Draft Memorandum for the Record

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Process, Engagement, and Readiness Committee Meeting Summary

March 14, 2024, Meeting

1:00 PM–3:30 PM, Zoom Video Conferencing Platform

Jen Rowe, Chair, representing Mayor Michelle Wu, City of Boston and the Boston Transportation Department (BTD)

Decisions

The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Process, Engagement, and Readiness Committee agreed to the following:

• Approve the minutes of the meeting of December 14, 2023

Meeting Agenda

1.    Introductions

See attendance on pages 20–23.

2.    Public Comments

Bill Deignan, City of Cambridge, stated that the City of Cambridge received a federal grant from the Reconnecting Communities Program and that the City of Cambridge will not ask for money from the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) in the short-term. However, B. Deignan stated that the City has not yet advertised the design for the bicycle pedestrian bridge and path project in the Fitchburg Crossing. B. Deignan stated that the City will inquire about construction funds from the MPO in the future.

Cara Seiderman, City of Cambridge, stated that the City is looking to replace some  Bluebikes stations and that the City appreciates the MPO’s support of the Bluebikes system.

3.    Action Item: Summary of December 14, 2023, Meeting— Ethan Lapointe, TIP Manager

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

1.    December 14, 2023, Meeting Minutes (pdf) (html)

Vote

A motion to approve the minutes of the meeting of December 14, 2023, was made by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) (Eric Bourassa) and seconded by the Town of Brookline (Erin Chute). The motion carried.

 

4.    TIP Disparate Impact and Disproportionate Burden Overview— Betsy Harvey, Equity Program Manager

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

1.    TIP Disparate Impact and Disproportionate Burden Mitigation Analysis Results (pdf) (html)

Betsy Harvey, Boston Region MPO staff, spoke about the Disparate Impact and Disproportionate Burden (DI/DB) Analysis on TIP projects, including the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), and stated that it analyzed whether MPO-funded projects, as a group, would disproportionately affect minority or low-income populations.

B. Harvey stated that the analysis on the LRTP considered three disparate impacts on all minority populations in the region, which included the following:

·       Access to healthcare within a 25-minute transit trip

·       Average travel time by driving

·       Average travel time by transit

B. Harvey stated that the analysis considered three disproportionate burdens on all low-income populations in the region, which included the following:

·       Access to jobs within a 45-minute trip

·       Access to healthcare within a 25-minute transit trip

·       Access to parks/open space within a 45-minute drive

B. Harvey stated that, as of December 31, 2023, the DI/DB Mitigation Analysis included projects funded in the Federal Fiscal Years (FFYs) 2024–28 TIP that have funding years in FFYs 2025–29. The analysis also included new projects submitted for funding consideration.

B. Harvey stated that the analysis did not include design pilot projects; projects that  would not change travel speed, add new links to the transportation network, or change roadway geometry; bikeshare projects; or microtransit projects.

B. Harvey spoke about the results of the Disparate Impact (DI) Analysis, stating that one of the three disparate impacts on minority populations, access to healthcare within a 25-minute transit trip, would be improved by MPO-funded projects, as a group, through the LRTP. B. Harvey stated that the remaining two disparate impacts, average travel time by transit and average travel time by driving, would not be mitigated. B. Harvey stated that while they are not fully mitigated, there is still an improvement in the remaining two disparate impacts on minority populations.

B. Harvey spoke about the results of the Disproportionate Burden (DB) Analysis on low-income populations and stated that access to jobs within a 45-minute transit trip would be improved by MPO-funded projects, as a group, through the LRTP. B. Harvey stated that the remaining two disproportionate burdens, access to parks/open space within a 45-minute drive, and access to healthcare within a 45-minute transit trip, would not be fully mitigated. B. Harvey stated that access to healthcare within a 45-minute transit trip would be improved, but that access to parks/open space within a 45-minute drive would worsen for the low-income population.

B. Harvey stated that the next steps for the project include a final DI/DB Analysis on the final TIP scenario. B. Harvey also stated that, over the next year, staff aim to finalize the methodology, develop a process for establishing when and how mitigation is accomplished, and update the MPO’s DI/DB Policy.

B. Harvey spoke about a current project, Applying Conveyal to TIP Project Scoring, which will allow the program to develop destination access evaluation criteria for upcoming TIPs. B. Harvey stated that establishing criteria would allow staff to evaluate projects’ impacts individually and provide information about which projects could contribute to mitigating remaining disparate impacts and disproportionate burdens.

Discussion

Eric Bourassa, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), asked clarifying questions about the quantitative results of the study. E. Bourassa stated that average changes in travel time of less than one minute are seemingly insignificant and that the small metrics make the results difficult to conceptualize.

Lenard Diggins, Regional Transportation Advisory Council, responded that the quantitative results are average travel times and individuals with higher travel times represented by the averages must be considered, even with a seemingly insignificant change in average travel time.

L. Diggins asked if travel time costs could be incorporated instead of time, and B. Harvey responded that the committee would need to consider different ways in which the program could calculate travel time costs.

Erin Chute, Town of Brookline, stated that there should be a consideration of multimodal possibilities and future alternate routes when thinking about mitigation impacts for specific projects rather than only using change in travel time as a measure of mitigation.

5.    TIP Scenario Development Strategies— Ethan Lapointe, TIP Manager

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

1.    December 14, 2023, Meeting Minutes (pdf) (html)

2.    MBTA Projects for Consideration (pdf)

3.    TIP FFYs 2025–29 Preliminary Scenario (pdf) (html)

Readiness Recap

E. Lapointe stated that the MPO and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recommended delaying 16 of 28 projects in the Regional Target Program, resulting in delays for 66 percent of all projects in FFY 2026 and 75 percent of all projects in FFY 2025. E. Lapointe stated that there are an additional eight projects at risk of delay and that 13 of 28 projects had cost increases of more than 10 percent.

E. Lapointe spoke about one project that was among those with cost increases, but not ready to be reviewed at the TIP Readiness Stage Discussion: the Wilmington—Reconstruction on Route 38 (Main Street), from Route 62 to the Woburn City Line project. E. Lapointe stated that MassDOT is the project’s proponent and that the cost has increased from $23.7 million to $37.9 million, a 60 percent cost increase above its current budget. E. Lapointe stated the cost increase was a result of $5.1 million in Verizon Duct Bank work. There was also an additional $2 million for contaminated soil disposal. E. Lapointe stated that discussions are underway about the cost increase and potential ways to lower costs.

E. Lapointe also offered an opportunity for project proponents to attend a TIP meeting to answer questions on changes to project cost, scope, and/or readiness. E. Lapointe stated that its purpose was to provide municipalities with an opportunity to both answer questions and provide their perspective on their ability to meet project readiness timelines. These municipalities and projects included:

·       605168 - Hingham—Improvements on Route 3A

·       609257 - Everett—Reconstruction of Beacham Street

·       605168 - Ashland—Rehabilitation and Rail Crossing Improvements on Cherry Street

·       609252 - Lynn—Rehabilitation of Essex Street

·       609204 - Belmont—Community Path, Belmont Component of the MCRT (Phase I)

·       609437 - Salem-Peabody—Boston Street Improvements

·       608954 - Weston—Reconstruction on Route 30

·       610662 - Woburn—Roadway and Intersection Improvements at Woburn Common, Route 38 (Main Street), Winn Street, Pleasant Street and Montvale Avenue

·       605743 - Ipswich—Resurfacing and Related Work on Central and South Main Streets

Discussion

JR Frey, Town of Hingham, spoke about the cost increases on the Hingham project. J. Frey stated that there have been challenges arising from jurisdictional issues related to the road being a coastal road. J. Frey stated that the town minimized costs by removing the originally proposed drainage work due to the area being a heavily utilized subgrade utility corridor.

Tom Loughlin, GM2 Associates, stated that utilities discovered in the Hingham project area would have required a redesign of the entire drainage system to avoid the utilities rather than relocating them. T. Loughlin spoke about the additional challenges and costs, such as gas stations, wetland mitigation, increases in traffic, and landscaping items. T. Loughlin also discussed the impact that inflation has had on the increasing budget, including cost of work adjustments. T. Loughlin stated that the Hingham project is on track to meet the proposed dates.

J. Frey spoke about Hingham’s communications with National Grid and stated that National Grid has incorporated some of the Hingham project’s costs into National Grid’s own capital plan. J. Frey stated that National Grid will relocate a regulating station outside of the regulated work area in April 2024.

Rich Benevento, Tighe & Bond, discussed the Everett project and stated that one of the issues is a development project on Beacham Street. R. Benevento stated that the City would like to be in collaboration with the development project. R. Benevento also stated that he does not anticipate any additional costs aside from costs resulting from delays. R. Benevento stated that the scope has remained the same, if not slightly decreasing.

Jay Monty, City of Everett, spoke further about the Everett project, stating that the corridor bisects the former Exxon Mobile oil tank farm that was previously purchased by a developer, and it will be converted into high-density, mixed-use land over the next decade. J. Monty stated that even though the scope of the project will remain the same, the vision for this project is evolving as the City works with the private developer.

R. Benevento stated that the project was originally programmed in the FFY 2025 TIP and that the project is being moved to FFY 2027, which will influence the project’s cost.

Mayor Michael Concanon, City of Woburn, discussed the Woburn project. M. Concanon stated that the City of Woburn is committed to its safety improvement project and that the City has taken the appropriate steps to get to the next stage of design. M. Concanon spoke about the high level of community support for the project and the significance of its future impact for Woburn and the surrounding communities.

R. Benevento added that there has not been a significant increase in cost for the Woburn project, and that a conceptual design was prepared in 2022 and a parking study completed in June 2023. R. Benevento stated that they are preparing for an over-the-shoulder review in June or July of 2024, and are looking to have the 25 percent design submission in November 2024. R. Benevento stated that a design public hearing is planned for March 2025, and the 75 percent design submission is planned for October 2025. R. Benevento stated that FFY 2026 may be a challenge, but that FFY 2027 is feasible.

David Kucharsky, City of Salem, stated that the City of Salem is working with consultants and city engineers to provide additional information on their project.

MBTA Projects

E. Lapointe stated that there has been surplus funding available in FFYs 2025–26 after accounting for the following:

·       Commitments to existing MPO-supported MBTA projects

·       $8.3 million to Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA) and MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) projects

·       $10.8 million in design funding

·       $2.7 million to all Community Connections projects

E. Lapointe stated that MPO members asked the MBTA to create a list of projects to utilize this surplus and advance MPO goals.

Sandy Johnston, MBTA, presented the proposed projects to utilize the surplus. S. Johnston stated that the MBTA would like the MPO to allocate the surplus to cost increases for several existing MPO Project Commitments:

·       Tremont/Columbus

·       Jackson Square

·       Haverhill Line 30-minute headways (Reading turn track)

S. Johnston spoke about New Project Scenario 1, which he stated is the MBTA’s top priority. This scenario included allocating the surplus funds to the following projects:

·       Nubian Square Bus Configuration

·       Pedal-and-Park Modernizations

·       Inner Fitchburg 30-minute headways

·       Central Station Accessibility

S. Johnston stated that the Nubian Square Bus Circulation Project would reconfigure Nubian Square station in Roxbury. S. Johnston stated that the project’s maximal cost would be $5 million.

S. Johnston stated that Scenario 1 also includes Pedal-and-Park Modernizations, which would modernize 12 to 13 different locations in nine municipalities. S. Johnston stated that its maximal cost would be $2.5 million.

S. Johnston stated that the next project in Scenario 1, Inner Fitchburg 30-minute headways, would allow for 30-minute headways on the inner Fitchburg line at Kendall Green Station in Weston. S. Johnston stated that the maximal cost would be $14 million.

S. Jonston stated that the final Scenario 1 project, Central Station Accessibility, is a high-priority elevator project at Central Station on the Red Line in Cambridge that is already underway but has a funding gap. S. Johnston stated that the MBTA is looking for $5 million from the MPO.

New Project Scenario 1 would require a total of $26.5 million from the MPO.

S. Johnston spoke about New Project Scenario 2, which included the following projects:

·       Mattapan Square

·       Central Station Accessibility

·       Pedal-and-Park Modernization

·       Nubian Square Bus Circulation (proposed additional project only if funding is available)

S. Johnston stated that the Mattapan Square project would reconfigure Mattapan Square to give transit priority with a center-running bus lane, reconfigure some intersections, and implement other transit priority improvements. S. Johnston stated that the MBTA would request $20 million from the MPO for this project.

S. Johnston spoke in depth about the Bus Priority project list, which included the following requests:

·       $7.5 million for Phase 2 of the Columbus Avenue center-running bus lane in Boston, which would extend the bus lane north one mile from Jackson Square to Ruggles Station

·       $5 million for construction of accessible passenger platforms at Nubian Station to reverse direction of MBTA buses and leverage the City of Boston's street network improvements for increased service efficiency

·       $20 million for the reconfiguration of Mattapan Square to eliminate a U-turn buses make on Blue Hill Avenue to reach Mattapan Station, which would reduce travel times by four-to-six minutes and improve safety for riders and pedestrians

S. Johnston spoke about the Rail Modernization project list, which included the following requests:

·       $6 million for turn track and signal improvements to deliver 30-minute weekday service as far as Reading on the commuter rail’s Haverhill Line

·       $14 million in infrastructure improvements to deliver 30-minute weekday service to the inner half of the Fitchburg Line, as far as Kendal Green Station

S. Johnston spoke about the Accessibility and Station Access project list, which included the following requests:

·       $7.25 million to construct a new elevator and modernize an existing elevator at Jackson Square

·       $5 million to construct two redundant elevators and modernize the existing outbound elevator at Central Station

·       $1.5 million for updates to about 15 MBTA Pedal-and-Park facilities

Discussion

Brad Rawson, City of Somerville, stated that MPO members have always encouraged the MBTA to approach the MPO with projects as early as possible in the TIP process, and he stated that he appreciates the variety of options presented by the MBTA. However, B. Rawson stated that it is relatively late in the TIP process and emphasized the need to have projects delivered to the MPO in a timelier manner to allow for scoring. B. Rawson asked about the readiness of the projects.

Pete Robie, MBTA, spoke about the readiness of the Pedal-and-Park Modernization project. P. Robie stated that the construction for the project is very light, and the project could have a short timeline. P. Robie also stated that the MBTA is anticipating moving forward with a vendor that can provide solutions to retrofit all the Pedal-and-Park stations with the necessary technology.

S. Jonston stated that the MBTA has vetted these projects internally for readiness and can provide documentation.

Charlotte Fleetwood, City of Boston, stated that she believes the Mattapan Square project design can be completed within the next two years.

Derek Krevat, MassDOT, asked about the breakdown of the funding for the Mattapan project. C. Fleetwood responded that the funding is difficult to break down, but that the project would make it safer to access the station, and that there would be travel time savings for buses.

L. Diggins expressed his support for the Nubian Square project. L. Diggins asked if there are MBTA scores for the projects.

S. Johnston responded that they have not been scored yet but believes that they will score very well.

B. Rawson stated his support of the Fitchburg project, and asked if the scope of the project is limited to turn track production near Kendall Green Station, or if there are other elements, and he inquired about how feasible the project is. B. Rawson stated that if the project is feasible, the MPO should very seriously consider it due to how critical the commuter rail is.

S. Johnston stated that the Fitchburg project is limited in scope to the turn track, but that it is linked to the idea of building a multimodal center defined by Route 128, Route 20, and the Fitchburg Line, which was in the 128 Corridor Plan.

D. Krevat stated that he would follow up on the 128 Corridor Plan.

MassDOT Safety Projects—Potential Investments

John Bechard, MassDOT, presented on three MassDOT projects related to traffic and safety:

·       611974 - Medford—Intersection Improvements at Main Street/South Street, Main Street/Mystic Valley Parkway Ramps, and Main Street/Mystic Avenue

·       609531- Arlington—Stratton School Improvements (Safe Routes to School)

·       611982 - Medford—Shared-Use Path Connection at the Route 28/Wellington Underpass

J. Bechard stated that Project 611974, Medford—Intersection Improvements at Main Street/South Street, Main Street/Mystic Avenue, is a high priority for safety. It has a value just less than $8.5 million.

J. Bechard stated that Project 609531, Arlington—Stratton School Improvements (SRTS), would provide a fully accessible walking path to the Stratton Elementary School in the Town of Arlington and has a value of $1.625 million.

J. Bechard stated that Project 611982, Medford—Shared-Use Path Connection at the Route 28/Wellington Underpass, would construct a multi-use boardwalk under the crossing of the Mystic River and has a value of $4.3 million.

J. Bechard stated that MassDOT believes these projects meet the goals of the MPO, and that getting funding from the MPO for these projects would allow MassDOT to fund additional MassDOT projects.

TIP Scenario Strategy

E. Lapointe presented an Initial TIP Scenario that accounts for all cost increases and factors for the regional transit authorities. E. Lapointe also stated that there is only one TIP scenario due to fiscal constraints and the complexity of FFY 2025 and 2027 programming.

E. Lapointe stated that there was a surplus of $72.6 million in FFY 2025, a surplus of $34.7 million in FFY 2026, and a deficit of $80.7 million in FFY 2027. E. Lapointe stated that there was a deficit of $26 million in FFY 2028, and there was $51.2 million for all new projects in FFY 2029 after accounting for Advanced Construction (AC) on major high priority and regional projects.  

 

E. Lapointe spoke about the new cost elements and changes to the scenario. E. Lapointe stated that $26 million remains in FFY 2025 and $11.77 million in FFY 2026, and there is a deficit of $23.2 million in FFY 2027, and $220,000 in FFY 2028.

 

E. Lapointe spoke in depth about the proposed changes in FFY 2025. These accounted for highway cost increases, including the cost increase to Route 38 in Wilmington.

 

The FFY 2025 changes also accounted for MBTA cost increases, including costs associated with Jackson Square, Reading Station, and Columbus Avenue Phase 2 projects. The Jackson Square project accounts for $21.25 million and an additional $7.25 million. The Reading Station project accounted for an additional $6 million. An additional $7.5 million is factored into the Columbus Avenue Phase 2 project. E. Lapointe stated that the Columbus Avenue Phase 2 project has been funded across two other FFYs, including $14.8 million in FFY 2021 and an additional $7.5 million in FFY 2024. The project has a total cost of $35 million, with $20 million programmed between FFYs 2024–25.

 

E. Lapointe stated that these changes also include $8.3 million for new regional transit authority projects, including CATA and MWRTA projects. With respect to CATA, there is $1.29 million programmed for facility modernization, $1.17 million for low-emission buses, and $65,000 for fare system upgrades. There is $1.98 million planned for the MWRTA, including three low-emission buses and $1.75 million for facility redesign.

 

Lastly, the changes included approximately $10 million for design projects, and the total request was $19.3 million.

 

The 2025 FFY proposed changes included funding for all Community Connections Projects, totaling $1.24 million:

 

·       Arlington: Installation of 123 Bicycle Racks

·       Boston: 1,600 Bicycle Racks

·       Scituate: Installation of 25 Bicycle Racks

·       Chelsea, Revere: On-Demand Microtransit Pilot

·       Malden: Canal Street Bike Lanes

·       Revere: Northern Revere Bluebikes Expansion

 

The changes also programmed funding for all Bikeshare Support Projects, totaling $1.45 million. E. Lapointe stated that these projects included 36 stations and 127 bikes in need of replacement in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville.

E. Lapointe stated that there is a surplus of approximately $20.6 million in FFY 2025, and further stated that staff recommended that it be utilized for a combination of contingency and MBTA projects.

E. Lapointe discussed the proposed changes in FFY 2026.

Project 605857, Norwood Intersection Improvements at Route 1 and University Avenue/Everett Street, was formerly funded with $11.1 million in FFY 2026 and $17.57 million in FFY 2027. E. Lapointe also stated that the project’s funding is now consolidated in FFY 2026 for $27.6 million.

Project 609252, Lynn—Rehabilitation of Essex Street, was formerly recommended for a delay to FFY 2027 by MassDOT but is now split with $10 million in FFY 2026 and $9.7 million in FFY 2027 for a total of $19.7 million.

E. Lapointe stated that there is one new project in FFY 2026, Project 610823, Quincy Intersection Improvements at Willard Street and Ricciuti Drive. The project cost is $1.89 million for intersection signalization and a small shared-use path for connectivity to multi-family housing developments and the Quincy Quarries.

E. Lapointe stated that, within the Transit Transformation Program, there is an additional $750,000 each for CATA low-emissions buses and for MWRTA Facility Redesign. This programming involves reducing the set-aside to $5 million in FFY 2026.

E. Lapointe spoke on the surplus for FFY 2026, which was $11.76 million. However, it is tentatively being treated as $8.76 million because the MPO is looking to allocate $3.05 million towards Long-Range Priority Project Design. E. Lapointe stated that there are two projects in the MPO’s LRTP that do not have design funding, and that the MPO will be entering into the timeframe in which those projects are expected to start. E. Lapointe stated that allocating funding towards the LRTP would ensure that future MPO Long-Range Priority Projects have sufficient funding and maintain momentum for project readiness. The two projects are as follows:

·       Lexington—Route 4/225 Interchange and Hartwell Avenue

·       Framingham—Route 126/135 Grade Crossing

E. Lapointe discussed recommendations to rebalance funding and adjustments on project start years in FFY 2027 to address the $25.23 million deficit.

E. Lapointe stated that, in consultation with the City of Boston and its neighboring communities, $8.6 million of funding would be removed from Project 606226, Boston—Reconstruction of Rutherford Avenue, delaying the project to an advertising year in FFY 2028.

Additionally, E. Lapointe stated that MPO staff recommends reducing funding from Project 607981, Somerville—McGrath Boulevard Construction, from $35 million to $30 million. E. Lapointe stated that the small reduction in funding will not impact on the project’s ability to stay on track because it is expected to be fully funded in the next TIP cycle.

Project 613088, Malden—Spot Pond Brook Greenway, is being delayed from FFY 2027 to FFY 2028 because it is not yet at 25 percent design. However, the project was not recommended for delay at MassDOT’s Readiness Days because a schedule had not been set on the project, but it was flagged as high risk.

Project 613121, Everett—Targeted Multimodal and Safety Improvements on Route 16, may be deprogrammed because it was originally introduced into FFY 2026 as a MassDOT fill-in project in the FFY 2024–28 TIP, assuming funding availability in the last TIP cycle. However, E. Lapointe stated that deprogramming this project may have adverse consequences for a larger Everett project.

E. Lapointe reiterated changes from other FFYs, stating that the Lynn—Essex Street project continues to have $9,698,640 programmed, and that there is no longer any funding programmed in FFY 2027 for the Norwood—Intersection Improvements at Route 1 and University Avenue project because it is fully funded in FFY 2026.

E. Lapointe stated that there is $450,278 for a new Chelsea-Revere On-Demand Microtransit project that came from the Community Connections Set-Aside and does not affect the deficit.

E. Lapointe stated that through these actions, the FFY 2027 deficit has decreased from $80 million to $25.23 million, and that the remaining deficit can only be addressed through deprogramming or reducing funding for one or more projects in FFY 2027.

E. Lapointe spoke about proposed changes in FFY 2028. The funding for Project 610932, Brookline— Rehabilitation of Washington Street, is now split with $10 million in FFY 2028 and $18.99 million in FFY 2029.

Similarly, E. Lapointe stated that the funding for Project 608158, Westwood-Norwood—Reconstruction of Canton Street, is now split with $12.85 million in FFY 2028 and $10 million in FFY 2029. E. Lapointe also stated that the project was flagged as high risk due to recent scope adjustments.

E. Lapointe stated that Project 613088, Malden—Spot Pond Brook Greenway, is now programmed for $4.86 million in FFY 2028 and was deprogrammed in FFY 2027.

E. Lapointe stated that to help balance and break constraint in FFY 2028, the Community Connections Set-Aside has been reduced to $2 million from $2.5 million. E. Lapointe stated that if funding were to become available in FFY 2027, the MPO may make further rebalances to refill the set-aside and allocate additional funding to FFY 2028.

E. Lapointe stated that these proposed changes resolve the $26 million deficit in FFY 2028.

E. Lapointe spoke about proposed changes in FFY 2029, which has all new projects or existing obligations to ongoing projects.

E. Lapointe spoke about Advanced Construction (AC), which is a mechanism that all MPOs and the Commonwealth use to fund their projects across multiple years when those projects cannot be funded in one single year. E. Lapointe stated that the Boston Region MPO typically has sufficient Regional Target funding to accommodate projects in full in one single year except for very large-scale projects, including Project 606226, Boston—Reconstruction of Rutherford Avenue. This project’s funding in FFY 2029 would increase to $45 million from $33.5 million due to the large scale of the project. This leaves approximately $120 million to be programmed across future TIP cycles.

MPO staff recommends programming $30.31 million for Project 607981, Somerville—McGrath Boulevard Construction. E. Lapointe stated that there is only a small amount of funding needed to have the project fully funded by the FFYs 2026–30 TIP.

E. Lapointe stated that staff recommends programming $20 million for Project 609246, Lynn—Rehabilitation of Western Avenue, and the remainder of the project may be fully funded in the FFYs 2026–30 TIP cycle.

E. Lapointe stated that Brookline’s Washington Street project and Westwood’s Canton Street project are on track for FFY 2028. The funding is being redistributed, with $18.99 million for Brookline’s Washington Street project and $10 million for Westwood’s Canton Street project.

E. Lapointe spoke about the new projects for FFY 2029, two of which are reapplications from last year’s TIP cycle. E. Lapointe stated that the first project, Project 612963, Bellingham—Roadway Rehabilitation of Route 126 (Hartford Road), has a total cost estimate of $16.68 million. E. Lapointe stated that due to a fiscal constraint, 50 percent of the project is funded in FFY 2029, and that staff anticipates funding the remainder of its cost in FFY 2030 during the next TIP cycle. The project has $8.34 million programmed in FFY 2029.

Project 612738, Ipswich—Argilla Road, continues to move towards a 25 percent design submission, but there are anticipated cost increases due to Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) permitting requirements for Ipswich. The recommendation is to program $6.6 million in FFY 2029. Additional cost increases would be addressed in FFY 2030 with AC.

Project 613319, Sudbury—Framingham Bike Path Construction of Bruce Freeman Rail Trail (Phase 3), has $8.53 million programmed in FFY 2029. The project will reach 25 percent design in June and has the possibility for acceleration in future TIP cycles.

E. Lapointe stated that all these proposed changes culminate in a recommendation of approximately $20.6 million in FFY 2025, $11.77 million in FFY 2026, $25.23 million in FFY 2027, very close to fiscal constraint in FFY 2028, and $2.26 million in FFY 2029.

E. Lapointe spoke about the $25.23 million deficit in FFY 2027, the first key issue in the TIP scenario. E. Lapointe said that there are two options to address the deficit, which included the following solutions:

·       Rebalance Advance Construction

·       Deprogram projects

E. Lapointe stated that with Western Avenue in Lynn and Rutherford Avenue in Boston delayed by one year, the only project remaining in FFY 2027 is McGrath Highway in Somerville. However, shifting the $30 million from this project to address the deficit could adversely impact the project’s readiness and discretionary fund opportunities.

E. Lapointe stated that the second option, deprogramming projects, is a last resort to address the deficit. Deprogramming a project entails temporary removal from the TIP, but proponents of any project selected for deprogramming can reapply to return if more progress toward readiness is made. E. Lapointe stated that there will likely be two projects selected for deprogramming out of eight potential projects. The potential projects are those which are listed in FFY 2027 whose budgets or project readiness have led to their identification as potentially being considered for deprogramming. The following projects are options for deprogramming:

·       609204 - Belmont—Community Path, Belmont Component of the MCRT (Phase I)

·       612989 - Boston—Bridge Preservation, Cambridge Street over MBTA

·       605168 - Everett—Reconstruction of Beacham Street

·       605743 - Ipswich—Resurfacing and Related work on Central and South Main Streets

·       609437 - Salem-Peabody—Boston Street Improvements

·       607981 - Somerville—McGrath Boulevard Construction

·       608954 - Weston—Reconstruction on Route 30

·       610662 - Woburn—Roadway and Intersection Improvements at Woburn Common, Route 38, Winn Street, Pleasant Street, and Montvale Avenue

Project 609204, Belmont—Community Path, Belmont Component of the MCRT (Phase I), is causing difficulty due to the right-of-way (ROW) acquisition for the traversal of the MBTA’s Fitchburg Line.

Project 612989, Boston—Bridge Preservation, Cambridge Street over MBTA, was delayed from FFY 2026 to FFY 2027 due to coordination issues with CSX Freight Rail. E. Lapointe stated that because the bridge is city-owned, it does not rise to a level of highway district priority for repair. A delay to this project may also have adverse effects on readiness for other large-scale projects in the area. 

Project 605168, Everett—Reconstruction of Beacham Street, is experiencing delays from FFY 2025 to FFY 2027 due to ROW for railroad crossings.

Project 605743, Ipswich—Resurfacing and Related work on Central and South Main Streets, is experiencing delays due to environmental and ROW issues. This program is unlikely to be deprogrammed due to potential adverse consequences in FFY 2028.

Project 609437, Salem-Peabody—Boston Street Improvements, is experiencing difficulties due to easements, but the proponent has been responsive.

E. Lapointe stated that deprogramming Project 607981, Somerville—McGrath Boulevard Construction, would have adverse consequences for other projects.

Project 608954, Weston—Reconstruction on Route 30, was delayed from FFY 2026 to FFY 2027 because it missed a 75 percent design deadline in November 2023 due to contractual issues with the designer. Additionally, the scope of the project has been changed to control costs after a 26 percent cost increase.

Project 610662, Woburn—Roadway and Intersection Improvements at Woburn Common, Route 38, Winn Street, Pleasant Street, and Montvale Avenue, has not had any activity since October 2022 and was delayed because Intersection Evaluations (ICE) and ROW processes have yet to begin.

E. Lapointe discussed the second key issue, which is the design funding amount. The set-aside in FFY 2025 of the FFYs 2024–28 TIP of $4 million was meant to fund a test sample of design projects. However, the rising costs of designing projects has proven that $4 million is insufficient to obtain a representative test sample. MPO staff currently recommend approximately $10 million in funding.

E. Lapointe spoke about additional considerations:

·       The amount of $10 million is insufficient to cover all requests, and most applications will not be able to be funded.

·       Funding many applications may prove unwieldy to manage and hamper the long-term viability of the program.

·       MassDOT’s capacity to manage these projects is still to be determined, and municipal capacity may also vary.

·       Demand for MPO funding will increase in future TIP cycles with AC projects and new projects on the MPO’s LRTP.

Discussion

Jack Witthaus, City of Malden, expressed concern for the reprogramming of Project 613088, Malden—Spot Pond Brook Greenway. J. Witthaus stated that the MPO did not reach out to the City of Malden, and he stated that he would like to have a conversation about the project offline.

R. Benevento commented on Project 609246, Lynn—Rehabilitation of Western Avenue, and stated that the project is the highest scoring project in the region with regional significance. R. Benevento expressed his hope that the project will remain a priority for the MPO.

R. Benevento asked if a project must be programmed in a particular FFY even if the funding for the construction payments is spread out over several years. R. Benevento additionally asked if Project 609246, Lynn—Rehabilitation of Western Avenue, funding can be spread across multiple FFYs as opposed to being deprogrammed.

E. Lapointe responded that it is typical for other MPOs in the Commonwealth to have less Regional Target funding available and to program their projects across several FFYs. However, E. Lapointe stated that that strategy is not typical for the Boston Region MPO as the MPO generally has sufficient funding available in one FFY and does not typically need to utilize AC.

Sheila Page, Town of Lexington, spoke about Lexington’s Route 4/225 Interchange and Hartwell Avenue project and stated that the Town is working on the 25 percent design. S. Page noted that their traffic analysis results indicated that the Town needed to consider the entire interchange, rather than just the southbound ramps, in agreement with MassDOT. S. Page stated that the best alternative to better accommodate the traffic and give multimodal capacity is a double diverging diamond. S. Page stated that the Town has appropriated $1.75 million to move the project from 25 to 75 percent design and is ready to start the design process, but the Town does not have funding to design the entire interchange.

E. Bourassa asked if the MPO commits to funding the design for Lexington’s project, does the MPO commit funding to the entire interchange.

E. Lapointe responded that there would not be a commitment from a specific party to fund projects in the LRTP, especially given that the interchange is a MassDOT-owned asset. E. Lapointe stated that the MPO would at least be involved in funding part of the design. E. Lapointe added that, given the scale of both Framingham and Lexington projects, there would likely be a federal discretionary grant component as well.

E. Bourassa stated that the MPO must be conscious of the implications of committing design funds to projects.

T. Teich stated that committing design funds does indicate a level of commitment to the project, but that there are many steps which the MPO goes through to score projects when they come around to the question of funding in the TIP. T. Teich expressed the importance of including projects that meet MPO goals and priorities.

T. Teich additionally acknowledged J. Witthaus’ comment and concern about Project 613088, Malden—Spot Pond Brook Greenway, as well as the scale of coordination required. T. Teich stated that part of the MPO’s mission is to coordinate as closely as possible with the municipalities who are proponents of and are affected by these projects.

6.    Members’ Items

There were none.

7.    Adjourn

A motion to adjourn was made by the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (L. Diggins) and seconded by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (E. Bourassa). The motion carried.

 

Attendance

Members

Representatives and Alternates

City of Boston (Boston Transportation Department) Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Office of Transportation Planning) Metropolitan Area Planning Council Town of Arlington Regional Transportation Advisory Council MetroWest Regional Collaborative, City of Framingham Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination, Town of Acton Inner Core Committee, City of Somerville Town of Brookline

Jen Rowe   Derek Krevat Eric Bourassa John Alessi Lenard Diggins Dennis Giombetti   Kristen Guichard Brad Rawson Erin Chute

 

 

Other Attendees	Affiliation
Jackie LaFlam	Cape Ann Transportation Authority
Bill Deignan	City of Cambridge
Cara Seiderman	City of Cambridge
Tenzin Choephel	City of Cambridge
Charles Creagh	City of Cambridge
Karl Allen	City of Chelsea
Jay Monty	City of Everett
Sarkis Sarkisian	City of Framingham
Meghan Todd	City of Framingham
Jack Witthaus	City of Malden
Frank Tramontozzi	City of Quincy
David Kucharsky	City of Salem
Dominick Pangallo	City of Salem
Michael Concannon	City of Woburn
Tom Loughlin	GM2 Associates
Cole Jackson	Indianapolis MPO
Julia Wallerce	MAPC
John Romano	MassDOT
John Bechard	MassDOT
Sarah Bradbury	MassDOT
Charlotte Fleetwood	City of Boston
Wes Edwards	MBTA
Alexandra Hallowell	MBTA
Pete Robie	MBTA
Glenn Geiler	MBTA
Josh Klingenstein	MBTA
Josh Ostroff	MBTA
Laura Gilmore	MBTA
Sandy Johnston	MBTA
Zachary McKeever	Metacomet
Paul Arvidson	Metacomet
Jim Nee	MWRTA
Joy Glynn	MWRTA
Walter Heller	Pare Corporation
John Rockwell	TEC Inc.
Rich Benevento	Tighe & Bond
Jesse Riedle	Town of Bellingham
Daniel Martin	Town of Brookline
Marcia Rasmussen	Town of Concord
JR Frey	Town of Hingham
Tina Hein	Town of Holliston
Rick Clarke	Town of Ipswich
Sheila Page	Town of Lexington
Richard McCarthy	Town of Norfolk
Tom McHugh	Town of Plainville
Jeremy Marsette	Town of Sherborn
Heidi Doyle	Town of Sherborn
Sean Killeen	Town of Sherborn
Addie Mae Weiss	Town of Sherborn
Jeremy Marsette	Town of Sherborn
Jason Lavoie	Town of Weston
Rachel Benson	Town of Wrentham
Greg Russell	VHB
Scott Schreiber	WSP
Anisa Kopliku
Cam Sullivan
E. White
Paul Arvidson
William Smith
Zachary McKeever
Zach Kaufman

 

MPO Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff
Tegin Teich, Executive Director
Annette Demchur Dave Hong Betsy Harvey Ethan Lapointe Samuel Taylor Tanner Bonner Emily Domanico Erin Maguire Sophie Fox Srilekha Murthy Abby Cutrumbes