Memorandum

Date:      April 16, 2015

To:          Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

From:     Sean Pfalzer, Transportation Improvement Program Manager,

                 MPO Staff

Re:           Staff Recommendation for the FFYs 2016-19 Transportation Improvement Program Highway Target Funding

The purpose of this memorandum is to present a staff recommendation for the MPO’s Highway Target funds for federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2016–19 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This year’s staff recommendation proposes transportation projects and programs to fund with the MPO’s Regional Highway Target Funding over the upcoming four federal fiscal years of the TIP. In developing the staff recommendation, MPO staff worked with the target funding levels to:

This memo proposes 11 new projects for the upcoming TIP. The newly proposed projects are primarily derived from this year’s First-Tier List of Projects. This list includes projects that have earned the highest scores in the MPO’s evaluation process and that could be made ready for advertising within the scope of the TIP.

REGIONAL HIGHWAY TARGET FUNDING

MassDOT released the draft Regional Highway Targets on March 17, 2015. The Regional Targets indicate that the Boston Region MPO has approximately $350 million to spend on projects and programs in the FFYs 2016-19 TIP. Table 1 compares the funding levels of the current TIP and the FFYs 2016-19 TIP. As shown in the table, there are significant increases in target funding in FFYs 2017-18. In FFY 2019, the Regional Target remains higher than last year’s levels, at approximately $92.6 million.

 

TABLE 1.

Comparison of Regional Target Funding, Current vs. New

 

Total Regional Target

FFY 2016

FFY 2017

FFY 2018

FFY 2019

Total

Current Funds

$75,009,821

$75,009,821

$75,009,821

 

 

New Funds

$75,009,821

$88,759,294

$92,626,333

$92,626,333

$349,021,781

Difference

$0

$13,749,473

$17,616,512

 

 

The Regional Highway Target Funds contain annual targets for three of the eligible funding programs: 1) Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program, 2) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), and 3) Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). Under the federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), the CMAQ Program provides a flexible funding source for transportation projects and programs that help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act; HSIP aims to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries; and TAP supports the implementation of on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for improving bicycle and pedestrian access to public transportation, and safe-routes-to-school projects.

For the FFYs 2016-19 TIP, the funding targets remain the same for CMAQ and HSIP, and TAP increases in FFYs 2016-18. In developing the staff recommendation, staff considers project funding eligibility in order to allow the MPO to meet its funding targets.

 

TABLE 2.

Comparison of Regional Targets by Funding Program,

Current vs. New

 

Regional Target by Funding Program

FFY 2016

FFY 2017

FFY 2018

FFY 2019

Total

Current CMAQ Target

$13,427,220

$13,427,220

$13,427,220

 

 

New CMAQ Target

$13,427,220

$13,427,220

$13,427,220

$13,427,220

$53,708,880

Difference

$0

$0

$0

 

 

Current HSIP Target

$4,296,710

$4,296,710

$4,296,710

 

 

New HSIP Target

$4,296,710

$4,296,710

$4,296,710

$4,296,710

$17,186,840

Difference

$0

$0

$0

 

 

Current TAP Target

$4,346,838

$2,824,382

$2,824,382

 

 

New TAP Target

$5,097,438

$3,312,089

$3,312,089

$2,548,719

$14,270,335

Difference

$750,600

$487,707

$487,707

 

 

Current Non-CMAQ/HSIP/TAP Funds

$52,939,052

$54,461,509

$54,461,509

 

 

New Non-CMAQ/HSIP/TAP Funds

$52,188,452

$67,723,275

$71,590,315

$72,353,684

$263,855,726

Difference

-$750,600

$13,261,766

$17,128,806

 

 

 

The remaining portion of funding is eligible to be programmed under the Surface Transportation Program (STP) or the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP). The funding level for these two programs combined is capped at approximately $264 million over FFYs 2016-19.

PROJECT SCHEDULE ISSUES

In working on a staff recommendation, MPO staff consulted with the MassDOT Highway Division to identify schedule issues for projects currently programmed in the FFYs 2015-18 TIP. There are six projects programmed in the current TIP that have a high risk of not being made ready for advertisement in their current fiscal year of programming.

FFY 2015

FFY 2016

CURRENT AND ONGOING COMMITMENTS

Staff next identified current and ongoing programming commitments to the Green Line Extension, Phase 2, from College Avenue to Route 16 and Reconstruction and Widening on Route 18 in Weymouth. The MPO has supported these projects in the LRTP, programmed them in the FFYs 2015-18 TIP, and expects to continue programming them in the FFYs 2016-19 TIP. Table 3 lists the currently anticipated programming amounts for the projects in FFYs 2016-19 and future TIP programming beyond FFY 2019 for the Green Line Extension, Phase 2. Table 3 indicates that these projects, accounting for 17% of MPO target funding in FFY 2016, becomes an even larger share of the MPO’s investments in FFY 2017 (48%), FFY 2018 (66%), and FFY 2019 (50%). The remaining balance shown in the table represents funding that would need to be programmed in subsequent TIP years. Based on the current cost estimate and schedule, the project would require programming through FFY 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE 3.

Summary of Current and Ongoing Commitments

 

Projects

FFY 2016

FFY 2017

FFY 2018

FFY 2019

Remaining Balance

Green Line Extension, Phase 2
(Somerville and Medford)

$8,100,000

$29,900,000

$40,000,000

$40,000,000

$72,000,000

Reconstruction and Widening on Route 18 (Weymouth)

$4,800,000

$12,850,000

$21,031,758

$6,600,000

$0

Percent of Target Program

17%

48%

66%

50%

 

 

Table 4 below lists the Long-Range Transportation Plan commitments currently programmed and those commitments scheduled to be implemented through the TIP. Table 4 indicates that the MPO has committed nearly 73 percent of the Target Program to LRTP projects or major infrastructure projects between FFYs 2016-19, ranging from 50 percent in FFY 2019 to 86 percent in FFY 2016.

 

TABLE 4.

Overview of Long-Range Transportation Plan Commitments

 

Projects

FFY 2016


FFY 2017

FFY 2018

FFY 2019

Remaining Commitments

Middlesex Turnpike Improvements (Bedford, Billerica and Burlington)

$21,691,442

$6,604,904

 

 

 

Reconstruction and Widening on Route 18 (Weymouth)

$4,800,000

$12,850,000

$21,031,758

 

$6,600,000

 

 

Route 128 Add-a-lane
(Needham and Wellesley)

$30,000,000

$14,000,000

$13,768,183

 

 

Green Line Extension, Phase 2 (Somerville and Medford)

$8,100,000

$29,900,000

$40,000,000

$40,000,000

$72,000,000

Reconstruction of Montvale Avenue (Woburn)

 

$4,752,838

 

 

 

Total

$64,591,442

$68,107,744

$74,799,941

$46,600,000

$72,000,000

Percent of Target Program

86%

77%

81%

50%

 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Based on the project schedule changes and ongoing commitments, MPO staff worked to prepare a staff recommendation that would satisfy the needs of currently-programmed projects and balance the following factors:

FIRST-TIER LIST OF HIGHWAY PROJECTS 

MPO staff created the First-Tier List of Highway Projects using project-evaluation results and information on readiness. The First-Tier List comprises projects that have received high scores through the TIP evaluation process, and that could be made ready for advertisement within FFYs 2016-19. Table 5 presents the First-Tier List of Highway Projects. This year’s First-Tier List contains fourteen projects, totaling almost $130 million worth of transportation infrastructure investments.

 

TABLE 5.

First-Tier List of Highway Projects

 

Proponent(s)

Project Name

Current Cost Estimate

Project Evaluation Rank

Design

Status

Newton and Needham (MassDOT)

Reconstruction of Highland Ave, Needham St and Charles River Bridge, from Webster St to Route 9

$14,297,606

104

25% Approved

Everett

Reconstruction of Ferry St, South Ferry Stand a portion of Elm St

$6,440,000

90

PRC Approved

Natick

Reconstruction of Route 27 (North Main St), from North Ave to the Wayland town line

$13,090,726

88

25% Submitted

Lexington

Reconstruction on Massachusetts Ave, from Marrett Rd to Pleasant St

$5,200,000

87

25% Submitted

Hopkinton

Signal and intersection improvements on Route 135

$7,235,377

85

25% Submitted

Natick

(MassDOT)

Bridge replacement, Route 27 (North Main St) over Route 9 (Worcester St) and interchange improvements

$25,793,370

84

25% Submitted

Boston

Improvements on Boylston St, from the intersection of Brookline Ave and Park Drive to Ipswich St

$6,555,000

83

PRC Approved

Ashland

Reconstruction on Route 126 (Pond St), from the Framingham town line to the Holliston town line

$13,277,165

 77

25% Submitted

Walpole (MassDOT)

Reconstruction on Route 1A (Main St), from the Norwood town line to Route 27

$15,886,000

76

25% Approved

Lynn

Reconstruction on Route 129 (Lynnfield St), from Great Woods Road to Wyoma Square

$3,457,578

73

25% Approved

Milford

Resurfacing and intersection improvements on Route 16 (Main St), from Water St to the Hopedale town line

$2,800,000

73

25% Submitted

Hingham

Reconstruction and related work on Derby St from Pond Park Rd to Cushing St

$3,840,661

71

25% Submitted

Boston

Traffic signal improvements at 9 locations

$3,036,200

71

25% Submitted

Newton

Reconstruction and signal improvements on Walnut St, from Homer St to Route 9

$4,648,360

70

25% Submitted

OVERVIEW OF THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION

The staff recommendation proposes programming 11 new projects, including 9 of the 14 projects from the First-Tier List of Projects. These nine complete street projects and two intersection improvement projects will help attain the MPO’s goals by advancing safety, system preservation, mobility, and economic vitality. These investments will implement past planning work through the United Planning Work Program (UPWP) by programming recommendations from three past MPO studies. These investments also promote geographic equity by addressing needs across MAPC subregions and community types. There are newly proposed projects in 6 out of the 8 MAPC subregions, including three projects in ICC, three projects in SSC, two projects in SWAP, and one project each in MAGIC, TRIC, and MWRC. These investments are also distributed across each of the four MAPC community types, including two projects in Inner Core communities, five projects in Maturing Suburbs, two projects in Developing Suburbs, and two projects in Regional Urban Centers.

NEWLY PROPOSED PROJECTS FOR PROGRAMMING

The staff recommendation proposes the following 11 new projects for the TIP, totaling approximately $75 million.

FFY 2016

 

FFY 2017

 

FFY 2018

FFY 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

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