. E. Pagitsas explained that initial analysis identified high crash locations farther from the station but staff chose intersections closer to the station because those intersections directly related to accessing the station through the Grove Street corridor. Christine Bettin, MPO staff, added that there were high-crash intersections along Washington Street, but that it was assumed that bicyclists and pedestrians traveling there would be going to the Waban station.
D. Mohler asked why staff included two intersections that have no crashes. C. Bettin replied that the intersections were chosen because they related to the Grove Street corridor.
D. Mohler asked what plan staff analyzed for the Riverside Station Redevelopment Project. E. Pagitsas replied that they analyzed the plan created by the developer’s consultant. Staff’s review of the plan provided input to the City of Newton, which must also review that plan for permitting purposes. D. Mohler expressed concern because that plan proposes significant changes to MassDOT infrastructure, which MassDOT has not approved.
David Koses, At-Large City (City of Newton), noted that four intersections were the primary focus of the CTPS study and that those intersections were not a part of the redevelopment plan. He noted that the recommended improvements will be valuable if the redevelopment plan goes forward.
E. Bourassa noted that there is a new housing development being built near the Oak Grove Station that could be a potential source of mitigation funding. He noted that this study will be useful to the Town of Melrose.
Dennis Crowley, South West Advisory Planning Committee (Town of Medway), raised a question about the potential sources of funding available to implement the recommendations. E. Pagitsas replied that in the case of Oak Grove there is a potential to seek mitigation from a housing developer. The recommendations for the Morton Street Station could be included in improvements to the recently studied Route 203 that will be implemented by MassDOT.
D. Crowley asked if some of the recommendations could return to the MPO as TIP projects. E. Pagitsas replied yes. Upgrades to signal equipment, for example, could be TIP projects and it is possible that some projects could be funded through TIP programs. L. Dantas added that such projects could be implemented through the MPO’s Clean Air and Mobility Program or the Congestion Management and Air Quality Mitigation (CMAQ) Program.
D. Crowley asked how the MPO follows up on study outcomes to ensure that MPO funds are being spent wisely. K. Quackenbush replied that staff periodically updates the Study Status Report that tracks the implementation status of MPO recommendations. E. Bourassa added that some MPO recommendations return to the MPO for funding as MassDOT projects and others are implemented by municipalities.
Christine Stickney, South Shore Coalition (Town of Braintree), remarked on the value of the Braintree study as the Town of Braintree expects to be able to get mitigation money from the developer of a parking facility to implement the MPO’s short-term recommendations. She stated that MPO studies are a valuable resource for her community for both long- and short-term planning.
Hayes Morrison, Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville), also remarked on how useful these studies are to communities. She noted that the City of Somerville relies on the MPO as a resource for conducting research and as a resource when prioritizing transportation projects. She also noted that the MPO’s work is helpful in laying the groundwork to implement projects in the community.
D. Crowley expressed interest in hearing more feedback from communities about the status of MPO recommendations. C. Stickney suggested that the MPO consider adding a component to its studies to ask communities who are the recipients of MPO studies to provide feedback to the MPO. D. Giombetti remarked on the role that MPO members have in helping to advance projects in their respective subregions.
Ed Tarallo, North Suburban Planning Council (City of Woburn), asked if staff interacted with the City of Malden when working on the Oak Grove study considering that the intersections studied were in Malden. E. Bourassa replied that the City of Malden was involved, but the City of Melrose was more involved in the study.
D. Mohler suggested that the MPO staff update their report on the status of MPO study recommendations. This item will be on a future MPO meeting agenda.
D. Koses asked staff to clarify in their report which intersection of Auburn Street and Commonwealth Avenue they are referring to, as the streets intersect in two places. [In a subsequent communication with D. Koses, E. Pagitsas informed him that the reference was to the intersection on the south side of the Massachusetts Turnpike.]
Members then heard a comment from a member of the public. Rafael Mares, Conservation Law Foundation, cautioned staff about making a recommendation to move a bus stop (a recommendation from the Morton Street study). E. Pagitsas replied that the MPO makes recommendations to communities and any effort to move a bus stop would involve public meetings.
Members were provided with a handout showing a timeline for the development of the FFY 2014 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) and the FFYs 2014-17 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
M.E. Sullivan provided an overview of the UPWP and the UPWP schedule, which the MPO approved last month. The UPWP is a 3C planning document that programs federal PL and Section 5303 funds for projects conducted by CTPS and MAPC for the MPO, and other agencies and entities. The document also includes an appendix of all regionally significant projects in the region. In FFY 2013 the UPWP programmed $5.4 million. At this time, staff is assuming level funding for FFY 2014.
The UPWP development process began last month when staff started conducting outreach to the subregions. The public outreach process will continue through January and it will include public meetings and UPWP-Building Workshops. To inform these public discussions, the subregions have been provided with materials in advance including the Needs Assessment of the LRTP and the MPO’s visions and policies.
Staff will also consider public comments received during the development of the last UPWP, possible studies that would support implementation of projects included in other planning documents, as well as the MPO’s visions and policies and federal guidance. Based on recent federal guidance, it is likely that performance measures will be included in this UPWP.
Projects will be prioritized based on how well they implement MPO policies and with consideration of the likelihood that the study recommendations will be implemented, fiscal constraint, and guidance from the UPWP Committee.
The timeline for the UPWP development includes the following activities:
• outreach through mid-January
• development of project ideas and budget from mid-January through mid-March
• receipt of funding targets on March 1
• UPWP Committee review of all project ideas from February 15 through March 7
• UPWP Committee consideration of the staff recommendation and vote to forward a committee recommendation to the MPO on March 28
• MPO vote to release a draft UPWP for public review on May 2
• Release of draft UPWP for public review from May 6 to June 4
• Consideration of comments received on the draft from June 4 to June 27
• MPO endorses final UPWP, after review of public comments, on June 27
S. Pfalzer gave a PowerPoint presentation with overview of the TIP and the TIP development schedule. The TIP is a short-term capital program that implements the priority transportation projects in the region and is the implementation arm of the LRTP. The TIP is a fiscally-constrained document. The projects in the TIP must meet the air quality conformity determination to demonstrate that the set of projects will not degrade air quality in the region.
The TIP development process begins with the development of a Universe of Projects for consideration; these projects include conceptual projects as well as those that have been reviewed by MassDOT’s Project Review Committee. The list is compiled by conducting outreach to municipalities, including through letters to chief elected officials and TIP-Building workshops. Municipalities are asked to convey their priority projects for which they are seeking funding. This year they will be asked to complete the Project Funding Application Forms (formerly called Project Information Forms) by February 1. This can be done on the MPO’s TIP Interactive Database.
Staff will begin to evaluate the Universe of Projects in February. They can evaluate projects that are advanced enough to have a functional design report (usually at the 25% design phase). Evaluation criteria are applied to determine how well each project meets the MPO’s visions and policies. Each project receives a score based on the evaluation. Staff also updates the scores of projects that were evaluated in previous years. The evaluation results will be posted by March 4. Also, staff will calculate estimated greenhouse gas emission impacts by project.
Staff expects to receive funding targets in early March. Then staff will develop a First-Tier List of Projects that includes projects that score well in the evaluation process and can be made ready over the span of the TIP. Staff will use the First-Tier List of Projects to help guide the development of the staff recommendation. The staff recommendation will also consider in projects that are listed in the LRTP in order to implement LRTP commitments, consider geographic equity to help ensure that the list of projects addresses needs throughout the region, and account for cost to comply with fiscal constraint.
The staff recommendation for the TIP, including the First Tier List, will be posted on March 28 and the MPO members will discuss it at their April 4 meeting. On May 2 the MPO will vote to release the document for a 30-day public review period. Staff will hold public meetings during this review period. After reviewing public comments, the MPO will vote to endorse the document on June 27.
D. Giombetti raised the idea of building an evaluation process in which the staff evaluators are “blind” in that they must rely more heavily on data to avoid potential biases. He asked for staff’s opinion about the practicality of doing this. S. Pfalzer noted that some of the evaluation criteria are more objective than others, and that it may be difficult for evaluators to be completely “blind” in the process given that many are very familiar with the region’s transportation network and needs. H. Morrison added that the evaluation process is “blind” now as a certain amount of data from the functional design reports are needed and used to score projects.
K. Quackenbush stated that staff plans have a discussion of the TIP evaluation criteria on the agenda of an upcoming MPO meeting. Richard Canale, At-Large Town of Lexington, noted that since some of the evaluation criteria are subjective, it will be important to understand which of the criteria are qualitative and which are quantitative.
E. Bourassa introduced the presentation on MAPC’s bicycle and pedestrian planning work for the towns of Dedham and Westwood. This technical support work is a follow-up to previously developed regional bicycle and pedestrian plans. MAPC has worked with municipalities that have shown interest in implementing recommendations for improvements to their bicycle and pedestrian network. E. Bourassa distributed a map depicting the bicycle and pedestrian network plan for Dedham and Westwood.
D. Loutzenheiser then gave a PowerPoint presentation about this work. MAPC is working on bicycle and pedestrian plans for eleven communities. For Dedham and Westwood, MAPC created a map depicting the existing conditions of the bicycle and pedestrian network along with proposed new facilities and connections. The aim of MAPC’s work is to help create a connected system of trails and facilities, and to institutionalize the consideration of bicycle and pedestrian improvement into municipal planning so that these accommodations are considered in every roadway project.
MAPC’s recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian improvements in these towns include pavement striping plans for key roadways, sidewalk improvements, the creation of regional greenways and trails (such as the Dedham Greenway and the Cross-Westwood Trail), and improved connections to such locations as Legacy Place. Their recommendations also include new strategies to provide Complete Streets, such as bicycle advisory lanes, which validate the use of roadway shoulders by cyclists and provide them more visibility.
Ed Carr and Lynn Ahlgren, MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (RTA), offered to provide more information about a $1.025 million federal grant that was awarded to the RTA through the Veterans Transportation Community Living Initiative for the development of paratransit call center. This item is included in Draft Amendment Three to the FFYs 2013 element of the FFYs 2013-16 TIP, which is currently under public review.
D. Mohler asked if the RTA is planning to use the grant to purchase a property to house the call center. L. Ahlgren replied no, and explained that the RTA holds a lease on a property near the Framingham commuter rail station. The grant money will be used to build work stations for the call center at that location and to buy mobile data terminals for buses and software for scheduling. The terminals allow bus drivers to determine where their paratransit customers are to be picked up and they create an electronic record of that pick up. MassDOT is providing a match for the project with toll credits and $25,000.
D. Mohler asked if the project will result in immediate services for veterans. L. Ahlgren replied that the project would be complete in the fall, at which time it will provide those services.
D. Mohler asked if the work stations would be permanent in the leased building or if they could be removed from the building. L. Ahlgren replied that the work stations could be removed from the building. All of the RTA’s assets in that building will be portable. She also noted that the RTA plans to buy the building.
L. Dantas announced that the East Boston – Chelsea Bypass road, now known as the Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road, has opened. This road will remove commercial traffic to the airport from local roads. He also reported that new low-floor shuttle buses are running at Logan airport. The shuttles are all CNG or diesel-electric hybrid powered.
John Romano, MassDOT Highway Department, announced that MassDOT will hold its final Your Vision, Our Future meeting this evening. He also announced that there will be a public meeting at 100 Cambridge Street, Boston at 5:30 PM on December 12 regarding the rehabilitation of Government Center.
H. Morrison invited members to attend the groundbreaking of work on the Medford Street Bridge in Somerville at 1:30 PM on December 11.
P. Wolfe reminded members that they are invited to M.E. Sullivan’s retirement party.
A motion to adjourn was made by the MetroWest Regional Collaborative (Town of Framingham) (D. Giombetti) and seconded by MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried.
|
Members |
Representatives
and
Alternates |
|
David Koses |
|
|
At-Large Town (Town of Arlington) |
Laura Wiener |
|
At-Large Town (Town of Lexington) |
Richard Canale |
|
City of Boston (Boston Transportation
Department) |
Jim Gillooly Tom Kadzis |
|
Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville) |
Hayes Morrison |
|
Massachusetts Department of Transportation |
David Mohler David Anderson |
|
MassDOT Highway Division |
John Romano |
|
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
(MBTA) |
Ron Morgan |
|
Massachusetts Port Authority |
Lourenço Dantas |
|
MBTA Advisory Board |
Paul Regan |
|
Metropolitan Area Planning Council |
Eric Bourassa |
|
MetroWest Regional Collaborative (Town of
Framingham) |
Dennis Giombetti |
|
Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal
Coordination (Town of Bedford) |
Richard Reed |
|
North Shore Task Force (City of Beverly) |
Tina Cassidy |
|
North Suburban Planning Council (City of
Woburn) |
Ed Tarallo |
|
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
Steve Olanoff |
|
Christine Stickney |
|
|
Dennis Crowley |
|
|
Three Rivers Interlocal Council (Town of
Norwood/NVCC) |
Tom O’Rourke |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
Attendees |
Affiliation |
|
Lynn Ahlgren |
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority |
|
Sarah Bradbury |
MassDOT District 3 |
|
Ed Carr |
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority |
|
John Carroll |
Town of Norwood |
|
Calli Cenizal |
MassDOT |
|
Timothy Kochan |
MassDOT District 3 |
|
Bill Kuttner |
Boston Resident |
|
Rafael Mares |
Conservation Law Foundation |
|
Town of Walpole |
|
|
Mark Ryan |
Town of Norwood, Public Works |
|
Monica Tibbits |
128 Business Council |
|
Margaret Walker |
Town of Walpole |
|
MPO
Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|
Karl Quackenbush, Executive Director |
|
Daniel Amstutz |
|
Christine Bettin |
|
Ryan Hicks |
|
Maureen Kelly |
|
Robin Mannion |
|
Anne McGahan |
|
Elizabeth Moore |
|
Efi Pagitsas |
|
Scott Peterson |
|
Sean Pfalzer |
|
Michelle Scott |
|
Mary Ellen Sullivan |
|
Pam Wolfe |