DRAFT Public Participation Plan

 

For the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

 

 

Project Manager

Pam Wolfe

 

Project Principal

Elizabeth M. Moore

 

Graphics

Jane Gillis

 

Cover Design

Jane Gillis

 

 

The preparation of this document was supported

by the Federal Highway Administration through

MassDOT 3C PL contract #78890 and the Federal Transit Administration through MassDOT 5303 contract #78922.

 

Central Transportation Planning Staff

Directed by the Boston Region Metropolitan

Planning Organization. The MPO is composed of

state and regional agencies and authorities, and

local governments.

 

 

August 2014

 

Image of Boston Region MPO area with disclaimer text informing you to contact ctps@ctps.org or call 617-973-7100 if you would like more information or report in accessible format


Notice of Nondiscrimination Rights and Protections to Beneficiaries

 

Federal "Title VI/Nondiscrimination" Protections

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) operates its programs, services, and activities in compliance with federal nondiscrimination laws including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related statutes and regulations. Title VI prohibits discrimination in federally assisted programs and requires that no person in the United States of America shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency), be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal assistance. Related federal nondiscrimination laws administrated by the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, or both prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex, and disability. These protected categories are contemplated within the Boston Region MPO’s Title VI Programs consistent with federal interpretation and administration. Additionally, the Boston Region MPO provides meaningful access to its programs, services, and activities to individuals with limited English proficiency, in compliance with US Department of Transportation policy and guidance on federal Executive Order 13166.

 

State Nondiscrimination Protections

The Boston Region MPO also complies with the Massachusetts Public Accommodation Law, M.G.L. c 272 §§ 92a, 98, 98a, prohibiting making any distinction, discrimination, or restriction in admission to or treatment in a place of public accommodation based on race, color, religious creed,  national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or ancestry. Likewise, the Boston Region MPO complies with the Governor's Executive Order 526, section 4 requiring all programs, activities, and services provided, performed, licensed, chartered, funded, regulated, or contracted for by the state shall be conducted without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, age, gender,  ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender  identity or expression, religion, creed,  ancestry, national origin, disability, veteran's status (including Vietnam-era veterans), or background.

 

Additional Information

To request additional information regarding Title VI and related federal and state nondiscrimination obligations, please contact:

 

Title VI Specialist -

Boston Region MPO

10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150

Boston, MA 02116

617-973-7100

TTY: 617-973-7089

publicinformation@ctps.org

 

Complaint Filing

To file a complaint alleging a violation of Title VI or related federal nondiscrimination law, contact the Title VI . Specialist (above) within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory conduct.

 

To file a complaint alleging a violation of the state's Public Accommodation Law, contact the Massachusetts

Commission Against Discrimination within 300 days of the alleged discriminatory conduct at:

 

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)

One Ashburton Place, 6th Floor

Boston, MA 02109

617-994-6000

TTY: 617-994-6196

 

Translation

If this information is needed in another language, please contact the Boston Region MPO’s Title VI Specialist at 617-973-7100.

 

 

         SUMMARY

This draft public participation plan documents the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Public Participation Program, which comprises the various outreach activities that the MPO engages in to ensure that all members of the public—including populations that are described as traditionally underserved by the transportation system and/or have lacked access to the decision-making process—are given the opportunity to participate in the metropolitan transportation planning process that shapes the Boston region.  

 

This plan provides information about the outreach activities in which the MPO engages, and the ways in which various federal civil rights mandates are incorporated into outreach activities to ensure inclusive participation. The plan includes in-depth descriptions of the various ways the public may be involved, the transportation planning and programming processes, and MPO meetings and activities. Also covered is the annual public engagement schedule for the MPO's three certification documents: Long-Range Transportation Plan, Transportation Improvement Program, and Unified Planning Work Program.

 

This draft plan is an update to the MPO's previous public participation plan, Be Informed, Be Involved. It was developed using information obtained through a public survey and research on other MPO public outreach activities, and it reflects recent changes in information and communication technologies. Following review and approval of this draft by the MPO, it will be released for a 45-day public review process. Then, public comments will be incorporated and a final Plan will be presented to the MPO for endorsement in October, 2014. 

Sidebar box that reads :

"Find current information about the MPO—and how to stay informed and involved—at www.bostonmpo.org

The MPO also makes information available in accessible formats, other languages, and in hard copy. Please contact MPO staff at 617-973-7100 or ctps@ctps.org, for these accommodations." 


 

Table of Contents

Notice of Nondiscrimination Rights and Protections to Beneficiaries

SUMMARY

Chapter 1—Introduction

Chapter 2—The Boston Region MPO's, Vision, Function, and Structure

2.1 Purpose of the MPO

2.2 The Boston Region MPO

2.2a The Boston Region MPO’s Central Vision

2.2b Work of the Boston Region MPO

2.2c Composition the Boston Region MPO

Current Membership

MPO Staff: the Central Transportation Planning Staff

MPO Committees

Chapter 3—The MPO’s Approach to Public Participation

3.1 Federal Requirements for Public Participation

3.2 Updating the Public Participation Plan

3.3 MPO Public Participation Vision and Guidelines

3.4 Opportunities for Public Participation

3.4a How to Be Informed

3.4b How to Be Involved

MPO and MPO Committee Meetings

Regional Transportation Advisory Council

MPO-Sponsored Meetings

Other Opportunities for Public Participation

3.4c Notice of MPO Activities

3.4d Access to MPO and MPO-Sponsored Meetings

Transportation and Physical Access

Language Access

3.4e Recent Opportunities for Public Involvement

3.4f Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Public Hearing Requirements

Chapter 4—Public Participation Schedule and the Transportation Planning Process

4.1 Public Participation Schedule for the TIP and UPWP

4.2 The Long-Range Transportation Plan

4.3 Public Participation Schedule for Changes to Certification Documents

4.3a Amendments to Certification Documents

4.3b Administrative Modification of Certification Documents

4.4 Public Participation Schedule for Longer-Time-Horizon Planning
Activities

4.4a Federal Recertification Reviews

4.4b The Transportation Equity Program

4.4c Development of the Public Participation Program and Plan

Appendix A—Federal Public Participation Mandates

A.1 Title 23, Section 450 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR)

A.1a §450.316 Interested Parties, Participation, and Consultation

A.1b §450.318

A.1c §450.322

A.1d §450.324

A.1e §450.334

A.2 Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

A.3 Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

A.4 Environmental Justice

A.4a Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, 1994

A.4b Executive Order 13166, Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency, 2000

A.4c FTA Circular 4703.1, Environmental Justice Policy Guidance for Federal Transit Administration Recipients, 2012

Appendix B—MPO Memorandum of Understanding

Appendix C—Research Conducted by MPO Staff

C.1 Research on Public Participation Needs and Practices

C.2 Public Participation Survey

C.2a Survey Questions

C.2b Survey Responses

C.3 Research of Other MPO Public Participation Practices

C.3a Research Approach

C.3b Public-Involvement Methods and Techniques

Gatherings for Discussion

Media Used for Information and Notices

Media Used for Interaction

Miscellaneous

Outreach to Protected Populations

Structure and Content of Public-Participation Plans

Graphics and Styles of Public-Participation Plans

C.4 Recommendations for Updating Public Participation Program and Plan.

C.5 Issues Related to the Current Public Participation Program

C.5a Practices and Techniques for Public Outreach

Current Practices and Techniques

Ideas for Improving Practices and Techniques

C.5b Outreach to Protected Populations

C.5c Improving Outreach to Protected Populations

C.6 Issues Related to the Current Public Participation Plan

C.6a Format and Function of the Plan

Current Drawbacks

Ideas for Improvements

C.7 Summary of Suggestions for Public-Participation Program and Plan Update

Appendix D—MPO-Sponsored Meetings and MPO Meetings Outside of Boston

Appendix E–List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

 

Table of Figures and Tables

Figure 1 Purpose and Functions of the MPO

Figure 2 Relationship of MPO Certification Documents to other Transportation Planning Documents

Figure 3 Metropolitan Planning Organization Regions

Figure 4 Boston Region MPO Area and MAPC Subregions

Figure 5 Boston Region MPO Membership

Figure 6 Ways to Be Informed and Involved

Figure 7 Annual MPO Planning Cycle for Development of Transportation Improvement Program and Unified Planning Work Program, and
Public Participation

Table C.1 Summary of Suggestions for the Public-Participation Program
and Plan Update


 

 

Chapter 1—Introduction

 

The purpose of this Public Participation Plan (the Plan) is to describe the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Public Participation Program (the Program), which comprises the various outreach activities that the MPO engages in to ensure that all members of the public—including populations that have been underserved by the transportation system and/or have lacked access to the decision-making process—are given the opportunity to participate in the metropolitan transportation planning process that shapes the Boston region. The Plan guides the MPO's efforts to offer early, continuous, and meaningful opportunities for the public to help identify social, economic, and environmental impacts of proposed transportation policies, projects, and initiatives.

 

The Plan incorporates federal and state requirements (listed in Appendix A) for encouraging and ensuring community participation and is modeled on MassDOT’s Public Participation Plan.

 

Chapter 2—The Boston Region MPO's, Vision, Function, and Structure

 

Sidebar that reads:

"The MPO decides what transportation projects will receive federal money and conducts planning to support those decisions."

In accordance with federal laws and regulations, Metropolitan Planning Organizations are established in urbanized areas across the nation to implement the federally required continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative (3C) transportation planning process. To be continuing, MPO work is conducted on an ongoing basis; to be comprehensive, the work covers all transportation modes, populations, and areas of the region, and addresses their individual needs; and to be cooperative, the work is performed in close communication and consultation with all of the region’s municipalities and a broad base of agencies, organizations, and interest groups.

 

2.1    Purpose of the MPO

The purpose of the MPO is to decide how to allocate federal funds for transit, roadway, bicycle, and pedestrian projects in the region it represents. The MPO also is responsible for setting the region’s transportation vision, goals and objectives, and for completing the long- and short-range planning needed to program federal transportation funds.

 

Nationwide, there are more than 380 MPOs that conduct transportation planning in urbanized areas of more than 50,000 people. Each MPO has five core functions:

 

 Figure 1 illustrates the relationship between the purpose of the MPO and the five functions listed above.

Sidebar that reads:

"The MPO plans for all surface transportation modes in the region and seeks to engage people, communities, and organizations in its planning process."

The end products of the MPO’s work are represented in studies, reports, technical memoranda, data on transportation issues in the region, and the three federally required certification documents discussed above: the LRTP, TIP, and UPWP. Because each MPO in the country must produce these three major documents in order to be certified by the federal government as eligible to program federal transportation funds, they are called “certification” documents.

 

These functions and other responsibilities of MPOs are described in federal laws and associated regulations. Transportation planning requirements and specifically the 3C process described earlier, date to the Federal-aid Highway Act of 1962, and are regularly revised. The most recent federal transportation legislation is Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21).

 

2.2    The Boston Region MPO

Although all MPOs operate under the same federal guidance, there is great variability among MPOs, based on the geographic and political characteristics of the state and region in which they are located. Each is free to establish its own membership structure and define many other aspects of how it accomplishes its work. The following sections discuss the framework of Boston Region MPO specifically.


 

Figure 1

Purpose and Functions of the MPO

This image illustrates the purpose and functions of the MPO. The MPO’s purpose, which is in the center of the image, is to decide how to spend transportation money. The MPO’s first function, which is highlighted in the image background, is to establish a fair setting for decisions. The MPO’s second function, which is highlighted in the foreground, is to provide opportunities for participation. The MPOs other three functions, which feed back into its purpose, are to identify and evaluate planning information and options; to prepare and maintain a long-range transportation plan; and to develop a short range capital program.

2.2a The Boston Region MPO’s Central Vision

The MPO’s central vision, as stated in the MPO’s Long-Range Transportation plan, Paths to a Sustainable Region, both anticipates the future and responds to current needs. This vision has evolved over many years’ engagement in metropolitan transportation planning—a process that includes technical analyses and other studies of transportation needs, as well as soliciting and incorporating the public’s views. Its central vision guides the MPO in all of its work, and paints a picture of the desired, future-state for the region and its transportation network:

 

The Boston region will continue to be a major economic, educational, and cultural hub of New England. It will maintain its high quality of life based on its lively commercial and business enterprises, the strength of its institutions, and its healthy and pleasant environment, all supported by its well-maintained transportation system. Notably, looking ahead, an ongoing transformation will be taking place in the region’s communities. Increasingly, they will be places in which people can have access to safe, healthy, efficient, and varied transportation options and find jobs and services within easy reach of affordable housing. The transportation options will include the transit, bicycle, and pedestrian modes, among others, and will reduce environmental impacts, improving air and environmental quality. The role of the region’s transportation system in making the envisioned future possible will be a result of attentive maintenance, cost-effective management, and strategic investments in the system by the Boston Region MPO.

 

2.2b Work of the Boston Region MPO

As discussed above, the Boston Region MPO is responsible for carrying out the federally required 3C planning process and accomplishing core MPO functions, including development of the three certification documents—the LRTP, TIP, and UPWP.

Figure 2 on the following page depicts how these three documents are interrelated and how they connect with other processes and documents developed by the MPO (shown in blue) and to those of state and regional agencies (shown in green), such as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Other MPO documents and processes include the Congestion Management Process and studies that are programmed in the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). Other state and regional planning initiatives include the MBTA’s Program for Mass Transportation (PMT) and Capital Investment Program (CIP); MassDOT’s CIP, State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), and other planning initiatives; and transportation studies conducted by others. 

In addition to the work described above, the Boston Region MPO coordinates transportation planning with the four other MPOs in the Boston Urbanized Area: the Merrimack Valley, Northern Middlesex, Old Colony, and Southeastern Massachusetts metropolitan planning organizations. This work is accomplished through periodic meetings of the MPOs in the Urbanized Area.Figure 3 shows the areas served by Massachusetts' 13 MPOs. In addition, all MPOs in Massachusetts meet with MassDOT and the federal transportation agencies approximately monthly to coordinate on statewide and MPO transportation planning activities.

 

Figure 2

Relationship of MPO Certification Documents to other Transportation Planning Documents

 

Figure 2 is a design that illustrates the interrelationship of the MPO certification documents (i.e., the Long-Range Transportation Plan, Transportation Improvement Program, and Unified Planning Work Program) to other MPO planning documents, including MassDOT planning initiatives; MPO studies and those of others; Congestion Management Process; state TIP; MassDOT’s and MBTA’s Capital Investment Program; and MBTA’s Program for Mass Transportation.

 

Figure 3

Metropolitan Planning Organization Regions

 

Figure 3 is a map of the MPO regions, color coded as follows: dark blue = Berkshire County Regional Planning Commission; mauve = Boston Region Metropolitan Area Planning Council; light blue = Cape Cod Commission; dark green = Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission; purple = Franklin Regional Council of Governments; dark pink = Montachusett Regional Planning Commission; sand = Martha's Vineyard Commission; beige = Merrimac Valley Planning Commission; lavender = Northern Middlesex Council of Governments; ochre = Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission; light pink = Old Colony Planning Council; cerulean = Pioneer Valley Planning Commission; light green = Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District; light outline = These towns are affiliated with both MAPC & OCPC; dark outline = MBTA District Boundary.

 


 

 

2.2c Composition of the Boston Region MPO

A board of 22 state, regional, and municipal members who work cooperatively to make decisions about regional planning and funding priorities comprises the Boston Region MPO. The MPO region encompasses 101 municipalities and approximately 1,205 square miles, stretching from Boston to Ipswich in the north, Duxbury in the south, and to approximately Interstate 495 in the west. It is home to more than three million people and approximately two million jobs. The diverse communities in the MPO area range from relatively rural communities, such as Dover, to the urban centers of Boston and Cambridge. Transportation planning must take into account demographic, cultural, environmental, and mobility diversity.

 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU, last updated July 7, 2011, see Appendix B) establishes the MPO’s membership, composition, structure, committees, processes for developing its certification documents, voting rules, and more.

 

Current Membership

Figure 4 shows the municipalities that belong to each of the eight MAPC subregional groups, and highlights the municipalities that currently hold seats on the MPO.

 

 

 

 

Figure 4

Boston Region MPO Area and MAPC Subregions

 Figure 4 is a map outlining the Boston Region MPO area and MAPC subregions. The subregions are denoted by a thick blue outline, and consist of: North Suburban Planning Council, North Shore Task Force, Inner Core Committee, South Shore Coalition, Three Rivers Interlocal Council, SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee, MetroWest Regional Collaborative, and Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination. The community in each subregion that currently has a seat on the MPO is highlighted in green. They include Woburn for the North Suburban Planning Council; Beverly for the North Shore Task Force; Somerville for the Inner Core Committee; Braintree for the South Shore Coalition; Norwood for the Three Rivers Interlocal Council; Medway for the SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee; Framingham for the MetroWest Regional Collaborative, and Bedford for Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination. The At-Large cities (Everett and Newton) and towns (Arlington and Lexington) that have seats on the MPO are highlighted in blue. The City of Boston, which has two permanent seats on the MPO, is highlighted in purple. Two communities fall into more than one subregion. Dover is included in both the Three Rivers Interlocal Council and the Southwest Advisory Planning Committee, and Milton and Needham are included in both the Inner Core Committee and the Three Rivers Interlocal Council.

 

 

 

The MPO board also includes two nonvoting members:

 

The MPO is chaired by the state Secretary of Transportation (or his designee); the vice-chair is currently the Executive Director of MAPC (or his designee).

Figure 5 shows the proportion of MPO seats held by different types of entities such as transportation agencies and municipalities.

 

MPO Staff: the Central Transportation Planning Staff

Created in 1974, the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) serves as a comprehensive, multimodal transportation planning staff to the MPO. As such, it is responsible for carrying out the work of the 3C transportation planning process under the direction of the MPO. This includes authoring planning studies and other analyses that are identified in the UPWP, producing the certification documents, and developing and maintaining technical tools, such as a travel demand model set, that help the MPO conduct its work.

 

MPO Committees

Currently, the MPO has three standing committees that it relies on to fulfill specific functions. The MPO Chair appoints representatives to the committees from among MPO members. Each of the committees reviews issues within its area of responsibility and makes recommendations to the MPO for necessary actions.

 

 

Figure 5

Boston Region MPO Membership

Figure 5 is a graphic comprised of a circle that has been subdivided to show the members of the MPO, organized by type and notes the number of seats held by each type. The State Transportation Agencies category includes the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (1 seat), the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (1 seat), and the Massachusetts Port Authority (1 seat). The Regional Agencies category includes the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (1 seat) and the MBTA Advisory Board (1 seat). The At-Large Cities category includes the City of Everett (1 seat) and the City of Newton (1 seat). The At-Large Towns category includes the Town of Arlington (1 seat) and the Town of Lexington (1 seat). The MAPC Subregions category includes the North Suburban Planning Council (NSPC) (1 seat), the North Shore Task Force (NSTF) (1 seat), the Inner Core Committee (ICC) (1 seat), the South Shore Coalition (SCC) (1 seat), the Three Rivers Interlocal Council (TRIC) (1 seat), the SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee (SWAP) (1 seat), the MetroWest Regional Collaborative (MetroWest) (1 seat), and the Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination (MAGIC) (1 seat).

The City of Boston, which is its own category, holds two permanent seats.  The Regional Transportation Advisory Council, which is its own category, holds one seat. The Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration are non-voting members of the MPO.

 

Chapter 3—The MPO’s Approach to Public Participation

 

The Boston Region MPO firmly believes that meaningful public participation should be integral to the organization’s transportation planning work. Public participation improves decision making by helping to illuminate many of the social, economic, and environmental benefits and drawbacks of transportation decisions.

 

As indicated in the introduction to this document, the MPO’s Program comprises activities the MPO undertakes and materials it produces to facilitate consultation on its planning and programming with all interested parties and members of the public. The Plan is the document (with text and graphics) that explains the Program and provides information about how to become involved in the MPO's transportation decision-making process through Program activities.

 

3.1    Federal Requirements for Public Participation

As discussed above, public participation is one of the five core functions of an MPO. Federal metropolitan transportation planning rules require MPO public participation plans to:

 

 

Other federal legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, also have public participation requirements that MPOs must implement to ensure access to the planning process for protected populations (please see Appendix A for a list of federal legislation). To meet these requirements, the MPO takes steps to include people with disabilities, minority and low-income populations, and those with limited English proficiency (LEP), as discussed throughout this Plan.  

 

3.2    Updating the Public Participation Plan

As indicated above, MPOs develop and update their public participation programs and plans in consultation with members of the public and other interested parties. Staff performs updates as needed, to reflect changes in federal guidance, requirements and regional needs, and improvements in the state of the practice.

Sidebar that reads:

"The MPO will continue to seek feedback on its public participation program to help it improve and evolve." 

The Boston Region MPO approved its previous public participation plan, Be Informed, Be Involved in 2007 and revised it in 2010 and 2012. This document (which is an updated version of Be Informed, Be Involved) reflects changing public participation requirements and practices. Prior to beginning this update, staff sought input from the public through meetings and a survey to gain insight into ways the public likes to be ‘informed and involved.’ Staff also researched other MPOs to study the innovative and effective practices they currently use. Please see Appendix 3 for a full discussion of the survey and research on other MPO practices.

 

Using the results of the outreach and research discussed above, as well as general awareness of changing communication techniques and technologies, in-house problem solving, and federal guidance, staff identified areas where updates to the MPO’s Program would be beneficial and recommended a number of specific actions and practices that will be adopted, and which are discussed throughout this updated Plan.

 

To ensure that the Program continues to evolve and reflect the most current and effective methods, MPO staff will adopt a regular, frequent and more rigorous process for gathering data and evaluating the MPO’s outreach practices, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative techniques include tracking the level of attendance at events, number of comments received, and use of the website. Qualitative measures include soliciting feedback from members of the public through surveys (both online and at meetings) about their satisfaction with process and outcome, and sense of fair treatment.  

 

3.3    MPO Public Participation Vision and Guidelines

The MPO’s vision for public participation in the region is to hear, value, and consider—throughout its planning and programming work—the views of and feedback from the full spectrum of the public, and use this input in its decision making. 

In order to accomplish its vision, the MPO has established a number of public participation guidelines, which have been updated to reflect the insights gained through its recent research. The MPO makes every effort to:

 

 

3.4    Opportunities for Public Participation

The MPO’s activities and programs—presentations, discussions; various venues for meetings and forums; information on the MPO website; flyers; emails, other notification media, etc.—are designed to meet the preferences and needs of the public.

Sidebar that reads:

"The MPO website, www.bostonmpo.org, is a rich source of transportation information."

 

3.4a How to Be Informed

Primary among the MPO's outreach strategies is its website, which provides comprehensive information about all of the MPO’s work and planning activities, including:

 

 

To improve access to, and the appeal of, information on the website, staff will explore the possibility of using an RSS feed to notify interested parties of updated content on the MPO website. To the same end, staff also will use more graphics, such as text boxes in narratives for public information and flow charts, and other visualization techniques, in addition to and to augment written information. MPO staff has developed an internal CTPS Nondiscrimination Handbook that details the practices that staff follow to make the MPO website, and all documents posted on it, accessible.

 

To ensure web access for people with low or no vision, who use screen readers, all documents are posted in both PDF and HTML. In addition, the MPO makes every effort to make data presented in tables fully navigable by a screen reader and provides alternative text to describe those tables, figures, and images that cannot be read by a screen reader.

 

To make information more accessible for people with limited English proficiency, the website features a translation function for languages other than English, including Chinese (simplified and traditional), French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. In addition, vital documents are professionally translated into the three most frequently spoken languages other than English in the MPO region (Spanish, Chinese, and Portuguese), and these translated versions are posted on the website. Staff will reevaluate annually whether additional MPO documents should be identified as “vital documents,” to be translated into the languages of policy. Documents currently defined as vital include:

 

Sidebar that reads:

"All documents on the MPO website are available in PDF and HTML for those with low or no vision. Materials also may be translated into other languages."

Audio recordings of MPO meetings are posted on the website so that those who cannot attend meetings can listen to the discussions at any time. These recordings also provide easy access to meeting content for individuals with low or no vision or with low literacy.

 

Other Communication Methods

The MPO utilizes various other tools to keep the public informed, including an extensive email list with almost 3,000 contacts, MPOinfo, through which it sends information to interested individuals and entities. The MPO also has email lists for Transportation Equity, Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT), the Advisory Council, and interested parties. In general, notices sent via the email lists focus on major MPO milestones, such as certification document amendments or announcements of public comment periods. The MPO staff also has begun sending News Flashes to email list recipients and distributing more press releases, and will explore the use of Twitter as another way to share information. The MPO also intends to explore local access cable television as another medium of communication.

 

For those who are not connected to email or the internet, staff work with public libraries, requesting that they post and/or distribute MPO information.

 

3.4b How to Be Involved

The MPO hosts a number of meeting and event types at which the public can learn about current MPO activities. Among these are the meetings of the MPO itself, meetings of MPO committees, and various public participation opportunities. One purpose of these meetings is to present and discuss information, solicit feedback, or gather input from the public on specific topics or plans, in order to inform transportation planning and programming decisions for the region. The other primary purpose is to provide an open and constructive context in which those decisions are made by MPO members.

 

MPO and MPO Committee Meetings

The MPO typically meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 10:00 AM. Most meetings are at the State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, in Boston; however, once a quarter, the MPO convenes its meeting off site in one of the MPO municipalities.

MPO meetings follow the general process below, which includes opportunities for public comment: