Memorandum

Date      October 20, 2016

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM     Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director

RE           Work Plans for: Federal Fiscal Year 2017 Certification Activities

This document is a cover memorandum that accompanies a concurrent transmittal to the MPO of work plans for a number of 3C activities, with the exception of the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). (Because of the plan’s four-year planning cycle, a separate work plan has been prepared for the LRTP.)

BACKGROUND

The federal government requires that each Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) conduct a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation-planning process (3C process) to be eligible for federal funds. To be continuing, the process must be underway all year long, not sporadically. To be comprehensive, it must consider the activities of the many agencies and entities involved in transportation planning in the MPO region, as well as the transportation needs identified by all parties interested in MPO decisions. Finally, to be cooperative, the process must invite public participation, and conduct planning and decision making with an open, collaborative approach.

The purpose of the 3C process is to guide and support MPO information gathering and decision making related to the policies and programming of federal transportation funds. Because the MPOs must conduct 3C work to remain certified to receive these funds, activities conducted by the MPO staff to comply with 3C requirements and guidance are called “certification activities.”

Primary among the 3C requirements is the production of three major certification documents:

• Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) − Guides investment across all transportation modes at least 20 years into the future; is updated every four years. The next plan is expected in 2019.
• Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) − Identifies transportation projects that will be funded during the next four years (the MPO programs a fifth year); is updated annually.
• Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) − Describes the transportation planning projects and programs that will be conducted in the region during a given federal fiscal year; is updated annually.

In addition, MPO staff perform a number of other 3C activities that support production of the certification documents and the general operation of the MPO, including:

• 3C Planning and MPO Support, including:
• Support to the MPO and its Committees
• Support to the Regional Transportation Advisory Council
• Public Participation Process (including outreach/engagement efforts and external communications, such as producing the TransReport newsletter)
• Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities
• Boston Region MPO Title VI Reporting
• Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support

OBJECTIVES

In a continuing effort to improve project management, increase transparency and accountability, and more fully describe work that the MPO will undertake to meet its goals, staff have prepared work plans for all the activities listed above for federal fiscal year 2017.

In developing these work plans, staff have been careful to include tasks that are required to comply with the current federal surface transportation funding authorization, Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, other federal and state regulations and guidance, and recommendations from the 2014 certification review. The work plans also include activities that the MPO has directed staff to conduct in the past or that reflect MPO priorities and preferences.

Throughout the year, the MPO will review the 3C program and provide direction to staff, as needed, on any of its elements. Staff will update and report progress to the MPO, and will seek its concurrence on these ongoing programs.

KQ/EM/LD/ld

Encl.

Memorandum

Date      October 20, 2016

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM     Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director

RE           Work Plan for: Transportation Improvement Program: FFY 2017

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

8217

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Lourenço Dantas

Manager: Alexandra Kleyman

Funding

MPO Planning Contract # 95411

MPO §5303 Contract # 91027 (and subsequent contract)

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

The “continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive” (3C) transportation-planning process requires the MPO to conduct various activities to maintain its federal certification. Primary among these activities are the production of the three major certification documents:

• The Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) guides investment in all surface transportation modes over a 20-year period, and is updated every four years.
• The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) identifies the transportation projects that will be funded during the next four years, and is updated annually. While the federal requirement is for a four-year program, the Boston Region MPO’s TIP shows five years of project funding.
• The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) describes the transportation-planning projects that will be conducted in the region during a given federal fiscal year (FFY), and is updated annually.

This work plan focuses primarily on the development of the FFYs 2018–22 TIP, but also covers activities associated with ongoing changes to the TIP development process, and amendments and administrative modifications to the FFYs 2017–21 TIP, which is the active document during FFY 2017.

An integral part of developing the TIP is engaging the public throughout the document development and decision-making process. Some of the public participation activities for the TIP are described in the UPWP under the Public Participation Program, which is part of the 3C Planning and MPO Support Program.

Objectives

The MPO staff will conduct a process to develop a TIP document that accomplishes the following:

1. Maintains compliance with federal regulations and requirements
2. Implements the vision and goals of the MPO and the program of projects identified in the LRTP
3. Enhances decision making regarding the funding of transportation projects in the region by using a transparent, inclusive, and data-driven process
4. Integrates frequently updated information from the MPO, divisions of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), municipal contacts (TIP contacts), members of the public, and MPO staff
5. Develops a state-of-the-practice set of data resources and instruments for collecting, storing, and analyzing data to inform decision making

Work Description

This work plan describes the tasks that will be completed in FFY 2017 to ensure that the TIP process is conducted in compliance with all aspects of the 3C transportation-planning process and meets the objectives stated above.

Task 1  Modify the Current FFYs 2017–2021 TIP

The TIP is a dynamic document. Typically, there are many occasions throughout the year when estimated construction costs or advertisement schedules for projects are revised. These changes require either an amendment or administrative modification to the TIP. The MPO staff estimate that as many as six amendments and/or administrative modifications to the TIP will be made during FFY 2017.

For proposed TIP amendments and modifications, staff will collect information on the projects involved, the proposed changes to costs or schedules, and the reasons for those changes. Then, staff will prepare draft TIP tables that reflect the proposed changes and indicate the reasons for the changes, and brief the MPO. The MPO will review and discuss the proposed changes, and take appropriate action to approve an administrative modification or release the amendment for public review.

Staff will manage all of the public review processes related to TIP amendments, including the posting of TIP materials on the MPO’s website. Proposed amendments are typically released for a 30-day public review period, during which staff compile and summarize public comments received. Staff will relay public comments to the MPO for members’ consideration prior to their vote to endorse the TIP amendment. Following endorsement by the MPO, the updated TIP documents will be posted on the MPO’s website.

Products of Task 1

Draft and final TIP amendments and administrative modifications, and associated materials for the MPO and the public

Task 2  Conduct the Development Process for the New FFYs 2018–2022 TIP

Each year, the MPO conducts a TIP development process to decide how to spend federal surface transportation funds for capital projects. Staff support this process by conducting the following activities: coordinating the collection of project funding requests; evaluating projects; proposing projects for programming based on anticipated funding levels; supporting the MPO’s decision making about project programming, and developing a draft TIP document for public review.

These activities are detailed in the following subtasks:

Subtask 2.1 Conduct Outreach

Staff will communicate with the 101 cities and towns in the Boston region to compile a list of priority projects that will be considered for federal funding. Outreach work will consist of conducting TIP Development Sessions, attending monthly meetings of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s subregional planning groups, and corresponding with municipal TIP contacts and chief elected officials. Many of the public participation activities for the TIP are conducted as part of the MPO’s ongoing Public Participation Program, which is funded in the UPWP under the 3C Planning and Support to the MPO Program.

Staff will compile the project funding requests and relevant information provided by project proponents into a Universe of Projects list for the MPO. The Universe of Projects list consists of all of the projects advanced for possible funding, and includes projects that are in the conceptual stage or an early design stage, as well as those that are fully designed and ready to be advertised for construction.

Subtask 2.2 Update the TIP Interactive Database

Based on the Universe of Projects list, staff will compile and update information on each project for the TIP Interactive Database. Data inputs and updates will consist of the following: mapping project boundaries; inventorying pavement conditions; documenting bicycle and pedestrian accommodations; compiling crash information; documenting traffic volumes and congestion; calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts; and compiling other background information.

As established for the first time in FFY 2016, staff will also incorporate additional bus service information to identify the projects that would produce significant transit time savings. These data are derived from state agencies’ databases; CTPS-managed databases; and functional design reports that have been submitted to MassDOT. These inputs provide key information for TIP evaluations.

Subtask 2.3 Evaluate Projects

Using the TIP evaluation criteria, staff will evaluate projects within the Universe of Projects list for which there is a functional design report. The evaluation results will be posted on the MPO’s website to allow project proponents to review the projects’ ratings and provide feedback. Staff will consider the feedback and revise the evaluations, as needed.

If, prior to the evaluation, the MPO members request a review of the TIP evaluation criteria, staff will identify opportunities to make improvements and recommend revisions. Upon MPO concurrence, staff will update the online TIP Project Funding Application Form, so the form will be consistent with the revisions to the TIP project evaluation criteria.

Subtask 2.4 Prepare a Staff Recommendation

Staff will develop a recommendation for prioritizing the MPO’s Regional Target funding. Staff will begin by preparing a First-Tier List of Projects using the evaluation results (project ratings) and project readiness information. Staff will also consider projects that are listed in the LRTP for inclusion in the First-Tier List, in order to implement the LRTP. Geographic equity (distribution of projects throughout the region) will be considered to help ensure that the group of projects addresses needs in all parts of the MPO region. The development of the First-Tier List will also account for project costs in order to attain fiscal constraint.

In addition to this recommendation, staff will prepare and present to the MPO for its consideration materials related to the selection of projects as part of Statewide Infrastructure Items and Bridge Programs, which are non-target programs overseen by MassDOT, and the capital programs for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA), and the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA). The MPO will review, discuss, and take action on all of these proposed investments, which will be included in the draft TIP.

Subtask 2.5 Prepare Draft and Final TIP Documents

Based on Subtask 2.4, staff will prepare a draft TIP, which will be released for a 30-day public review period, during which members of the public can submit comments about the document. Also during this time, staff will compile and summarize the comments received and relay the comments to the MPO for members’ consideration.

After the public review period and after the MPO has considered all of the comments, staff will seek the MPO’s endorsement of the final TIP document, which will include the following elements:

• Detailed information on the projects programmed in each FFY
• Summary of the process by which projects were evaluated for inclusion in the TIP
• Information about the status of the projects that had been programmed in the previous FFY
• The Universe of Projects from which the programmed projects were selected
• Air quality conformity determination that provides a status report on the timely implementation of transportation control measures included as part of the State Implementation Plan (SIP)  
• Analysis of the geographic distribution of TIP funding throughout the Boston Region MPO area

After the MPO endorses the final TIP, staff will prepare written responses to the comments received during the public review period.

Products of Task 2

• Correspondence with municipal chief elected officials and TIP contacts
• Updated Project Funding Application Forms for the TIP Interactive Database
• Geographic information system (GIS) layers showing TIP project locations
• Project evaluation results
• First-Tier List of Projects
• Staff recommendation for Regional Target funding
• Updates of statewide funding and transit project funding
• Public comment matrices (summary tables)
• Responses to comments
• Draft and final TIP documents

Task 3  Track and Analyze Performance Measures

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), the previous federal surface transportation funding authorization, transformed the Federal-aid Highway Program to focus on performance- and outcome-based results. The new transportation authorization legislation, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, continues the performance-based planning and programming provisions established under MAP-21. Therefore, the MPO must continue to demonstrate that transportation projects funded in the TIP help the MPO make progress toward the achievement of its performance goals defined in the current LRTP, Charting Progress to 2040.

In the FFY 2018–22 TIP document, staff will report on progress toward the desired performance outcomes, monitor past trends using performance measures, and document which TIP investments have improved performance.

To assess how well TIP projects are achieving the MPO's safety goal, staff will continue to track traffic fatalities and serious injuries in the Boston region to determine whether crash severity is declining. Staff will analyze crash trends to identify the transportation system users, locations, or facility types that require greater consideration by the MPO when making future investment decisions.

In addition, staff will continue to track pavement conditions and bridge conditions to assess how well TIP projects are achieving the MPO’s system preservation goal. To gauge progress toward the MPO’s capacity management/mobility goal, staff will monitor the number of new miles of sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure constructed. Also, staff may identify additional performance measures throughout the FFY to track progress toward goals. Where progress toward a goal is lagging, staff will identify possible factors and develop strategies for addressing them.

Product of Task 3

• Updated and expanded FFYs 2018–22 TIP Chapter 4: Tracking and Demonstrating Progress Using Performance Measures

Task 4  Identify Opportunities to Improve the TIP Document and Process

MPO staff continuously seeks to improve the information and analysis provided to the MPO, so that the MPO can make well-informed decisions and the public can better understand the federal transportation programming process. Furthermore, staff will seek opportunities to increase municipal participation in the TIP development process, stay updated on new state policies, and continue to research the best practices of other MPOs. Staff will also follow the implementation guidance of the FAST Act and MAP-21 and will modify MPO practices accordingly.

Estimated Schedule

This program is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2017. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this program is estimated to be $164,840. This includes the cost of 66.7 person-weeks of staff time, overhead at the rate of 102.7 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/LD/AHK/ahk

Memorandum

Date      October 20, 2016

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM     Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director

RE           Work Plan for: Unified Planning Work Program: FFY 2017

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

8317

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Lourenço Dantas

Manager: Alexandra Kleyman (interim)

Funding

MPO Planning Contract # 95411

MPO §5303 Contract # 91027 (and subsequent contract)

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

The “continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive” (3C) transportation-planning process requires that MPOs produce three certification documents: the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). The UPWP has two main purposes:

• Provide budget information to federal and state officials about the expenditure of federal funds for transportation-planning studies and programs being carried out by the Boston Region MPO
• Provide information to government officials, local communities, and the public about surface-transportation-planning studies expected to take place in the Boston Region MPO area

The UPWP document is produced by the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS)—the staff to the MPO—with oversight by the MPO’s UPWP Committee.  The committee provides guidance to staff in the development and implementation of the UPWP and either takes action or makes recommendations to MPO members on UPWP-related decisions.

The UPWP includes descriptions and budgets for work that staff will conduct during the upcoming federal fiscal year (FFY), including both 3C-funded work for the MPO and work funded by state agencies or other entities. The UPWP document also provides supplementary information about other transportation-planning activities in the region that are not funded through the MPO or conducted by staff. The federal government requires that the UPWP comply with federal regulations and address planning focus areas as recommended by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) also provides content for the UPWP document, which details MAPC’s 3C-funded studies, programs, and activities. MAPC’s participation is funded through its allocation of federal transportation-planning funding (typically 20 percent of the MPO’s 3C funding).

An integral part of developing the UPWP is engaging the public throughout the process. Some of the public outreach process for the UPWP is covered as part of the MPO’s 3C Planning and MPO Support Program.

Work on the UPWP is ongoing and under way year-round. Via the UPWP, the MPO creates a framework for the planning processes and activities that support the achievement of the MPO’s vision, goals, and objectives.

Objectives

This work plan focuses on two major activities:

1. Development and documentation of the FFY 2018 UPWP
2. Provision of an administrative and management mechanism to ensure that the current FFY 2017 UPWP work plan is carried out

These activities will be conducted in a way that ensures that the MPO maintains compliance with all relevant federal regulations and requirements.

Work Description

Work related to developing the upcoming FFY 2018 UPWP and supporting implementation of the current FFY 2017 UPWP will be conducted on an ongoing basis and in compliance with all aspects of the 3C transportation-planning process. The primary tasks of the work are described below.

Task 1  Conduct Outreach to Municipalities and Other Groups1

Subtask 1.1 Prepare Outreach Materials

In coordination with the Public Participation Program Manager, the UPWP Manager will prepare new outreach materials for the current year. Potential topics that outreach materials could address include the following: a geographic analysis of UPWP spending; an analysis of how UPWP spending has helped advance LRTP goals; updates on findings and recommendations from completed UPWP studies; and an analysis of how UPWP spending has addressed different modes of transportation.

Subtask 1.2 Attend Outreach Meetings

In coordination with the Public Participation Program Manager and the TIP Manager, the UPWP Manager will attend meetings held by MAPC subregional groups, municipal planners, and other stakeholder groups. The purpose of these meetings will be to answer questions about the FFY 2017 UPWP and gather ideas for new studies and programs for the MPO to conduct in FFY 2018.

Subtask 1.3 Follow-up after Outreach Meetings

Following outreach meetings, the UPWP Manager will compile notes on comments heard from meeting participants; incorporate their ideas into the UPWP Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs; coordinate with staff and CTPS group managers to find answers to study-specific technical questions; and conduct any necessary follow-up directly with meeting participants.

Products of Task 1

• New or revised public involvement materials to use at public meetings
• Documentation of issues and study ideas identified at the meetings

Task 2 Establish the FFY 2018 UPWP Development Framework and Identify Areas for Improvement

Subtask 2.1  Identify Key Themes for UPWP Development

Staff will review available federal guidance on the UPWP and on the planning focus areas defined by federal agencies. Staff members will also coordinate with each other to identify any key themes or needs—such as for data or analysis products—that should be addressed in the FFY 2018 UPWP to support MPO priorities. Staff will be attentive to the vision, goals and objectives established in Charting Progress to 2040, the MPO’s new LRTP, as well as to developments in the MPO’s performance-based planning practice and its information needs.

Subtask 2.2 Investigate and Identify Areas for Improvement in the UPWP Document and Process

Staff will investigate opportunities to improve the UPWP document and process on an ongoing basis. Examples of activities staff may engage in include the following: 1) reviewing the UPWPs produced by other MPOs, which could inform improvements to the Boston Region MPO’s UPWP process; 2) tracking planning trends that may inform future UPWP planning studies; 3) responding to new practices in LRTP, TIP, and Congestion Management Process (CMP) development and in the MPO’s performance-based planning activities; and
4) investigating new planning tools and data.

Products of Task 2

• Documentation of priorities for UPWP studies and programs for FFY 2018  
• Documentation of proposals for improving the UPWP process or document

Task 3  Develop the FFY 2018 Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs

Staff will compile ideas for study proposals in order to develop a Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs from which to select new UPWP efforts. This task will be accomplished via the following three subtasks.

Subtask 3.1  Develop Study Proposals

Staff will gather ideas for UPWP study proposals from both internal and external sources, including public input received during the FFY 2017 UPWP development process. Staff will also develop study proposals based on priority planning topics, the content of major planning documents (such as the LRTP), and staff-identified information needs. To support this activity, the UPWP Manager will develop internal memoranda to guide the development of study proposals and host meetings with CTPS directors and group managers to refine study ideas.

Ideas for study proposals will also come from the outreach activities identified in Task 1, above. Sources for study ideas will include, but not be limited to, the following: 1) MAPC subregional groups, 2) the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, 3) community groups and municipalities, and 4) Boston-area transportation agencies and committees.

Subtask 3.2  Develop Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs

The UPWP’s Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs is organized in a table that includes study descriptions, estimated costs, study evaluation criteria, and notes and comments. In coordination with CTPS directors and group managers, the UPWP Manager will host meetings to discuss all of the study ideas in the Universe and form a more focused Universe from which to develop a recommendation for new discrete studies to fund in the following FFY (see Task 4). Decisions about narrowing down the number of studies in the Universe and eliminating some from further consideration for funding as discrete studies are based on the following considerations:

• Whether a study idea is more appropriately accomplished as part of an ongoing program
• Whether staff determines that the data or other resources necessary to carry out a study are attainable
• Whether the main focus of a study idea is outside of the staff’s technical expertise

Over time, staff may add proposed studies to the Universe, along with additional research findings and content reflecting comments from members of the MPO, the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, and the public.

Subtask 3.3  Evaluate Study Proposals

Once the Universe is narrowed down to studies that the MPO could realistically fund through the UPWP, the UPWP Manager—in coordination with appropriate CTPS directors, group managers, and the LRTP Manager—will conduct qualitative reviews of the proposals for transportation-planning studies using evaluation criteria based on the goal areas established in the LRTP, Charting Progress to 2040. In addition to evaluating proposals based on these criteria, staff will select a group of studies to meet the following criteria:

• Represent a range of transportation modes
• Benefit the region at different scales of impact (i.e., region-wide studies and studies that focus on one or two communities)
• Result in recommendations that can be  implemented over different time frames (i.e., short-term and  long-term study recommendations)
• Represent a mix of studies that further previously conducted work, as well as accomplish new research and technical analyses for the region

Project ratings determined through these reviews will be incorporated into the UPWP Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs document. Additional refinements to study descriptions may be made as part of this rating process.

Products of Task 3

Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs document with proposed studies rated according to selection criteria, and related internal memoranda

Task 4  Develop Recommendation of New Studies for FFY 2018

Staff will develop a recommendation for new transportation-planning studies to be conducted in FFY 2018. These recommendations will be based on several factors, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Information in the FFY 2018 UPWP Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs, including proposed ratings
• Guidance from UPWP Committee members
• Consistency with the MPO’s vision, goals, and objectives, as outlined in the  LRTP, Charting Progress to 2040; federal guidance; and other priority planning topics
• Geographic equity2

Staff will then produce and present materials to the UPWP Committee that describe the staff recommendation for new transportation-planning studies and the proposed FFY 2018 UPWP budget. The UPWP Committee will consider the staff recommendation and develop their recommendation for the MPO. Staff will then document the committee’s recommendation, including updated study descriptions and costs, and present it to the MPO board for consideration. After the MPO members’ discussion, staff will complete the drafts of the FFY 2018 UPWP chapters that contain study descriptions.

Products of Task 4

• Presentations and documents detailing staff and UPWP Committee recommendations for new studies and budgets for the FFY 2018 UPWP
• Draft chapters that describe the status of FFY 2017 studies and the new studies that will be carried out in FFY 2018

Task 5 Develop the FFY 2018 UPWP Budgets for New Studies, Ongoing Programs, and Administrative and Resource Activities

Staff will develop a proposed budget for the FFY 2018 UPWP based on financial information from the FHWA and FTA on 3C funding for the upcoming FFY. Staff will identify the 3C funds available for new discrete planning studies, ongoing programs, and those discrete studies that will carry over into FFY 2018.

Also documented in the UPWP is the budget information for studies that are funded by other entities, such as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Products of Task 5

• Proposed FFY 2018 UPWP budget tables
• Presentations and documents detailing staff and UPWP Committee recommendations for the FFY 2018 UPWP budget for new studies, ongoing programs, and administrative and resource activities

Task 6  Develop the Draft and Final FFY 2018 UPWP Documents

Subtask 6.1  Develop the Remaining Components of the Draft FFY 2018 UPWP

Staff will create drafts of all of UPWP chapters that were not completed as part of Tasks 3 through 5, along with UPWP appendices. This activity may include developing materials that respond to specific federal guidance. Staff will circulate these materials to the public after receiving approval from the MPO to do so.

Upon MPO approval, staff will summarize the FFY 2018 UPWP budget in text and in table formats and will incorporate this and all other draft UPWP materials into the draft FFY 2018 UPWP. 

Subtask 6.2  Circulate Public Review Draft, Conduct Public Outreach, and Respond to Feedback

After receiving MPO approval to release the draft FFY 2018 UPWP for public review, staff will post the document on the MPO website and conduct public outreach (funded in part via the 3C Planning and MPO Support Program). During the public review period, staff will develop outreach materials and give presentations at MPO workshops and other events in order to discuss the draft document with the public and gather input. Public outreach approaches will be planned and refined in coordination with the Public Participation Program Manager.

Staff will summarize the written and verbal comments received and propose responses from the MPO, which the UPWP Committee and MPO will review. Responses from the MPO will be sent to the commenters. As necessary, based on feedback from the public and MPO, the UPWP document may be modified.

Subtask 6.3  Finalize the UPWP Document

Staff will incorporate the public comments and the MPO’s responses to the comments into the UPWP prior to the MPO’s vote to endorse the document. Staff will transmit the MPO-endorsed UPWP to the FHWA and FTA and make the document available to the public on the MPO’s website.

Products of Task 6

• Draft UPWP chapters
• Draft FFY 2018 UPWP
• Table documenting public comments and the MPO’s responses
• Final FFY 2018 UPWP
• Correspondence to members of the public who provided comments

Task 7  Manage the Administration of the FFY 2017 UPWP

Subtask 7.1 Amendments and Adjustments

In response to federal guidance or requirements, or new direction by the MPO board, staff may need to modify elements of the FFY 2017 UPWP.

For minor changes or budget adjustments, staff will produce a memorandum and supporting documentation on the proposed changes to the UPWP and submit these items to the UPWP Committee for approval. For amendments, staff will submit documentation to both the UPWP Committee and MPO for approval.

Staff will coordinate all of the meetings that are related to the UPWP and will develop materials, as needed, to support UPWP Committee and MPO discussions about changes to the UPWP. In the case of UPWP amendments, staff will support the public review process, summarize public comments for the MPO, and submit the endorsed amendments to the FHWA and FTA for final approval.

Subtask 7.2 Tracking Study Progress and Implementation of Study Recommendations

As a final step in carrying out the UPWP, the UPWP Manager, in coordination with the CTPS directors and group managers, will be involved in tracking the progress of studies throughout the FFY, assisting in study closeout, and ensuring proper maintenance of study files.

Administration of the UPWP will also involve providing assistance in the development and maintenance of a new ongoing program, the UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database. The details for this program will be developed in a separate work scope. The UPWP Manager will be involved in defining the scope of the database and supporting its progress.

Products of Task 7

• Presentation materials and documentation of proposed changes (including modifications and amendments) to the UPWP
• Any necessary documentation related to study closeout and filing study documents

Task 8  Support Ongoing Coordination between MPO staff, the UPWP Committee, and the MPO

The UPWP Committee will meet on a quarterly basis to review and discuss the status of FFY 2017 UPWP study spending, scheduling, and staff assignments. Staff will prepare materials to support the committee’s discussions and decision making.

The UPWP Committee will meet several times during FFY 2017 to provide guidance and make recommendations on the development of the FFY 2018 UPWP, as described in the above tasks.

In addition to coordinating with the UPWP Committee, staff will keep the MPO briefed on UPWP development and implementation. This will involve the UPWP Manager analyzing and reporting on information in the UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database (see Subtask 7.2). 

For each of the above meetings, staff will schedule meeting times and locations and develop agendas and meeting summaries. Staff will develop presentations and meeting materials, as needed, to support discussions and decision making. Staff will work closely with the UPWP Committee chairperson on all of the UPWP development, monitoring, and staff activities that support the UPWP Committee.

Products of Task 8

• Presentation materials and documentation for UPWP Committee and MPO briefings and discussions
• Agendas and meeting summaries

Estimated Schedule

The UPWP development is an ongoing, annual program. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2017. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this program is estimated to be $123,200. This includes the cost of 46.1 person-weeks of staff time, overhead at the rate of 102.7 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/LD/AHK/ahk

Memorandum

Date      October 20, 2016

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM     Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director

RE           Work Plan for: 3C Planning and MPO Support: FFY 2017

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

Various: 9117–9717

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Elizabeth M. Moore

Manager: Lourenço Dantas

Funding

MPO Planning Contract # 95411

MPO §5303 Contract # 91027 (and subsequent contract)

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

This work plan encompasses the following 3C activities, which support the federally mandated “continuing,” “cooperative,” and “comprehensive” transportation-planning process:

• Support the MPO and its committees
• Support the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (Advisory Council)
• Conduct the Public Participation Process, including communications activities (for example email list and TRANSreport newsletter) and engagement activities (for example, subregional outreach and public meetings)
• Comply with federal transportation planning regulations that govern MPO activities

Objectives

There are four primary objectives of the 3C Planning and MPO Support program:

1. Support and facilitate the MPO’s operation
2. Plan and coordinate delivery of information to the MPO, agencies and other entities, and members of the public for decision making
3. Conduct the communication, management, and participation processes needed for success in this work
4. Maintain compliance with federal regulations and requirements

Work Description

Although there is much overlap among the various activities conducted by the MPO, the work described here supports the program management, planning, coordination, and general administration of the 3C process.

This work is conducted on an ongoing basis, in compliance with the continuing portion of the 3C process. In order to be fully inclusive, the work is performed in close communication and consultation with the MPO’s municipalities and with a broad base of agencies, organizations, interest groups, and individuals.

The MPO posts and distributes extensive information related to transportation in the region and to the matters before the MPO for decision-making. Being inclusive and open in this way, the MPO takes a fully cooperative stance, fulfilling the second precept of the 3C process.

Finally, to be consistent with the comprehensive principle of the 3C process, this work covers all transportation modes, populations, and areas of the region and addresses their needs.

Task 1  Support the MPO and Its Committees

This task focusses on carrying out the day-to-day operations of the MPO.

Subtask 1.1 Support MPO 3C Functions

MPO staff will undertake numerous activities in this subtask:

• Prepare a schedule of Certification Activities for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2017
• Plan, prepare, and review materials for the MPO and for use in the 3C planning process
• Coordinate with and provide information requested by the MPO Chair, MassDOT’s Office of Transportation Planning, and MPO members
• Maintain the information flow for the MPO and the public
• Articulate MPO practices and protocols
• Maintain compliance with the state’s Open Meeting Law
• Answer questions from members of the MPO and the public

Subtask 1.2 Comply with Federal Regulations and Requirements

MPO staff will keep informed on federal requirements and national best practices for this work and incorporate them as appropriate. If needed, staff will prepare memoranda to brief the MPO on emerging developments.

Activities in this subtask include:

• Assist in complying with federal requirements and regulations
• Continue to implement an action plan to respond to all federal recommendations in the MPO’s 2014 certification review
• Work with the MPO and other relevant parties to revise the MPO’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the Boston Urbanized Area (UZA) MOU in keeping with federal recommendations from the MPO’s 2014 certification review and additional federal rulemaking

Subtask 1.3 Support MPO Meetings

The MPO decision-making board typically meets twice a month. MPO staff will plan, attend, and provide support for these meetings by carrying out the following tasks:

• Plan and prepare agendas in consultation with the MPO chair and vice-chair
• Prepare materials for MPO meetings (including agendas and handouts) and post them on the MPO’s website for use by MPO members and members of the public
• Prepare minutes and electronic archival of meeting materials
• Manage the follow-up for requests and issues raised at meetings

In addition, MPO staff will ensure that: all MPO meetings are held on or near public transportation routes; the venues are physically accessible to persons with disabilities; adequate amplification and assistive-listening devices are present for all meetings; MPO meeting materials are posted on its website in a screen-readable format; and meeting materials are provided in other accessible formats and in languages other than English, upon request. Staff will also ensure that these accommodations are made for all MPO-related meetings.

Subtask 1.4 Support MPO Committees

The MPO currently has three committees: Administration and Finance, Congestion Management Process, and Unified Planning Work Program. The MPO may form additional committees to focus on other issues that the MPO believes are important, and that require more time and attention. MPO staff will support the work of these committees by:

• Planning ongoing work of the committee
• Coordinating committee meetings
• Reviewing materials for presentation, discussion, and decision-making
• Reviewing agendas and meeting minutes
• Working with MPO staff members who are leading the committees’ work
• Attending and providing support for facilitating meetings and follow-up and next steps for the committees’ work

Preparing meeting materials for committee meetings and coordinating and preparing for the meetings are tasks coved by other work scopes.

Products of Task 1

• Accessible meetings and materials
• Print and/or electronic materials for MPO and committee meetings, including agendas, minutes, memoranda, reports, white papers, and flyers
• Schedule of FFY 2017 Certification Activities
• Memoranda about changes that are made in response to new regulations, guidance, or standards, as needed

Task 2  Support the Regional Transportation Advisory Council

MPO staff will continue to provide ongoing support to the Advisory Council, the MPO’s citizen advisory committee, which comprises approximately 65 entities. The Advisory Council’s role is to provide a broad-based forum for discussing regional transportation issues and MPO certification documents, reports, studies, policies, and decisions. The Advisory Council also provides feedback to the MPO that it elicits from municipalities, transportation-related interest groups, public entities from around the region that have an interest in transportation, and non-transportation agencies.

Subtask 2.1  Provide Coordination, Planning, and General Administrative Support for Advisory Council Meetings and Ongoing Operations

MPO staff will continue to provide coordination, planning, and comprehensive administrative support to the Advisory Council, and will facilitate its monthly meetings. Support activities include:

• Researching and suggesting meeting topics and speakers for Advisory Council meetings
• Working with the Advisory Council chair to help shape presentations and schedule presenters in order to fulfill the council’s mission of providing input to the MPO
• Providing logistical support for Advisory Council meetings, including setting up the audio and other equipment
• Preparing materials associated with Advisory Council meetings and other functions, including meeting agendas and minutes
• Supporting miscellaneous communications activities
• Maintaining a database of members and interested parties

MPO staff may plan and execute all actions necessary to conduct a field trip for Advisory Council members to highlight issues related to a transportation project or problem of interest.

Subtask 2.2  Provide Coordination, Planning, and Administrative Support for Standing Committees

The Advisory Council has several standing committees, and forms other committees as needed. The standing committees are: Program, Nominating, and Membership.

MPO staff will continue to provide ongoing support to these committees and will be responsible for committee notifications and communications, meeting planning, meeting materials, meeting minutes, correspondence, updating and maintaining an Advisory Council contact list and database, and implementation of the decisions and guidance that stem from the meetings.

In addition to the tasks noted above, staff support may involve:

• Identifying potential new Advisory Council members and soliciting their participation, with special emphasis on increasing demographic diversity
• Managing the Advisory Council election process, including conducting an audit to track and encourage attendance; contacting possible candidates; preparing ballots, and conducting the election

Products of Task 2

• Accessible meetings and materials
• Notices to Advisory Council members
• Meeting minutes and various correspondence
• Membership audit
• Updated contact list and database

Task 3  Conduct the Public Participation Program

Public participation is at the core of the metropolitan planning process and relates to all elements of the 3C process—continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive. The goal of the Public Participation Program (the activities of which are documented in the Public Participation Plan) is to maintain a mutual flow of information among the MPO and state, regional, and local officials, transportation advocacy and interest groups, environmental interest groups, operators of transportation services, freight operators, members of the disability community, low-income and minority populations, persons with limited English-language proficiency, the elderly, and all other members of the public.

The MPO’s Public Participation Plan aims to engage the people of the Boston region in a collaborative transportation planning process, especially those communities with the fewest transportation choices. The best outcomes emerge when decisions are made in an environment of inclusive and collaborative dialogue, debate, and negotiation.  

MPO staff will implement the Public Participation Program through various outreach strategies and media that are used to provide and gather information, as discussed below (and described in more detail in the Public Participation Plan). In addition, staff will continue to explore other ways to effectively engage the public by identifying and adopting state-of-the-practice techniques and technologies as they become available.

Subtask 3.1  Help People Understand and Follow the MPO Process (Communications)

MPO staff utilize various means to make it easy to access the information required to understand, follow, and engage in the MPO’s regional transportation planning. As part of this work plan, the following means will be used for external communications:

• MPO Website: Staff will continue to regularly update the website for use as the primary repository of information for the public, including guides to the metropolitan planning process, schedules of meetings and activities, materials informing MPO decision-making, and final certification documents, studies and reports.
  
  Staff will also further utilize the website’s potential as a means of obtaining information and feedback from the public. Staff will continue to investigate and develop platforms for public engagement, including comment functions and survey tools.
  
  Products include: rotating website banners, engaging webpages for each certification document development process and major planning activity, calendar with meeting materials.
• TRANSreport Blog/E-Newsletter: The MPO has historically produced a bimonthly print newsletter called TRANSreport. This newsletter serves to convey information about MPO activities and decisions, important regional transportation news, and results of the work undertaken by MPO staff. Staff will transition TRANSreport from its current print/portable document format (PDF) into a web-based electronic format (similar to professional news blogs), in order to publish news in a more timely manner and with greater multi-media flexibility. Web-based blog content may be easily shared via email, social media, and with the press. Accessible and printed formats will continue to be available upon request.
• Email and Social Media: Staff have historically maintained several databases of contacts that are used to distribute general information about the MPO and to communicate information that is tailored to specific audiences. Staff will complete the consolidation, to the degree possible, of the various contact lists into a master list—MPOinfo—for the purpose of streamlining communication and reducing duplicative information while ensuring that information reaches the widest-possible audience. Staff will also develop a process to provide people who are new to the list information about the MPO and the type of material they may expect to receive via the list.
  
  The consolidated contact list will ease the migration to a new e-message delivery service, which staff explored in FFY16. The selected service, MailChimp, will streamline database maintenance and allow for timely and tailored communications. This service supports more visually appealing messages, tracks the effectiveness of email outreach, and automates subscriptions to various mailing lists. Under this task, staff will develop automatic onboarding emails to introduce new subscribers to the MPO and summarize the message topics and delivery frequency they may expect to receive.
  
  In addition, MailChimp supports links to information shared via email or posted in a blog format, and also automates aspects of generating Twitter (Tweet) content. The Public Participation Program manager expanded the use of Twitter last year and will continue to provide updates and information via this medium. Links to the TRANSreport e-newsletter/blog from emails and Tweets will allow viewers to easily access more information. Staff will also evaluate the usefulness of other social media as outreach mechanisms.
  
  MPO staff will continue to prepare and distribute press releases to regional newspapers to announce: MPO-sponsored public meetings; important MPO milestones, activities, and study results; and the availability of draft documents for public review. Staff will also investigate best practices for increasing media coverage and measuring message effectiveness.  
  
  MPO Staff will also send monthly updates on MPO activities to MAPC for publication in an “MPO Corner” of their MAPC Matters newsletter.
• Visualization: MPO staff will continue to incorporate high-quality graphics into outreach materials and web content to convey information quickly, effectively, and attractively.

Subtask 3.2  Help People Participate in the Process (Engagement)

The MPO wishes to consider perspectives of the full spectrum of the public when making decisions about our shared transportation system. MPO decisions—what ultimately gets built and studied, and for whom—are made at meetings that most community members do not have time to attend. Through the MPO’s Public Participation Program, staff work to provide opportunities to participate in the development process so that everyone’s voice may be heard, valued, and considered.  

• Subregional Outreach: The municipal subregional groups of the MAPC bring together planners and other interested municipal officials and members of the public to discuss, plan, and coordinate on common issues. MPO staff will utilize these forums by attending each of the MAPC subregional group meetings twice a year, in order to provide updates on MPO activities and gather input on the development of certification documents and other initiatives.
  
  MPO staff will meet regularly with MAPC’s Subregional Coordinators to strategize how to improve municipal and public engagement in the MPO’s planning process.
• Public Meetings: In addition to the series of annual public outreach meetings, staff will explore ways to improve the effectiveness of different types of meeting formats and venues. Staff will look for opportunities to improve the scope and effectiveness of outreach by continuing to partner with MAPC and other organizations.Staff may also conduct special forums, focus groups, and listening sessions for specific constituencies, such as the MPO’s Transportation Equity program contacts, environmental agencies, and members of the public.
  
  Staff will also respond to invitations to attend regularly scheduled meetings of other organizations that are interested in learning about the MPO and providing input on its documents and planning process.
  
  Staff will continue to make all meetings and meeting materials accessible to all, regardless of ability, age, gender, race or ethnicity, and English-language proficiency.
• Other Outreach Events: At outreach events, staff will discuss the metropolitan planning process, advise interested parties about how to participate, and even work with individual participants on their ideas in a roll-up-the-sleeves style working session.
  
  Staff will conduct outreach at events that share a common theme or audience. Building on the success of previous collaborations, staff will look for opportunities to partner with MAPC, the MBTA, MassDOT, and other organizations to reach broader audiences.
  
  MPO staff will seek to conduct outreach sessions in communities that historically have participated in MPO procedures less than other communities. For example, organizations occasionally invite MPO staff to speak at their meetings about the MPO’s metropolitan planning process. In addition, staff will proactively build relationships with environmental groups and organizations that represent the interests of potentially disadvantaged populations.
  
  Staff will continue to make all meetings and meeting materials accessible to everyone regardless of ability, age, gender, race or ethnicity, and English-language proficiency. Staff will also explore ways to improve the effectiveness of different types of meeting formats and venues.
• Office Hours and Open Houses: During the FFY16 public-comment periods, MPO staff hosted “Office Hours,” which provided the opportunity for one-on-one conversations with MPO staff. Interested parties either came to our offices and met with us, or called us on the phone. While MPO staff always welcome comments and questions, participants appreciated knowing that they were encouraged to visit or call, and would not be interrupting staff at work. Under this task, we plan to pilot a concept of offering regular Office Hours (at least once a month) at a consistent, designated time for the public, municipalities, and MPO members to engage with MPO staff, in person or via phone.
• Responses to Public Comments and Inquiries: Members of the public occasionally contact MPO staff with questions and requests for information. The rate at which these requests are received varies. Staff will collect and respond to these questions and comments, generally using the same media through which the comment or inquiry was made. Staff will also implement ways to respond to oral comments on certification documents, in keeping with the federal recommendations from the MPO’s 2014 certification review.

Products of Task 3

• Consolidated contact database
• Improved email communications
• Expanded use of Internet outreach applications
• Content for outreach materials using all media available (including email, website, articles, flyers, press releases, and Twitter)
• Public meetings, Office Hours, and related engagement opportunities
• Responding to public comments and inquiries

Task 4  Participate in Peer Exchange and Coordination with Other MPOs

The Boston UZA is served by multiple metropolitan planning organizations. This task involves working with staff from these neighboring MPOs to promote coordinated, comprehensive, and consistent transportation plans and programs for the broader metropolitan planning area. Transportation managers from the MPOs in the state convene on a regular basis (typically monthly). Furthermore, occasionally MPO staff will engage with staff from MPOs in other parts of the country to share best practices.

Task 5  Engage in Professional Development Opportunities

MPO staff will continue to maintain their technical expertise and pursue professional development opportunities, in part, by participating in relevant and topical courses, seminars, training programs, and workshops offered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Transportation Research Board (TRB), Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), American Planning Association (APA), and other public and private organizations.

In order to adhere to federal guidance and best serve the MPO and its certification activities and planning practices, staff will continue to develop its expertise on current and emerging planning topics.

Task 6  Provide General Graphics Support

Under this task, MPO staff will support the work of the MPO by designing and producing maps, charts, illustrations, report covers, brochures, photographs, PowerPoint presentations, and other graphical products to enhance readers’ understanding of our content through clear and engaging visual communications.

Estimated Schedule

This program is ongoing from year to year. The tasks presented in this work plan will be executed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2017. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $610,030. This includes the cost of 238.7 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 102.7 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/EM/LD/ld

Memorandum

Date      October 20, 2016

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM     Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director

RE           Work Plan for: Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities: FFY 2017

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

8417

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Lourenço Dantas

Manager: Anne McGahan

Funding

MPO Planning Contract # 95411

MPO §5303 Contract # 91027 (and subsequent contract)

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

Under the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990, states must monitor emissions from transportation vehicles and other sources to determine whether ambient emissions levels exceed health-based allowable levels of air pollutants. Areas in which the emissions exceed the allowable levels are designated as nonattainment areas. For these, the state must develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP) that establishes emissions budgets and shows how the plan would reduce emissions in the area sufficiently to comply with national ambient air-quality standards. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) with nonattainment areas must complete air-quality conformity determinations to demonstrate the conformity of transportation plans, programs, and projects with the Massachusetts SIP. Typically, a conformity determination is performed annually for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and every four years for a new Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). However, a conformity determination may be required if an LRTP amendment is undertaken during the year. This program covers the tasks needed to demonstrate that an MPO’s federally funded transportation programs meet conformity requirements.

The Boston Region MPO area had been classified as a nonattainment area for ozone, but it was reclassified as an attainment area under the new 2008 ozone standard. Because the reclassification resulted from a new standard, a maintenance plan was not required, and the MPO area was not classified as a maintenance area. A maintenance area is an area that had been reclassified from nonattainment to attainment, and for which a maintenance plan has been approved as part of the Massachusetts SIP. As an attainment area, the MPO is not required to demonstrate that the LRTP and TIP conform to national standards for the two pollutants that form ozone: volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). A new ozone standard was recently proposed and released for public comment by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Boston Region MPO area might again be classified as a nonattainment area if this standard is approved; however, this might not occur within the 2017 UPWP year. If the MPO area is reclassified as a nonattainment area, conformity determinations for ozone will be required.

The City of Boston and surrounding cities and towns were classified as a maintenance area for carbon monoxide (CO). As of April 1, 2016, the 20-year maintenance period had expired and conformity is not required for this area. The City of Waltham, however, is classified as an attainment area with a limited maintenance plan in place, and projects in this city still must comply with certain requirements. The MPO still must show that it is complying with transportation control-measure requirements outlined in the Massachusetts SIP for both ozone and CO.

As required by the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act, the MPO must track the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of planned and programmed projects, and must use the GHG impacts as criteria to prioritize transportation projects. Analyzing and tracking the projects in the LRTP and TIP are included as part of this plan.

In addition to conformity work, air-quality support work is funded in this work plan. The support work includes research and analysis for air-quality and climate-change issues in the MPO area. It allows for additional support in implementing air-quality-related transportation programs and projects and includes consultation, research, and coordination between MPO staff and federal, state, local, and private agencies. Much of the research, analysis, and coordination with federal and state agencies result in products used by the MPO, including the mobile source emissions factors used in all of the MPO’s regional and project-level air quality analyses and analyses of conformity with the Massachusetts SIP.

This work plan covers the tasks needed to demonstrate that the MPO’s federally funded transportation programs meet conformity requirements. It also covers work completed through the air-quality support program, which is critical to the MPO’s ability to conduct transportation planning within the current regulatory and policy framework.

Objectives

This program has two primary objectives:

1. To ensure that the MPO’s plans, programs, and projects comply with the CAAA of 1990 and its amendments and to allow for the flow of federal funding into the Boston Region MPO area’s transportation system.
2. To provide ongoing support services to the MPO to maintain a technical capability in air-quality and climate-change matters, including conforming to federal air-quality requirements and the state’s climate-change policies; and funding activities that support the MPO’s response to changing requirements for planning, analysis, and reporting. These activities include participating in initiatives that are known today, and some capacity for participating in issues that might emerge during the course of the fiscal year.

Work Description

This work is conducted on an ongoing basis. It consists of the following tasks:

Task 1  Perform System-Level Air Quality Analysis for Conformity with Federal and State Requirements

The Boston Region MPO’s regional travel demand model and the emissions model, Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES), are used to analyze various pollutant emissions for the entire Boston Region MPO area. The analysis provides collective emissions data from all regionally significant transportation projects included in the LRTP and the TIP. For air-quality conformity analysis purposes, a regionally significant project is one that adds capacity to the system.

A systemwide conformity determination is no longer required for ozone and CO unless the MPO is reclassified as nonattainment for these pollutants in the future. Although not part of the federal conformity determination, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions must be calculated to provide information for implementing MassDOT’s GreenDOT policy and to meet requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act.

A conformity determination will also be done for the TIP to show that the SIP projects are being funded and are advancing in a timely manner.

Product of Task 1

Air Quality Conformity Determination of the TIP and potential amendments to the LRTP to show that SIP projects are advancing in a timely manner, along with an analysis of CO₂ emissions

Task 2  Perform Project-Level Air Quality Analysis

In accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines, staff will conduct a detailed analysis of potential VOC and NOx (the two precursors of ozone), CO, and CO₂ impacts of each project that will receive funding from the Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) Program in the TIP. Staff will also conduct such an analysis for each project that would help the MPO meet the requirements of the Commonwealth’s Global Warming Solutions Act and MassDOT’s GreenDOT policy.

Although a conformity analysis is not required for the two ozone precursors and CO, an analysis is performed at the project level to ensure that the identified projects have a positive impact on air quality. Specifics of the analysis are determined through consultation between the state’s transportation and environmental agencies. In addition, the CO₂ analysis is used as input into the project-selection process, and, furthermore, estimates for CO₂ emissions for projects that are funded in the TIP and are provided to MassDOT for monitoring under their GreenDOT program.

Products of Task 2

• Analyses of individual projects for CMAQ eligibility review
• Analyses of individual projects for use in GreenDOT implementation

Task 3  Provide Support for Climate-Change Initiatives

Staff will integrate climate-change concerns and emissions-reduction opportunities into the MPO’s planning processes and will assist with integrating them into state agencies’ planning processes. Activities in this task include:

1. To support MPO climate-change initiatives, staff will:
   
   
   • Integrate awareness of climate change and strategies for addressing it into every aspect of the MPO planning processes, including the LRTP, the TIP, project-specific work products, the Congestion Management Process, the UPWP, performance-based planning and performance measures, and the regional travel demand model set.
   • Engage in research and consultations with agencies and organizations involved in climate-change issues. Topics could include researching the effects of emissions of black carbon (a component of particulate matter linked to climate impacts) and exploring energy consumption as an alternative for reporting GHG reductions.
2. To integrate the MPO’s climate-change work with MassDOT and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiatives, staff will:
   
   
   • Coordinate with MassDOT to implement its GreenDOT policy
   • Coordinate with other potential initiatives and programs that might emerge during the course of the fiscal year
3. To coordinate MPO climate-change initiatives with other agencies, staff will:
   
   
   • Confer with agencies and organizations that are concerned about climate-change issues and obtain knowledge and ideas for policies, programs, and improvements in the MPO region
   • Coordinate with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council on its pre-disaster mitigation activities
   • Participate in technical initiatives and panels on air quality and climate change conducted by other entities

Product of Task 3

• Text and memoranda for inclusion in the MPO’s certification documents
• Presentations and white papers on climate-change issues, as requested
• Air-quality analyses of requested projects and memoranda documenting the climate-change impacts

Task 4  Provide Support for the Mobile-Source Element of the State Implementation Plan

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is required to submit a SIP to the U.S. EPA that documents the strategies and actions designed to bring Massachusetts into compliance with air-quality standards, as needed. Under this task, staff will complete the following activities:

1. To aid in development of mobile source emissions budgets, staff will:
   
   
   • Support agencies’ work in monitoring, updating, and revising the mobile-source section of the SIP
   • Assist MassDOT with data collection and validation of the DEP’s air-quality inventories and emissions budgets
   • Support agency consultations, if needed, regarding amendments and revisions of the Memorandum of Understanding between the MPOs in the Commonwealth and the DEP
2. To support analysis of regional air-quality conditions, staff will:
   
   
   • Provide data and recommendations to MPO member agencies about funding programs and projects that have air-quality benefits

Product of Task 4

Air-quality analyses of specific projects and programs

Task 5  Provide Ongoing Technical Support to Agencies

This work includes continued coordination with and support to MassDEP, MassDOT (including the Highway Division, Office of Transportation Planning, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority [MBTA]), and Massport on air-quality matters. This task entails the following primary activities:

1. Staff will provide agency support by:
   
   
   • Developing new emissions factors using the MOVES emissions model
   • Evaluating policies on long-term growth, transportation, land use, and other public policies that affect air quality
   • Analyzing transportation control measures, park-and-ride facilities, and proposed high-occupancy-vehicle projects throughout the Boston Region MPO area
   • Evaluating emerging and innovative highway and transit clean-air activities
   • Coordinating with DEP on statewide regulations and programs that relate to air quality
2. Staff will provide project-level support by:
   
   
   • Using the MOVES model to develop air toxic emissions factors for use in studies done by the Boston Region MPO staff to determine the health-related impacts of transportation projects

Product of Task 5

• New MOVES emission factors
• Air-quality analyses and evaluations, requested by MassDOT, the MBTA and Massport, of projects for various pollutants

Estimated Schedule

This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of federal fiscal year (FFY) 2017. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $28,940. This includes the cost of 8.9 person-weeks of staff time, overhead at the rate of 102.7 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/AM/am

Memorandum

Date      October 20, 2016

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM     Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director

RE           Work Plan for: Boston Region MPO Title VI Reporting: FFY 2017 Triennial Report

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

8617

Clients

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Lourenço Dantas

Manager: Betsy Harvey

Funding

MPO Planning Contract # 95411

MPO §5303 Contract # 91027 (and subsequent contract)

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

Part of the Boston Region MPO’s 3C1 work is to develop and implement a program that demonstrates that the MPO does not discriminate against protected populations in its programs, services, and activities.

Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance. As a part of the national origin protections, Executive Order 13166 (signed on August 11, 2000) provides for equal access to services and benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Additional executive orders and federal statutes extend further protections from discrimination to low-income populations, people with disabilities, women, and the elderly. The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Title VI Circular 4702.1B and the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Title VI/Nondiscrimination Program require direct recipients of federal aid to submit a comprehensive report that documents compliance with Title VI and other nondiscrimination mandates every three years. As a subrecipient of federal aid through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Boston Region MPO is required to report its activities to MassDOT every three years and to submit annual updates that address any changes that have occurred since the previous triennial report and/or issues that MassDOT wants the MPO to address. A triennial report is due in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2017.

Based on the FFY 2014 Title VI Triennial Report, the MassDOT Office of Diversity and Civil Rights (ODCR) developed work plans for each of the Massachusetts MPOs, and required them to address and report on specific ODCR recommendations during FFY 2015. These recommendations, which were the same for all of the MPOs in the state, were intended to ensure consistency among MPOs statewide in adopting state-of-the-practice approaches to the Title VI programs and activities. It was ODCR’s intention that additional elements of the work plan—primarily related to data collection and analysis—be addressed and reported on by the MPOs in their FFY 2016 annual reports. The Boston Region MPO worked on these elements during FFY 2016; however, ODCR did not require the MPO to document the results in an annual FFY 2016 report.

Objective

The objective of this work program is to produce the MPO’s Triennial Title VI Report to meet the requirements of both the FTA Title VI Circular 4702.1B and the FHWA Title VI/ Nondiscrimination Program. The Triennial Title VI Report describes the MPO’s activities that promote equitable distribution of and access to its services and programs and reports on the MPO’s implementing and monitoring of all Title VI-related activities. Many of these activities are part of the MPO’s Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice (TE/EJ) program, which is funded under a separate work plan. Some activities are also undertaken as part of the Public Participation Process funded under the 3C Planning and MPO Support work plan, and the public outreach activities conducted during development of each of the MPO’s certification documents.

Work Description

The tasks in this Title VI work plan mirror the requirements of the FTA Title VI circular and FHWA Title VI/Nondiscrimination Program. They describe the process for generating and compiling the information, data, and documentation required for reporting. As indicated above, some of the work described in the tasks below is completed through other MPO plans and some will be undertaken specifically for Title VI reporting purposes as part of this work plan. Each task will indicate which work is funded through this work plan and which is funded through other work plans, but will be reported in the 2017 Triennial Title VI Report.

Task 1  Document Civil Rights Procedures

Both FTA and FHWA require all agencies they fund to develop, and make available to the public, information and notices regarding civil rights. Staff will compile information on the following requirements for inclusion in the triennial Title VI report:

• Staff will review its existing notice to beneficiaries, which informs individuals in protected populations about their rights under Title VI and other nondiscrimination mandates to ensure that all information is current and correct.
• ODCR has developed standardized complaint procedures and a complaint form for individuals who believe they have received discriminatory treatment. ODCR plans to translate these documents into multiple languages and provide them to all MPOs for their use. Staff will customize the contact information and post the complaint procedures on the MPO website and in the Central Transportation Planning Staff to the Boston Region MPO (CTPS) office entryway.
• Staff will compile a record of all civil rights complaints against and investigations of the MPO, if any have occurred during the three years since the MPO’s last submission of the Triennial Title VI Report.

Products of Task 1

Updated documentation of the MPO’s notice to beneficiaries, complaint procedures, complaint form, and record of civil rights complaints and investigations

Task 2  Document the MPO’s Public Participation Process

To demonstrate that the MPO conducts and maintains a public engagement process that provides access to its transportation-planning process for underserved populations, staff will:

• Report on the composition of the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (Advisory Council), as well as efforts staff have made to increase its representation of members of underserved populations.
• Compile information about the MPO’s public participation process, which is carried out under the work plans for other MPO programs. This information would contain 1) evidence of efforts to ensure that underserved populations are included in the planning process, 2) that their needs are identified and considered in developing MPO planning documents, and 3) where possible, an analysis of data indicating how successful outreach efforts have been.

Products of Task 2

Documentation of the MPO’s public engagement process and analysis of participation in the planning process by underserved populations

Task 3  Update the MPO’s Language Assistance Plan (LAP)

As part of the TE/EJ program, staff will update the four-factor analysis used to identify LEP populations, the languages they speak, and the MPO activities that are vital to their inclusion in the planning process. Staff will use this information to update the MPO’s LAP.

Under this task, staff will report on any changes in the populations served, additional efforts to serve these populations, and evidence of whether LEP populations have engaged in the transportation-planning process.

Product of Task 3

Documentation of the MPO’s four-factor analysis and LAP, and analysis of the engagement of LEP populations in the planning process

Task 4  Prepare Demographic Profiles

Under the work plan for the TE/EJ program, MPO staff will use U.S. Census and American Community Survey data to update the demographic profiles of Boston’s metropolitan region, including identifying the locations of minority and low-income populations.

For Title VI reporting, staff will use these data to create demographic maps that overlay the percentage minority, non-minority, low-income, and non-low-income populations.

Products of Task 4

Maps, overlays, charts, summary statistics, and narrative descriptions of the Boston metropolitan region’s demography

Task 5  Conduct Disparate Impact Analyses

As part of the work completed for the TE/EJ program, MPO staff is developing a disparate impact policy that will establish thresholds for determining whether the results of equity analyses show disparate impacts or disproportionate burdens for minority and low-income populations, respectively.

Using a methodology developed by staff in 2015, an equity analysis will be conducted as part of this Title VI work plan to assess the distribution MPO funding for transit projects. Under a separate work program—Systemwide Title VI/EJ Assessment of TIP Projects—staff will apply a methodology for analyzing the distribution of funding for highway projects.

Using the disparate impact policy and the results of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) equity analysis for transit and highway, staff will document whether or not any disparate impacts or disproportionate burdens were found. If so, staff will report on how they were addressed by the MPO.

Product of Task 5

Documentation of the results of the disparate impact analysis

Task 6  Produce 2017 Triennial Title VI Report

Based on the outcomes and products of Tasks 1 through 5, staff will compile a final 2017 Triennial Title VI Report for the MPO that meets the requirements of both FTA and FHWA. Staff will present the final report to the MPO for discussion, approval, and signing of certifications and assurances (for inclusion in the final document) before submitting it to ODCR.

Products of Task 6

MPO FFY 2017 Triennial Title VI Report and presentation materials for MPO meeting discussion

Task 7  Provide Ongoing Title VI Program Support

MPO staff will coordinate with ODCR to ensure that the MPO is in compliance with Title VI monitoring and reporting requirements and will conduct additional program updates and data collection and analyses, as requested. Throughout this process, staff will keep up-to-date on changing federal regulations, guidance, and evolving Title VI best practices to inform possible additional analyses and research to be completed under the MPO’s TE/EJ program.

Estimated Schedule

This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2017. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $22,110. This includes the cost of 7.4 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 102.7 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/EM/BH/bh

Memorandum

Date      October 20, 2016

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM     Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director

RE           Work Plan for: Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support (FFY 2017)

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

8517

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Lourenço Dantas

Manager: Betsy Harvey

Funding

MPO Planning Contract # 95411

MPO §5303 Contract # 91027 (and subsequent contract)

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

The purpose of the MPO’s Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice (TE/EJ) program is to serve populations that have been traditionally under-represented in the transportation planning process and underserved by the transportation system. The TE/EJ program seeks to change that dynamic by reaching out to underserved populations during the planning process; identifying their needs; funding transportation programs, services, and infrastructure to meet their needs; and evaluating whether those needs are being met. The populations served by the TE/EJ program include minorities (based on race, color, and national origin), people with limited English proficiency (LEP), low-income households, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. By serving these populations, the TE/EJ program is designed to comply with the following federal mandates:

• Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin by recipients of federal funding in all of their activities, programs, and services. Executive Order 13166 (signed on August 11, 2000) extends national origin protections by requiring equal access to services and benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency.
• The EJ Executive Order 12898 of February 11, 1994 (EJ) requires each federal agency to achieve environmental justice by identifying and addressing any disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities, including interrelated social and economic effects, on minority and low-income populations.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) provides protections for people with disabilities in all areas of public life. It guarantees equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in transportation and government services, among other services. Specifically, it prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all programs, activities, and services of public agencies. This includes all public agencies whether or not they receive federal financial assistance.
• Additional executive orders and federal statutes extend protection based on sex, gender, and age.

Both the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have specific requirements for complying with the above directives. FTA has published a Title VI Circular (4702.1B) and an EJ Circular (4703.1), which together outline the requirements for transit agencies, state departments of transportation (DOTs), and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) with respect to minority and low-income populations. FHWA has various guidance documents that describe its requirements for state DOTs and MPOs under its Title VI/Nondiscrimination Program. Through this program, FHWA requires recipients of federal funding to provide protections not only based on minority and low-income status, but also on the basis of age, gender, and disability.

Many of the activities necessary to meet both FTA and FHWA requirements under the various federal mandates are funded as part of this work plan. Some of the required activities are undertaken as part of the MPO’s Public Participation Process, funded under the 3C Planning and MPO Support work plan, and the public outreach activities that are conducted during the development of each certification document. MPO Title VI reporting is funded through the Boston Region MPO Title VI Reporting: Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2017 Triennial Report work plan; however, many of the MPO activities required for Title VI are developed and implemented under the TE/EJ program and described in this work plan.

Objectives

The objectives of the TE/EJ program are to identify traditionally underserved populations, engage them in the MPO transportation planning process, understand their needs, and develop policies and provide services and programs to meet those needs. The TE/EJ program also supports the development and implementation of tools to evaluate equity outcomes.

Work Description

This work is conducted on an ongoing basis through the following tasks:

Task 1  Analyze Demographic and Survey Data

Staff will continue to collect and analyze demographic data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census and various surveys, such as the Massachusetts Household Survey. In the past, the demographic analyses have focused on minority and low-income populations, as well as those with limited English proficiency. Staff is currently expanding these analyses to include the elderly and people with disabilities. Staff will update all analyses as new data become available, establish thresholds for each population, and identify the transportation analysis zones in which percentages of these populations exceed the average for the MPO region. MPO staff will also explore other methods of illustrating and communicating demographic information about the metropolitan region beyond a single threshold alone in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of EJ populations in the region.

The analytical work in this task includes mapping the various types of demographic data and the transportation characteristics associated with different populations, such as the locations of zero-vehicle households. These analyses form the basis of the MPO’s TE/EJ program because they give information on the size and location of various populations and help to identify and address their transportation challenges. Data from some of the analyses will also support the MPO’s Title VI activities.

Staff will produce memoranda as needed to summarize the results of various analyses and will present them to the MPO.

Products of Task 1

• Various maps and summary statistics based on updated Census data, which will be part of a memorandum
• Memoranda documenting the analysis of various demographic and survey data

Task 2  Conduct Outreach to Low-Income, Minority, and LEP Populations, People with Disabilities, and the Elderly

Staff will continue to conduct a public involvement program targeted specifically to the groups identified in the demographic analyses, producing outreach materials for the program as needed. The goal of this task is to reach out to organizations that serve these populations in order to improve their awareness of the MPO and the transportation services and facilities available to those populations, as well as to gather information about their transportation needs for the MPO. This work will feed the MPO’s larger Public Participation Process funded under the 3C Planning and MPO Support work plan.

Staff will seek to increase the effectiveness of MPO outreach by translating MPO meeting notices and other vital documents into the languages other than English that are spoken in the metropolitan region, with the goal of bringing more LEP people into the planning process. (The identification of additional languages for outreach will occur under the work described in the MPO’s Title VI work plan.)

In addition, the database of transportation equity organizations and contacts will be updated quarterly to facilitate broader outreach to populations served by the TE/EJ program. Staff will make an effort to inform organizations that represent or serve these populations about how to be involved in and contribute to the MPO’s planning process and will work to establish cooperative relationships with these organizations. Staff will also gather information on the transportation needs of these populations through other qualitative efforts, such as meetings, surveys, forums, focus groups with organizations that represent TE/EJ populations and/or with members of the public to provide opportunities for them to share their views on transportation issues.

Other outreach efforts will include continuing to work with various Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs)—voluntary advisory bodies that provide forums for local stakeholders on paratransit and community-transportation service gaps—to gather information on the transportation needs of various populations by participating in their monthly meetings. Staff will also provide the RCCs with information and other technical support upon request. Because the Metropolitan Area Planning Council conducts outreach efforts with many of the same communities with which the MPO conducts their outreach efforts, several joint activities may be planned.

The results of the outreach activities will be summarized in one or more memoranda. Staff will develop metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, which may include the number of surveys returned, number of contacts who signed up to receive environmental justice-related emails from the MPO, number of new organizations introduced to the MPO’s work, attendance at meetings and forums, and comments submitted on MPO documents and planning issues.

Products of Task 2

• Outreach materials for communication with transportation equity contacts
• One or more forums, surveys, focus groups, or other qualitative information-gathering efforts with transportation equity contacts
• Evaluation of the success of, and participation in, the outreach program

Task 3  Participate in MassDOT’s State and Federal Grant Solicitation Process and Project Proposal Scoring for FTA Section 5310 Funds

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Rail and Transit Division solicits projects for several state and federal programs. As in the previous federal fiscal year, it is anticipated that the Rail and Transit Division will request that MPOs inform organizations in their transportation equity databases of when these solicitations will occur, and will then arrange and host a preproposal meeting. In the past, the Boston Region MPO also has been asked by MassDOT to participate in scoring project proposals for funding through FTA Section 5310 grants, which provide capital and operating assistance for addressing the mobility needs of the elderly and people with disabilities.

Products of Task 3

• Scoring of project proposals

Task 4  Report to the MPO

Staff will keep the MPO informed about TE/EJ program activities and information gathered through briefings and formal presentations at MPO meetings. These discussions typically are scheduled when the TE/EJ program is about to launch new outreach initiatives or when there are results to discuss with the MPO.

Product of Task 4

• PowerPoint presentations and other meeting materials to support discussions with the MPO

Task 5  Provide Ongoing Technical Support to MassDOT (ODCR)

Periodically, MassDOT (via the Office of Diversity and Civil Rights) requests that the MPO analyze data and provide information to them in various formats so that MassDOT and the MPO remain compliant with federal regulations. An example of this type of request is for the MPO to analyze a database of nonprofit contacts, add relevant entities to the MPO database, and report the results to MassDOT. Staff will respond to these requests.

Task 6  Track and Integrate Innovations in Transportation Equity Planning

Guidance and practices are changing in the field of transportation equity. Staff will keep up-to-date on changing federal regulations and guidance; integrate these changes into the MPO’s TE/EJ program; and explore best practices, conduct analyses, and research to enhance the program.

Task 7  Convene Equity Analysis Working Group

Staff frequently is called upon to conduct equity analyses for Title VI and/or EJ for many projects and plans produced by the MPO. Under this task, staff will develop policies and practices for conducting these equity analyses by establishing a working group of staff with expertise in various aspects of equity analysis. This group will meet regularly to discuss timely issues regarding equity analyses, to review techniques used by other MPOs, and develop best practices.

Product of Task 7

• Memorandum identifying the topics covered in the working group meetings and the decisions made regarding equity analysis methods within the MPO

Estimated Schedule

This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2017. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $107,250. This includes the cost of 40.3 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 102.7 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/EM/BH/bh