The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)—in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the Human Service Transportation Office of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and the Statewide Mobility Manager (Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Rail and Transit Division)—will convene a Transportation Equity Forum for the purpose of promoting transportation services for populations who historically have had problems accessing, paying for, or receiving transportation that meets all of their trip-making needs. These target populations include seniors, minorities, people with low incomes, people with disabilities, those with limited English proficiency, veterans, and/or people living in zero-vehicle households in the MPO region.
The agencies and organizations cited above share the common goal of improving transportation for these target populations. They are planning this forum to bring together representatives from various social-service organizations, transportation agencies and service providers, councils on aging, and other organizations that support the target groups in order to advance transportation coordination.
The forum will provide an opportunity to discuss programs and initiatives underway in the region and share information on best practices. In addition, for all participants, including the MPO, this will be a way to gather information on existing transportation needs and services, and identify the gaps between the two. The information collected also will help the MPO to update its Coordinated Public Transit-Human-Services Transportation Plan.
Many agencies and organizations in the Boston MPO region provide services for these targeted populations. However, in many instances, an agency can or will serve only one particular segment of the population or trip type; for example, transportation for seniors, or trips to medical facilities. Therefore, an individual may need to call one agency to arrange a medical trip and another agency to arrange a social or shopping trip. Several agencies in the region have successfully coordinated with service providers to offer greater efficiency, more options, and travel-planning support for underserved populations. The MPO encourages this success and joins with others in the field to replicate it across the entire MPO region.
The forum will take place on January 14, 2014 (snow date January 28, 2014), from 9:00 AM to Noon in the State Transportation Building, Ten Park Plaza, Second Floor, Boston, MA 02116.
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is responsible for conducting the federally required metropolitan transportation-planning process for the Boston metropolitan area. The region encompasses 101 cities and towns stretching from Boston to Ipswich in the north, Duxbury in the south, and to approximately Interstate 495 in the west.
The diverse communities in the MPO area range from relatively rural communities to the urban centers of Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville. These varied community types house and employ diverse populations. Because of this demographic, cultural, environmental, and mobility diversity, the MPO’s transportation planning explores and takes into account a broad range of transportation needs.
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC): Eric Bourassa is the Boston Region MPO Vice-Chair Designee and the Transportation Director at MAPC. Mr. Bourassa oversees MAPC’s transportation-planning studies, transportation technical assistance to municipalities, manages implementation of the regional Hubway bike-sharing system, and leads an effort to improve funding for the Commonwealth’s transportation system.
Human Service Transportation (HST) Office of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS): Theadora Fisher is a Mobility Outreach Coordinator. A major part of the HST Office's work is to coordinate the transportation programs of six EOHHS agencies, providing transportation to more than 36,000 eligible consumers each year through a brokerage in partnership with the regional transit authorities. The HST Office also hosts the MassMobility initiative, which is designed to increase mobility for seniors, people with disabilities, and others who are transportation disadvantaged. MassMobility helps build the capacity of the state’s community transportation network to serve these individuals by raising awareness of existing services, fostering collaboration, providing technical assistance to new projects, and sharing best practices.
MassDOT Rail and Transit Division: Aniko Laszlo is a Statewide Mobility Manager. In her role, she works with members of the Statewide Coordinating Council on Community Transportation and a wide range of stakeholders on implementing policies and recommendations of the EO530 statewide transportation coordination initiative. In addition to leading and promoting statewide mobility management, the MassDOT Rail and Transit Division supports and provides technical assistance and oversight to regional transit authorities; improves public-private system coordination via the intercity commuter and regional bus service program; and administers federal and state capital and operating grants to qualified recipients in Massachusetts.
Eric Bourassa, MPO Vice Chair Designee and Karl Quackenbush, Executive Director, MPO Staff, will give opening remarks, which will welcome participants; introduce the MPO and briefly discuss what it does; explain the MPO Transportation Equity program and the MAPC work in environmental justice and transportation; and provide a brief background and history of recent state initiatives. The format and goals of the forum will also be explained.
Jayne Colino, Director of Newton’s Department of Senior Services and President, Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging and Senior Center Directors (MCOA) will discuss the local approach to transportation services for elders.
Doug Halley, Director, Acton Public Health Department and Transportation Coordinator for the CrossTown Connect (a seven-community regionalized shared-transportation system), will discuss the local approach—including issues, needs, and solutions—from the perspective of a local transportation coordinating team.
Valerie Parker-Callahan, Director of Planning and Development at Greater Lynn Senior Services, an Area Agency on Aging, will provide a regional perspective as a multiservice provider and successful operator of a one-stop call center.
Mark Whitmore, Executive Director of the North Shore Career Center and a member of the Statewide Coordinating Council on Community Transportation (SCCCT), will give an account of what works from the perspective of a regional coordinating council.
Theadora Fisher, Mobility Outreach Coordinator for the Massachusetts Office of Health and Human Services’ Human Service Transportation Office, will discuss challenges and next steps.
Attendees will divide into discussion groups based on geographic area—such as the MAPC subregions or those used by the Statewide Mobility Management Program. The sessions will be designed to identify transportation needs and services in specific geographic areas. They will encourage discussion about whether and how services might be realigned or refocused to meet particular needs through collaboration. A series of questions will be formulated to guide the discussions. The questions will explore the strengths and weaknesses of current programs, opportunities for coordination and collaboration, and obstacles to individual programs. Each group will have a facilitator and a note taker.
The MPO and its partners will invite their constituents and contacts to participate in the forum, including:
Meeting locations are accessible to people with disabilities and are near public transportation. Upon request (preferably two weeks in advance of the meeting), every effort will be made to provide accommodations such as assistive-listening devices, materials in accessible formats and in languages other than English, and interpreters in American Sign Language, and other languages. Please contact the MPO staff at 617.973.7100 (voice), 617.973.7089 (TTY), 617.973.8855 (fax), or publicinformation@ctps.org.
The MPO complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal and state non-discrimination 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 has been subjected to discrimination prohibited by Title VI, ADA, or other non-discrimination 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 occurred. A complaint form and additional information can be obtained by contacting the MPO (see above) or at www.bostonmpo.org.