Meeting Summary

Introductions

Steve Olanoff, Chair (Westwood) called the meeting to order at 3:00 PM. Members and guests attending the meeting introduced themselves. (For attendance list, see page 7)

Chair’s Report—Steve Olanoff, Chair

At the last MPO meeting, the draft FFY2014 UPWP and draft FFYs 2014-17 TIP were approved for release for public comment. The documents are listed on the MPO website and will be open for the one month public comment period ending June 18, 2013. MPO will conduct workshops for public information and input in Framingham, Lynn, and Boston. Detailed workshop information is available on the MPO website. The Advisory Council will submit its comment letter during this process based on discussion later in this meeting and in the TIP/UPWP Committee.

Chair reported that he abstained in the vote for the TIP at the MPO due to the fact that the draft does not fully fund the Clean Air Mobility program and that none of the choices offered were ones that he felt would satisfy a majority of Advisory Council members.

Approval of Meeting Minutes of April 10, 2013 – Steve Olanoff, Chair

A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes to the April 10, 2013, meeting. The April 10, 2013, meeting minutes were approved.

Amendment Five to the FFYs 2013-16 Transportation Improvement Program – Sean Pfalzer, TIP Manager, MPO Staff

Changes were made to accommodate cost increases for projects scheduled to be advertised by end of September, 2013. Also, there are changes in some statewide funded items and changes in the transit program in order to comply with MAP21 transit programs and current funding.

CHANGES TO THE HIGHWAY PROGRAM

Target program changes include Liberty St. reconstruction in Danvers and a schedule change for the reconstruction of Rte. 18 in Weymouth which will be moved to 2015 as reflected in the Draft FFYs 2014-17.

Rte.128 Add-a-Lane replaces added funds in 2013 as does the Rte. 129 in Lynn which will be advertised in the coming months. The Minuteman Bikeway Connection project in Arlington increased in cost and was moved out to FFY 2014.

Other changes include the Great Road bridge historic preservation project in Bedford which was removed from the TIP. Some earmarks will be pushed out to a following fiscal year because the projects they help to fund will not be ready for advertisement in this fiscal year.

In the Interstate Maintenance category which are projects advertised by MassDOT, two projects had cost increase adjustments (I-495 and I-93). One project, I-95 in Lexington, had a cost decrease due to a portion of the project being incorporated into a different project.

The Safe Routes to School Program saw two cost increases, one in Braintree and one in Wakefield.

Two ITS Improvement projects were noted in the changes to the TIP.

Statewide Transportation Enhancements combined the Beverly Harborfront Walkway and the Salem Causeway Parking Construction projects. There was also an increase for the Cochituate Rail Trail in Framingham.

The Accelerated Bridge Program includes two new projects. In Framingham, the replacement of the Winter St. Bridge over the MBTA and Amtrak railroad tracks is added. In Revere, the Revere Beach Parkway Bridge over the MBTA tracks on Winthrop Avenue will be added to the TIP.

CHANGES TO THE TRANSIT PROGRAM

On the transit side, program changes were made to comply with changes made in the federal transportation re-authorization legislation–MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century). The MBTA now has several different funding categories. One of the programs remains the same, there is one new program and one program was re-categorized or replaced. Some projects were added to utilize the additional funding now available, and some were re-categorized based on funding availability or the new funding programs.

The funding program that remains the same is the Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Grant Program. This includes transit funding for revenue vehicle programs such as the procurement of Red Line and Orange Line cars on the rapid transit system and also station upgrades.

Section 5337 funds go to the MBTA replacing Section 5309 funding (Fixed Guideway). This will be used for bridge and tunnel maintenance and station improvements. The new program 5339 is for bus and bus facilities and for system upgrades. This will be used for preventative maintenance issues.

Questions and Answers

In response to members’ comments and questions, S. Pfalzer had the following comments:

• The Rte. 128 widening project will be completed by 2017.

• Statewide Transportation Enhancements program will now be called Transportation Alternatives and will include a larger number of eligible uses.

• Although there are no maritime capital projects in this TIP, ferry docks and ferry improvements have been funded in the past.

Update on Climate Change in the Boston Region–Anne McGahan, Transportation Plan Manager, MPO Staff

Anne McGahan addressed the MPO’s role in climate change planning. The MPO’s major policy document is the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The current LRTP Paths to a Sustainable Region was adopted in September 2011 and amended in 2012. The LRTP defines transportation visions for the future of the region, establishes goals and policies that will lead to the achievement of the visions, and allocates projected revenue to transportation programs and projects that implement the goals and policies.

A. McGahan explained that the visions and policies of the MPO has adopted in addressing climate change. The consideration of climate change is incorporated in the decision-making processes for all the major planning documents the MPO produces. The LRTP, TIP and UPWP document the climate change visions and policies and evaluate projects based on those MPO goals.

The MPO uses three major tools to provide inputs to project evaluation. These tools are the Needs Assessment to the LRTP, the Congestion Management Process, and the MPO’s Hazards Mapping. The MPO tracks Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions at the state, regional, and project level.

In tracking emissions, travel demand models are used to estimate the CO₂ emissions that will result collectively from all of the recommended projects in all of the Massachusetts MPOs’ LRTPs combined. That project mix was modeled for both 2020 and 2035 using a build vs. no-build analysis. The results from the latest LRTP analysis shows that all projects in the LRTPs in the 2020 Build scenario provide a statewide reduction of nearly 109 tons of CO₂ per day compared to the base case. However, the 2035 Build scenario shows an increase of about 6 tons of CO₂per day compared to the base case.

In addition to monitoring the GHG impacts of capacity-adding projects in the LRTPs, it is also important to monitor and evaluate the GHG impacts of transportation projects that are programmed in the TIPs. For this project level tracking, MassDOT has developed guidance for the MPOs.

A. McGahan summarized the projects and programs that address climate change, noting that alternate and healthy transportation modes also reduce vehicle miles travelled (VMT). The MPO funds projects and programs that provide options other than single-occupancy vehicles including transit, bicycle, and pedestrian options. These projects can help to reduce VMT and reduce congestion.

Alternative Fuel Sources: The MPO’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) program funds projects that support the use of alternative fuel vehicles. Some examples are the hybrid buses for the MBTA and the Cambridge Clean Cabs project, which provided funds to cover the incremental cost of upgrading cab fleets to hybrid vehicles.

CHANGES TO THE TRANSIT PROGRAM

The MPO continues to evaluate projects that are funded in its LRTP and TIP in terms of how well they address the need for adaptation to climate change. The MPO also mapped critical transportation infrastructure that is located in hazard areas and infrastructure that is related to evacuation or emergency access routes.

The next steps for the MPO in Climate Change planning involve the implementation of performance-based planning and the development of performance measures. Once adopted, the performance measures will monitor the system with information from the three tools, i.e., Needs Assessment, CMP, and Hazards Mapping. Performance-based planning is required in MAP-21 and will incorporate reporting into the LRTP, TIP, and UPWP and MPO decision processes.

Questions and Answers

In response to members’ comments and questions, A. McGahan had the following comments:

The MPO does work with MassDOT and other state agencies, together with the legislative committees when legislation like the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) is being considered. However, the MPO only analyzes projects that are in the LRTP and the TIP. (Response to J. Businger)
CO₂ emissions are not calculated for the construction phase of projects. (Response to D. Montgomery)
CO₂ reductions measured in tons in the LRTP do not show a large reduction in long-term projections. The model provides the total emissions from all transportation projects in No-Build (projects open and on the road) in comparison to the new projects proposed in the LRTP. That reduction shows the impacts of the new projects in the LRTP only. (Response to F. Osman)
The Global Warming Solutions Act requires a 25% reduction in emission by 2020 and 80% reduction over the life of the legislation compared to 1990 baseline emissions. The GreenDOT implementation plan focusses on the actions that will be undertaken by MassDOT which is about a 7% reduction. The MPOs do not have specific reduction targets associated with these required reductions. The Boston MPO will be monitoring climate change through its performance measures. People must change their travel behavior if real change is to happen. (Response to S. Olanoff)
The MPO does not use federal funds for private projects. Freight movement, which relies heavily on diesel, might be addressed at the state level, but MPO funding for mitigating this source is not available. (Response to F. DeMasi)
Air quality calculations include all highway projects, the existing transit, plus the SIP commitments and Green Line Extension. Calculations for air quality are not limited to highway traffic projects only. (Response to S. Olanoff)
The 1990 CO₂ baseline was based on fuel consumption while the calculations being done by the MPO and MassDOT are based on VMT. It is not based on actual air sampling; rather they are the VMT input. (Response to M. Gowing)

Additional Comments

F. Osman observed that people are beckoning for mandates to be made to conserve. In addition to the projects being built, she felt we need to consider how to address behavioral changes in order to reduce GHGs.

Discussion of Comment Letters to MPO – S. Olanoff, Chair

Robert McGaw, David Montgomery, and Marilyn Wellons were made members of the TIP/UPWP Committee for the purpose of preparing a draft comment letter to the MPO regarding the two certification documents now out for public review. S. Olanoff mentioned the Freight Committee would advance their comments for the MPO through the Advisory Council’s TIP/UPWP Committee. The committee will meet prior to the next meeting to draft a comment letter from the Advisory Council to the MPO.

Committee Reports:

S. Olanoff reported that the Freight Committee met today. The group discussed the status of the Freight Study in the UPWP.

New Business:

There was none.

Member Announcements:

F. DeMasi announced that Cape Rail Service will commence on the Memorial Day weekend
B. Steinberg announced that there will be a Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts roundtrip excursion on June 22 between Bellows Falls, VT, and Rutland, VT, with a Boston connection
F. DeMasi reported that MassDOT announced the awards of Industrial Rail Access grants on May 1
L. Elisa announced that the Massachusetts Ferry Compact is studying ferry service with the North Shore communities of Salem, Lynn, and Winthrop as a means of achieving mode share goals

Adjourn:

A motion to adjourn was made and seconded at 4:40 PM. The motion carried.

Attendance

Attendee	Agencies *MPO Member
Calli Cenizal	MassDOT*
Steven Rawding	MassDOT*
Franny Osman	MAGIC*
Steven Smalley (Sen. McGee)	Joint Legislative Transportation Committee
Kristin Slaton	MassRides
Louis Elisa	Seaport Advisory Council
	Municipalities (Voting)
Mike Gowing	Acton
Robert McGaw	Belmont
Dom D'Eramo	Millis
David Montgomery	Needham
Frank DeMasi	Wellesley
Steve Olanoff	Westwood
	Citizen Groups
Mary Ann Murray	AACT
Barry M Steinberg	Association for Public Transportation
John Businger	National Corridors Initiative
Marilyn Wellons	Riverside Neighborhood Association
John McQueen	WalkBoston
	Guests
John DePriest	Chelsea
Theodora Fisher	Human Services in Transportation
Ralph Edwards	Department of Developmental Services
Paul Meoni	Randolph
Ed Lowney	Everett
Ryan Black	Sierra Club - MA Chapter
	Staff
David Fargen	CTPS
Anne McGahan	CTPS
Sean Pfalzer	CTPS
Pam Wolfe	CTPS