Memorandum for the Record

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization Meeting

September 20, 2018 Meeting

10:00 AM–12:15 PM, State Transportation Building, Conference Rooms 2 and 3, 10 Park Plaza, Boston

David Mohler, Steve Woelfel, and Bryan Pounds, Chairs, representing Stephanie Pollack, Secretary, and Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)

Decisions

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) agreed to the following:

Meeting Agenda

1.    Introductions

See attendance on page 15.

2.    Public Comments  

There were none.

3.    Chair’s Report—David Mohler, MassDOT

D. Mohler reported that the Massachusetts Statewide Pedestrian Plan was released for public review on Monday, September 17, 2018, and is available to review online.

4.    Committee Chairs’ Reports

There were none.

5.    Regional Transportation Advisory Council Report—Tegin Teich, Chair, Regional Transportation Advisory Council

T. Teich reported that annual Advisory Council elections would take place at the meeting on October 10, 2018. T. Teich and AnaCristina Fragoso are running unopposed for Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively. T. Teich noted her interest in the possibility of elevating the involvement of other Advisory Council members in future elections. T. Teich also reported that the Advisory Council has heard about various regional initiatives at recent meetings, including Focus40 and Rail Vision.

6.    Executive Director’s Report—Karl Quackenbush, Executive Director, Central Transportation Planning Staff

K. Quackenbush reported that MPO staff has been working with the MPO’s federal partners to answer questions and make documents available in advance of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) periodic certification review of the MPO’s processes in October. K. Quackenbush recognized staff members Michelle Scott and Annette Demchur for their work on this effort.

K. Quackenbush noted a scheduling issue related to the planned MPO board meetings in November. The regular MPO meeting schedule calls for MPO meetings on November 1, 2018, and November 15, 2018. However, MassDOT’s annual Moving Together conference, which many MassDOT staff, MPO staff, and MPO board members attend, is scheduled for November 1, 2018. November 16, 2018, is a significant deadline related to the MPO’s Performance-Based Planning Process and staff had hoped to hold two meetings prior to that date in order to discuss setting targets for bridge and pavement and reliability measures.

K. Quackenbush asked the board to provide feedback about their preference regarding moving or canceling meetings in November.

Discussion

Several members expressed a desire to move the meeting from November 1, 2018. There was some discussion of different options for moving the meeting to either November 8, 2018 or November 29, 2018. D. Mohler asked staff to find out if the usual conference rooms would be available to host a meeting on either November 8 or 29.

7.    Approval of June 21, 2018, MPO Meeting Minutes—Róisín Foley, MPO Staff

A motion to approve the minutes of the meeting of April 12, 2018, was made by the SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee (Town of Medway) (Glenn Trindade) and seconded by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) (Eric Bourassa). At-Large Town (Town of Lexington) (David Kucharsky), At-Large City (City of Newton) (David Koses), MassDOT Highway Division (John Romano,) and North Shore Task Force (City of Beverly) (Denise Deschamps) abstained. The motion carried.

8.    Work Program for Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Diversity Series Posters—Kate Parker-O’Toole, MPO Staff

MPO staff has supported MassDOT’s diversity events by designing and producing posters for the series for more than 23 years. These events are organized by a committee called Partners in Transportation, which includes representatives from the diversity and civil rights departments at several state transportation agencies. The funding source for this work recently expired. At the request of the MassDOT Office of Diversity and Civil Rights, MPO staff will continue to perform this work under a new contract for calendar year 2019. Under this work program the Graphics Group will design and produce a series of nine diversity posters and flyers. Included in the series are the following topics: Black History; Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Woman’s History; Asian/Pacific Islander Heritage; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride; Disability Awareness; Hispanic Heritage; Native American History; and Veterans Day. The budget for this project is $10,000.

Discussion

Jim Gillooly (City of Boston) (Boston Transportation Department) asked how these posters are distributed. K. Parker-O’Toole responded that posters and flyers are displayed in the State Transportation Building.

D. Mohler asked whether other agencies outside the State Transportation Building could potentially use the graphics for their own diversity events. K. Parker-O’Toole replied that this could be possible if Partners in Transportation approved.

Vote

A motion to approve the work program for MassDOT Diversity Series Posters was made by the SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee (Town of Medway) (G. Trindade) and seconded by MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried.

9.    Work Programs for Traffic Analysis and Design Group Studies in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2019—Seth Asante and Chen-Yuan Wang, MPO Staff

S. Asante and C. Wang presented three work programs.

Addressing Priority Corridors from the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Needs Assessment: FFY 2019

This study addresses arterial segments that were identified in the Boston Region MPO’s LRTP, Charting Progress to 2040, as in need of maintenance, updates, and safety and mobility improvements. Previous priority corridor studies include Route 203/Morton Street and Gallivan Boulevard in Boston, Route 1A in Lynn/Swampscott/Salem, and Route 140 in Franklin. Many of the recommendations from these studies have resulted in roadway construction projects. Recent studies of Route 138 in Canton and Milton will be addressed by a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) project in FFY 2020. Staff will identify the safety, mobility, access, and other transportation-related problems within the selected arterial segment and develop and evaluate multimodal transportation solutions. In order to complete the necessary work before winter, staff began the study corridor selection process in FFY 2018 and is focusing on Route 16 in Everett and Chelsea. Staff will present their reasons for choosing this corridor at a later MPO meeting. Staff will establish an advisory task force, identify problem locations, collect and analyze data, recommend improvements, and document results. Also under this work program, staff will elicit and review public input in order to choose a study location for FFY 2020. The budget for this work program is $120,000.

Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadways: FFY 2019

This work program identifies and studies roadway corridor segments in the MPO region that are of concern, but that have not been identified in the LRTP Needs Assessment. The roadways selected for study are not major arterials, rather they are arterial or collector roadways that carry fewer vehicles daily than do major arterials. The studies emphasize the issues that are identified by relevant subregional groups and offer recommendations for short- and long-term improvements. In addition to safety, mobility, and access, other subjects that are considered are transit feasibility, truck-related issues, and bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Several previous iterations of this study have resulted in MassDOT roadway construction projects that are currently in the design stage, including Route 3A in Cohasset, Route 20 in Marlborough, Summer and Rockland Streets in Hingham, and Route 1A in Wrentham. In order to complete the necessary work before winter, staff began the study corridor selection process in FFY 2018 and is focusing on Route 9 in Brookline. Staff will present their reasons for choosing this corridor at a later MPO meeting. Staff will identify problem locations in study corridor, collect and analyze data, evaluate improvement strategies, document recommendations, and elicit and review public input in order to choose a study location for FFY 2020. The budget for this work program is $120,000.

Low-Cost Improvements to Express-Highway Bottleneck Locations: FFY 2019

Since 2011, MPO staff has conducted four iterations of this study. These studies utilize low-cost infrastructure solutions to address bottleneck locations. Previous study locations included sections of Interstate 95 in Weston and Burlington and sections of Route 24 in Randolph and Canton. Under this work program, staff will identify as many as three express-highway bottleneck segments or points for study and research, evaluate, and recommend potential low-cost improvements for the selected bottleneck locations. The recommendations will be based on analyses of traffic volumes and other data, field observations, express-highway geometric designs, and the projected service performance associated with the potential improvements at each location. Staff will document and present results to the MPO and MassDOT Highway District offices. The budget for this project is $60,000.

Discussion

T. Teich asked whether these work programs build in evaluations of recommendation outcomes. S. Asante replied that, specific to the bottleneck study, comments from the public, MassDOT district staff, and municipalities indicate that improvements are well received. T. Teich advocated for including systematic evaluation of benefits in the future, and suggested documenting the use of recently developed tools like the Pedestrian Report Card Assessment (PRCA) in ongoing studies.

Nelson Hoffman (FHWA) echoed T. Teich’s comments and added that as the MPO’s Performance-based Planning and Programming (PBPP) program progresses, staff should be looking for ways to demonstrate how all the MPO’s investments are working to achieve the targets being set by the board.

Vote

A motion to approve the work programs for Addressing Priority Corridors from the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Needs Assessment: FFY 2019, Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadways: FFY 2019, and Low-Cost Improvements to Express-Highway Bottleneck Locations: FFY 2019, was made by the SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee (Town of Medway) (G. Trindade) and seconded by MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried.

10. Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program Performance Targets—Michelle Scott, MPO Staff, and Bryan Pounds, MassDOT

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

1.    Technical Memorandum: CMAQ Program Performance Targets

2.    Performance-Based Planning and Programming Handbook

Note: At this point in the meeting, S. Woelfel assumed the chair’s seat.

The MPO is required by the federal government to adopt CMAQ Program performance targets. The CMAQ program provides federal funding for transportation projects that mitigate congestion and improve air quality. Bicycle and pedestrian projects, intersection improvements, and transit projects could all potentially receive CMAQ funding. Massachusetts has a CMAQ Consultation Committee that determines project eligibility. Eligible TIP projects may be all or partially funded by CMAQ dollars.

CMAQ performance measures pertain to

      traffic congestion on the NHS;

      travel by modes other than single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs); and

      changes in mobile-source pollutants as a result of CMAQ-funded transportation projects in areas that do not meet US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality standards or have not met them in the past (these areas are referred to as
“nonattainment,” or “maintenance,” respectively).

States and MPOs that contain a nonattainment or maintenance area must set targets for the emissions reduction measure. The Boston MPO region includes a maintenance area for carbon monoxide (CO) in Waltham, and must set targets for carbon monoxide emissions reductions. States and MPOs that 1) overlap an Urbanized Area (UZA) with a population greater than one million that contain a nonattainment or maintenance area, and 2) include part of the NHS in that UZA must set targets for traffic congestion measures. The Boston Region MPO area overlaps the Boston MA-New Hampshire-Rhode Island UZA and its NHS roadways, so it must coordinate with other agencies in the UZA to establish traffic congestion targets.

Traffic Congestion Measures

Targets for traffic congestion measures must be set at the UZA level. MassDOT and the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) led the target-setting process for the Boston UZA, and will report UZA targets directly to FHWA. MPOs in the Boston UZA will discuss the following performance measures and UZA targets in their CMAQ Performance Plans, LRTPs, and TIPs:

1.    Percentage of non-single occupancy vehicle (SOV) travel in the Boston UZA:

The desired direction for this measure is an increase in the percentage of non-SOV travel in the Boston UZA. The states and MPOs in the UZA must set two- and-four-year targets for this measure. The American Community Survey (ACS) data was used to set a baseline value of 33.6 percent, which reflects the 2012–16 average. MassDOT and NHDOT used a linear trend line to establish a two-year target of 34.5 percent for calendar years (CY) 2018–19 and a four-year target of 35.1 percent for CY 2018–21.

 

2.    Annual hours of peak hour excessive delay (PHED) per capita for travel on the NHS system:

The desired direction for this measure is a decrease in annual hours of PHED per capita on the NHS. For the purposes of this measure, the threshold for excessive delay is based on the travel time at 20 mph or 60 percent of the posted speed limit travel time, whichever is greater. In order to set targets, FHWA, states, and MPOs calculate this measure using the National Performance Management Research Dataset (NPMRDS), which provides travel times for the NHS. FHWA recently changed the vendor that provides data to NPMRDS, which created inconsistencies between 2017 data and data for prior years. Because of these differences, FHWA has advised that state DOTs set conservative targets based on the 2017 data. Future targets can be adjusted when more data becomes available. Therefore, MassDOT and NHDOT set targets for CY 201819 and 201821 consistent with the 2017 baseline, 18.3 annual hours of PHED per capita.

 

The FFYs 201822 and FFYs 201923 TIPs contain programmed projects that relate to these traffic congestion performance measures, including the Green Line Extension, various arterial and intersection improvement projects, and bicycle and pedestrian projects.

Emissions Reduction Measures

Targets for the following emissions reduction measure are set at the state and MPO levels.

1.    Total emissions reduction for applicable pollutants and precursors as a result of CMAQ-funded transportation projects in non-attainment and maintenance areas:

The Boston MPO region includes a maintenance area for carbon monoxide (CO) in Waltham, so the MPO’s targets must address expected CO reductions from CMAQ-funded projects in Waltham. No CMAQ-funded projects were funded during FFYs 201417, so the baseline for this performance measure is zero kilograms of reductions in carbon monoxide emissions. There are currently no CMAQ-funded projects programmed in the Waltham maintenance area in the MPO’s FFYs 201822 or 201923 TIPs. Therefore, MPO staff recommends that the two-year (FFY 201819) and four-year (FFY 201821) targets for this measure be set at zero.    

Moving forward, the MPO will report UZA and MPO targets and CMAQ-funded projects in a CMAQ performance plan, to be submitted to FHWA. MassDOT will report UZA targets and other state-level targets to FHWA. The MPO will report on UZA and MPO targets and performance in TIPs and LRTPs. The MPO can also track federally required and other measures at the MPO level, and set longer-term or aspirational targets for planning processes. MPO staff also conducts other air quality and congestion management work that complements the target-setting process.

MPO staff requested that the MPO vote to adopt the aforementioned Boston UZA traffic congestion targets and MPO-level emissions reduction target. By November 16, 2018, staff will also present suggested targets related to NHS travel time reliabilityincluding for and freight trafficand NHS bridge and pavement condition measures.

 

Discussion

T. Teich thanked M. Scott for explaining the target-setting process clearly and explaining why targets are not more aspirational, while building in options for MPO activities to address these measures outside of setting targets. T. Teich encouraged the MPO to consider seriously other ways to address congestion and emissions and to consider how CMAQ funds are invested to achieve performance goals.

J. Gillooly asked M. Scott to clarify the boundaries of the maintenance area in Waltham. Anne McGahan (MPO Staff) clarified that the maintenance area is the City of Waltham itself. J. Gillooly asked whether making improvements in CO emissions regionally would benefit Waltham, or if CMAQ projects must be located directly in the designated maintenance area to count as addressing the problem. A. McGahan clarified that CO is a localized pollutant which is emitted and then disperses, as opposed to pollutants that get transported from one place to another. Waltham is a hot spot specifically for CO. M. Scott also clarified that, while the MPO should be working toward addressing these measures, there are no penalties, financial or otherwise, if the CMAQ targets are not met. B. Pounds added that MassDOT will be describing emissions-reduction activities taking place in the Commonwealth and that there will be an opportunity to reassess the targets and performance at a later date once more data is available. 

J. Gillooly followed up with a question relating to the measure on SOVs, asking how transportation network companies (TNCs) are measured and how bikes are accounted for in estimates of non-SOV mode use. B. Pounds replied that TNCs are captured under taxi data in the American Community Survey (ACS) dataset. He added that there had been internal discussion about how to capture different modes with available data and ultimately the decision was made to set targets based on general trend lines.

D. Koses stated that it’s likely that the Waltham maintenance area is related to congestion on Route 128. He added that one way to address this might be to try to fund projects that shift congestion off of this corridor, but that this might have the effect of shifting congestion onto local roads. He asked about how the MPO might be able to address air quality issues at a particular hotspot. A. McGahan clarified that the Waltham area was designated as nonattainment in 1992, but it now meets carbon monoxide standards. As a maintenance area, it must be monitored to ensure that it continues to meet standards. After 2022, if Waltham remains in attainment, it will no longer be deemed a maintenance area for carbon monoxide, and the MPO may no longer need to set these targets. The MPO’s air quality status also depends on the outcome of a current court case regarding the EPA’s standards for ozone.

D. Kucharsky asked whether the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) is accounted for as part of performance measures and target setting. M. Scott replied that EVs are an important aspect of air quality overall, but these particular measures are very closely tied to funding through the CMAQ program and related investment decisions. If the MPO were to dedicate CMAQ funding towards some aspect of EV deployment, that investment could affect this measure.

Laura Gilmore (Massport) asked about upcoming target setting related to freight. B. Pounds replied that the federal performance measures are essentially split into three groups. The first group relates to safety, which the MPO adopted in February. The second relates to bridge and pavement condition on the NHS. The third is about CMAQ and freight, of which the targets presented at this meeting are a part. The MPO will discuss freight reliability on the NHS network and interstate highways at an upcoming meeting. M. Scott added that this involves taking NPMRDS data and looking at travel time reliability, including for trucks traveling on Interstates.  

Vote

A motion to approve the CMAQ Program performance targets was made by the SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee (Town of Medway) (G. Trindade) and seconded by MAPC (E. Bourassa). The motion carried.

11.Work Plan and Schedule for FFY 2019 Certification Activities—Alexandra (Ali) Kleyman, MPO Staff

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

1.    Work Plan for 3C Planning and MPO Support: FFY 2019

2.    Work Plan for TIP: FFY 2019

3.    Work Plan for UPWP: FFY 2019

4.    Work Plan for Transportation Equity Program: FFY 2019

5.    Work Plan for PBPP: FFY 2019

6.    Work Plan for Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities: FFY 2019

A. Kleyman presented six work plans, which capture work that MPO staff in the Certification Activities group will undertake throughout FFY 2019, including budget information. This work includes the following:

·         support the MPO board and its committees, including the Advisory Council

·         conduct the Public Participation Process, including planning and implementing outreach and communications

·         comply with federal transportation planning regulations that govern MPO activities

·         maintain and modify the current, FFYs 2019–23, TIP

·         develop the FFYs 2020–24 TIP

·         perform activities associated with ongoing changes to the TIP development process, including outreach to TIP contacts and MassDOT staff

·         maintain and modify the current FFY 2019 UPWP

·         develop the UPWP Tracking Database

·         develop and document the FFY 2020 UPWP, including outreach and support to the UPWP Committee

·         comply with all federal and state Title VI, Environmental Justice (EJ), and nondiscrimination regulations and guidance

·         implement the MPO’s Title VI Program

·         develop and implement  analyses used to select MPO investments that serve protected populations to evaluate the potential impacts of these investments, individually and in the aggregate

·         conduct outreach to traditionally underserved populations

·         comply with federal PBPP requirements

·         apply performance management principles to MPO planning processes

·         support collaboration between the MPO, MassDOT, the region’s municipalities and transit providers, federal agencies, and other stakeholders in order to achieve performance goals

·         comply with the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990

·         maintain air-quality and climate-change technical capabilities

·         conform to federal air-quality requirements and the state’s climate-change policies

Discussion

T. Teich asked whether the schedules for these programs are aligned with MassDOT’s schedules for the production of the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and Capital Investment Plan (CIP) and allow for appropriate public comment periods. A. Kleyman replied that the TIP schedule is mapped in accordance with the STIP and CIP schedules. S. Woelfel clarified that T. Teich was referring to the outstanding issue of the length of public comment periods. A. Kleyman replied that as per a conversation at an earlier meeting regarding 30 day versus 21 day public comment periods, MPO staff is working on a proposed amendment to the MPO’s Public Participation Plan for the MPO to discuss and vote on.

12.Schedule and Budget for the LRTP: FFY 2019—Anne Mcgahan, MPO Staff

Documents posted to the MPO meeting calendar

1. Estimated Schedule and Cost of the LRTP: FFY 2019

A. McGahan presented the schedule and budget for the LRTP in FFY 2019. A. McGahan presented a work plan describing the LRTP process and outreach for both FFY 2018 and FFY 2019 in the fall of 2017. The tasks for FFY 2019 are as follows:

1.    Update Needs Assessment

2.    Analyze Scenarios

3.    Review Vision, Goals, Objectives

4.    Select Projects and Programs

5.    Finalize Plan

6.    Adopt Amendments

7.    Conduct Other Ongoing LRTP Activities

Over the past year, MPO staff has been working with MassDOT and other MPOs in the Commonwealth to update demographic projections to be used in travel demand modeling for the new LRTP, Destination 2040. This is expected to be completed in October. Staff has also been updating off-model analyses. Staff is preparing draft recommendations from the Needs Assessment based on research and outreach conducted in the last year. Once demographics are finalized, the travel demand model will be rerun and recommendations revised accordingly. The Needs Assessment is scheduled to be completed in December and will be available for public review and comment. In November, staff will bring potential revisions to the MPO’s vision, goals, and objectives to the board. Throughout the winter, the board and staff will conduct scenario planning to select investment programs. The MPO should receive finances from MassDOT in January or February. In the spring, staff will evaluate the preferred scenario. Staff will develop a draft plan and circulate it for public review and comment before it is adopted in June.

The total budget for FFY 2019 is $362,290.

13.Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Transportation Management Area Planning Certification Review Update—Nelson Hoffman, FHWA, and Rachel Strauss McBrien, Volpe Center

N. Hoffman provided an update on the periodic certification review of the MPO’s process currently being undertaken by FHWA and FTA. Certification reviews last four to six months. N. Hoffman acknowledged the responsiveness of MPO staff to requests for information and advanced questions. FHWA and FTA recently released revised guidance regarding certification reviews, which allows the review process to focus on fewer areas with more depth. N. Hoffman noted that federal staff would like to solicit more feedback from MPO board members during this year’s review. The on-site meetings are scheduled for all day on October 16 and 17, 2018. A draft agenda will be available soon.

R. Strauss McBrien referred to a handout that was provided to board members that contains contact information for federal staff conducting the certification review. R. Strauss McBrien stated that federal staff is looking to schedule short voluntary discussions with board members to solicit thoughts and feedback. This feedback will be anonymous and summarized in the final certification review report.

Discussion

E. Bourassa noted that many board members are familiar with the process only in the Boston region and encouraged federal staff to provide examples of other MPOs in the state, or nationally, which they believe conduct their processes particularly effectively.

14.Incorporating Cost-Benefit Analysis into Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Project Evaluations—Eric Bourassa, Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Approximately two years ago, E. Bourassa, A. McGahan, and MassDOT staff attended a Transportation4America (T4America)-sponsored leadership academy to learn about FHWA’s new PBPP guidelines and other planning concepts. Following the academy, T4America offered to assist MPO and MassDOT staff in investigating the possibilities of incorporating cost-benefit analyses into project evaluation for the TIP. T4America produced a memo, which was sent to members, regarding the cost-benefit analysis practices of other states and MPOs. E. Bourassa stated that staff wanted to bring this topic to the board before developing the next LRTP to see if this is a conversation the board wants to have going forward.

B. Pounds added that MassDOT has recently finished an economic impact study, the results of which they would like to incorporate into the CIP process going forward.

Jay Monty (At-Large City) (City of Everett) noted that cost benefit analyses don’t necessarily capture all the aspects of a project that make it a good investment, such as safety improvements, adding that the process of setting specific thresholds for costs versus benefits likely would be an involved one. E. Bourassa agreed, stating that the memo recommends trying several methods and reviewing the results.

J. Gillooly stated that he thought this conversation was worth having, but that it also seemed to be the beginning of a long process, adding that he would prefer cost benefit to act as a guide to the overall process rather than the arbiter of it.

Richard Reed (Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination) (Town of Bedford) asked whether there are examples of what other MPOs do for members to review. E. Bourassa replied that there are summaries in the memo, adding that Beth Osborne, who wrote the memo, is willing to present to the board and take questions.

Samantha Silverberg (MBTA) stated that performing a full cost benefit analysis for each potential construction project likely would be burdensome, recommending that the MPO pursue an incremental implementation of cost effectiveness as one area of evaluation criteria.

J. Gillooly and E. Bourassa added that cost effectiveness may also obscure issues related to density or create the impression that projects in rural or suburban areas do not provide as great a benefit as those in metropolitan areas.

E. Bourassa stated that he will pursue adding a presentation by Beth Osborne to a future MPO meeting agenda.

15.Members Items

Note: At this point in the meeting, Bryan Pounds (MassDOT) assumed the chair’s seat.

B. Pounds stated that an open house regarding the recently released Massachusetts Statewide Pedestrian Plan would take place at 1:00 PM in the Transportation Board Room at the State Transportation Building, directly after this meeting.

E. Bourassa noted that MPO elections would take place in October and nomination papers are due by September 28, 2018.

D. Koses noted that the requirement for hard copy signatures on the nomination forms represents a logistical problem and encouraged using electronic signatures in the future. T. Teich, Tom Bent (Inner Core Committee) (City of Somerville), R. Reed and other members stated support for using electronic signatures.

K. Quackenbush referred to the earlier discussion of MPO meetings in November, stating that Conference Rooms 2 and 3 are not available on either November 8 or November 29, 2018. MPO staff will continue to pursue other options.

16.Adjourn

A motion to adjourn was made by MAPC (E. Bourassa) and seconded by the City of Boston (Boston Transportation Department) (J. Gillooly). The motion carried.


Attendance

Members

Representatives

and Alternates

At-Large City (City of Everett)

Jay Monty

At-Large City (City of Newton)

David Koses

At-Large Town (Town of Arlington)

Jennifer Raitt

At-Large Town (Town of Lexington)

David Kucharsky

City of Boston (Boston Planning & Development Agency)

Jim Fitzgerald

City of Boston (Boston Transportation Department)

Jim Gillooly

Federal Highway Administration

Nelson Hoffman

Federal Transit Administration

 

Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville)

Tom Bent

Massachusetts Department of Transportation

David Mohler

MassDOT Highway Division

John Romano

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)

Samantha Silverberg

Massachusetts Port Authority

Laura Gilmore

MBTA Advisory Board

Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Eric Bourassa

MetroWest Regional Collaborative (City of Framingham)

Dennis Giombetti

Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination (Town of Bedford)

David Manugian

Richard Reed

North Shore Task Force (City of Beverly)

Denise Deschamps

North Suburban Planning Council (City of Woburn)

Tina Cassidy

Regional Transportation Advisory Council

Tegin Teich

South Shore Coalition (Town of Braintree)

South West Advisory Planning Committee (Town of Medway)

Glenn Trindade

Three Rivers Interlocal Council (Town of Norwood/Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce)

 

 

 

Other Attendees

Affiliation

Michael Pezzullo

Rachel Strauss McBrien

Victoria Mier

Alexandra Schluntz

Daniel Amstutz

FHWA

FHWA

MassDOT

CLF

Town of Arlington

 

MPO Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff

Karl Quackenbush, Executive Director

Robin Mannion

Mark Abbott

Seth Asante

Annette Demchur

Róisín Foley

Jane Gillis

Alexandra (Ali) Kleyman

Anne Mcgahan

Kate Parker-O’Toole

Scott Peterson

Jennifer Rowe

Michelle Scott

Chen-Yuan Wang