MEMORANDUM
of UNDERSTANDING
by and among
BOSTON REGION METROPOLITAN PLANNING
ORGANIZATION,
Central
Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization
MERRIMACK VALLEY METROPOLITAN PLANNING
ORGANIZATION,
Montachusett
Metropolitan Planning Organization
NASHUA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION,
NORTHERN MIDDLESEX METROPOLITAN
PLANNING ORGANIZATION,
OLD COLONY METROPOLITAN PLANNING
ORGANIZATION,
RHODE ISLAND STATE PLANNING COUNCIL,
ROCKINGHAM PLANNING COMMISSION,
SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION,
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE PLANNING COMMISSION
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Transportation (MassDOT)
New Hampshire Department of
Transportation (NHDOT)
Rhode Island Department of
Transportation (RIDOT)
Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT),
Cooperative Alliance for Regional Transportation (CART), Cape Ann Transit
Authority (CATA),
Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional
Transit Authority (GATRA), Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA), Montachusett
Area Regional Transit Authority (MART), Metrowest Regional Transit Authority
(MWRTA), Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA), Nashua Transit
System (NTS), Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA), Rhode Island
Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) and Worcester Regional Transit Authority
(WRTA)
concerning
THE EFFECT of the URBANIZED AREA
DESIGNATIONS of the 2010 CENSUS
on COORDINATION
among METROPOLITAN PLANNING
ORGANIZATIONS, STATES, and PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPERATORS
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Planning
Organizations (MPOs), States, and public transportation operators, hereinafter
referred to as the “Parties,” having responsibility for portions of the Boston,
Massachusetts (MA)-New Hampshire (NH)-Rhode Island (RI) (Boston, MA-NH-RI)
Urbanized Area (UZA), conduct a continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative (3C)
multimodal transportation planning process as provided for by the Fixing
America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015 and its provisions under
Title 23 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and Title 49 U.S. CFR; and
WHEREAS, the Boston,
MA-NH-RI UZA, hereinafter referred to as the “UZA,” has been expanded as a result of the
2010 Decennial Census, and now contains or extends into eleven contiguous
existing Metropolitan Planning Areas (MPAs)[1]
in Massachusetts, New Hampshire; and Rhode Island; and
WHEREAS, the UZA has a population of over
200,000 individuals and is designated as a Transportation Management Area (TMA).
As such, the transportation planning processes of MPOs within the UZA are
subject to review and certification by the FHWA and FTA once every four
years.
WHEREAS, the Parties seek to participate in
this memorandum of understanding (MOU), to the extent that it is not in
conflict with any law, existing agreement or procedure, to effectively
coordinate the metropolitan planning processes for the transportation system
within the UZA.
WHEREAS, if more than one MPO has been
designated to serve the UZA, there shall be a written agreement among the MPOs,
States, and public transportation operators describing how the metropolitan
planning processes will be coordinated to assure the development of consistent
metropolitan transportation plans and transportation improvement programs
across MPA boundaries, particularly in cases where a proposed transportation
investment extends across the boundaries of more than one MPA. The planning processes for affected MPOs
should, to the maximum extent possible, reflect coordination of data
collection, analysis, and planning assumptions across MPA boundaries; and
WHEREAS, more than one MPO serves the UZA,
the MPOs, States, and the providers of public transportation shall jointly
agree upon and develop specific written provisions for cooperatively developing
and sharing information related to transportation performance data, the
selection of performance targets, the reporting of performance targets, the
reporting of performance to be used in tracking progress toward attainment of
critical outcomes for the region of the MPO(s), and the collection of data for
their State asset management plan for the National Highway System (NHS); and
NOW,
THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:
Article 1.
Transportation Planning and Coordination Responsibilities
General
Agreement
1.
Each
MPO retains responsibility and authority for the metropolitan planning process carried
out in its MPA.
2.
The
Parties recognize an obligation to cooperate in coordinating planning matters of
shared interest across MPA boundaries within the UZA for consistency in the
development of metropolitan transportation plans (MTPs), Transportation
Improvement Programs (TIPs), and for the coordination of Unified Planning Work
Program (UPWP) activities.
3.
If
inconsistencies or conflicts arise, the relevant parties shall meet and employ
their best efforts to develop a satisfactory resolution. (See Article 2.)
Responsibilities
of All Parties
4.
Share
available information, such as GIS layers, shapefiles, databases, and other
applicable electronic data along common boundaries for the purpose of travel
demand model development, calibration, and other analytical applications as
requested, practicable, and subject to agency-level policies, procedures, and
agreements.
5.
Coordinate
the collection and analysis of data regarding travel patterns to, through, and
among adjacent MPAs. Examples include
traffic counts, household surveys, “big data” acquisition (e.g., cell phone
origin-destination data or travel speed data).
6.
Share
and coordinate the latest estimates, projections, and planning assumptions
related to population growth, employment, land use, travel, transit, congestion,
and economic activity for long-range planning applications, such as congestion
management processes.
7.
Exchange
information and expertise in matters of mutual concern - this includes each
agency ensuring the notification of, and participation in, meetings concerned with
matters of mutual interest, and collaboration on projects and studies with
other parties that share transportation corridors, service routes, and assets
spanning MPA boundaries.
State DOT Responsibilities
8.
Coordinate
with relevant State DOTs and MPOs concerning the collection of performance
data, the selection of performance targets, the reporting of targets and actual
achievement of performance related to those targets, for the applicable Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) performance measures. Specific performance
management concerns for the UZA include, but are not limited to the following:
a. Coordinating with relevant State DOTs and
MPOs serving portions of the NHS network within the UZA, as indicated by FHWA’s
Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Traffic Congestion Measure Applicability
Table (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/air_quality/cmaq/measures/cmaq_applicability/page04.cfm ), to ensure consistent use of
reporting segments and travel time data sets to calculate travel time-based
measures.
b. Coordinating with relevant State DOTs
and MPOs concerning a common data collection method to be used for the Percent
of Non-SOV Travel measure in portions of the UZA containing the NHS network.
c. Coordinating with relevant State DOTs
and MPOs to establish single UZA targets that represent performance of the NHS network
for each of the following measures: 1) Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive
Delay (PHED); and 2) Percent Non-SOV Travel.
d. Establishing joint procedures for coordinated
target setting and reporting in the UZA for congestion mitigation and air
quality (CMAQ) Traffic Congestion Measures and other performance measures, as
needed.
e. Sharing baseline, progress, and full
performance period reports pertaining to Traffic Congestion and Air Quality
performance measures and targets.
9.
Coordinate
strategies to maintain transportation investments spanning State boundaries
within the UZA.
10. Forecast and allocate funding for
transportation planning and programming in the portion of the UZA within the
State.
MPO Responsibilities
11. Coordinate CMAQ Traffic Congestion
Measure performance requirements applicable to the UZA with adjoining MPOs and
the State DOT. MPO coordination activities should include, but are not limited
to:
a.
Coordinating
with relevant State DOTs and MPOs serving portions of the UZA with NHS segments,
as indicated by FHWA’s Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) Applicability
Table https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/air_quality/cmaq/measures/cmaq_applicability/page04.cfm ), to ensure consistent use of
reporting segments and travel time data sets to calculate travel time-based
measures.
b.
Coordinating
with relevant State DOTs and MPOs concerning a common data collection method to
be used for the Percent of Non-SOV Travel measure in portions of the UZA with
NHS segments.
c.
Coordinating
with relevant State DOTs and MPOs to establish a single UZA target that
represents performance of the NHS for both Annual Hours of Peak Hour Excessive
Delay (PHED) and Percent Non-SOV Travel performance measures.
d.
Reporting
progress toward target achievement as required by the relevant State DOT and sharing
with MPOs and public transportation operators, as requested.
12. Conduct cross-boundary coordination of
matters affecting the Congestion Management Process, including monitoring
activities and the sharing of relevant data (i.e. traffic counts, park and ride
facilities, and transit use to and from adjoining MPAs.)
13. Coordinate strategies to maintain
transportation investments spanning MPO boundaries within the UZA.
14. TMA Requirements: The transportation planning
processes of MPOs within the UZA are subject to TMA requirements at 23 CFR
450.336(b), administered by the FHWA and FTA at least once every four years. Where
the UZA overlaps into an adjacent MPA serving another urbanized area that is not a designated
TMA, the adjacent
urbanized area shall not be treated as a TMA. The MPO parties
under this agreement with MPA boundaries that include a portion
of the UZA are responsible
for meeting the TMA requirements, as they
apply to the transportation planning process for that portion of the UZA.
15. Air Quality: The roles and responsibilities of
the Massachusetts MPOs concerning transportation conformity have been fully described
in the current Massachusetts Air Quality Memorandum of Understanding, dated
July 31, 1996. This agreement is among
the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), MassDOT, and Massachusetts
MPOs with planning areas that include nonattainment or maintenance areas, as
designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Regional
Transit Authority (RTA) Responsibilities
16. Coordinate with relevant MPOs as
appropriate to share service information, ridership data, and other data for
use in the planning process, including in the congestion management process.
17. Coordinate with relevant MPOs on
planning and programing for investments, including services, that cross MPA
boundaries.
Article 2. Process for
Dispute Resolution
Process
for Dispute Resolution
Each Party will ensure appropriate cooperation and consultation on
plans, programs, and projects affecting two or more parties. If inconsistencies
or conflicts arise, the Parties shall meet and employ their best efforts to
develop a satisfactory resolution at the lowest staff level possible and in a
timely manner. Disputes not resolved at the staff level will be addressed at
the executive level. After exhausting all efforts to address an
unresolved matter, the Parties in dispute agree to apprise the respective FHWA
and FTA authorities.
Article 3. Amendment,
Termination, and Supersession of Agreement
The
MassDOT, on behalf of the Parties hereto, is the designated custodian of this MOU.
As such, MassDOT shall be responsible for coordinating reviews and executing
all amendments, including discussion and consultation forums related to its
content.
This
MOU will be reviewed at least once every four years.
This
MOU may be amended, whenever deemed appropriate, by endorsement of all Parties.
Any party to this MOU may propose an amendment at any time. The Parties agree
to consult to determine the extent and appropriateness of such proposed
amendments.
This
MOU does not replace or supersede any existing planning agreement, or portion
thereof, unless otherwise stated herein.
This
MOU supersedes the 2003 agreement titled Commonwealth
of Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization Memorandum of Understanding
between the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization, Merrimack Valley
Metropolitan Planning Organization, Northern Middlesex Metropolitan Planning
Organization, Old Colony Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Southeastern
Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization concerning the Effect of the
Urbanized Area Designations of the 2000 Census on Certification Requirements in
Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
CERTIFICATION OF THE URBANIZED AREA DESIGNATIONS
of the 2010 CENSUS on COORDINATION among METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS,
STATE DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION and PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPERATORS
This document certifies that the below signatories
hereby endorse the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding concerning The Effect of
the Urbanized Area Designations of the 2010 Census on Certification
Requirements and Coordination of Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
Stephanie
Pollack, Secretary and CEO Date
Massachusetts
Department of Transportation (MassDOT);
Chair,
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (BRMPO);
Central Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization (CMMPO);
Merrimack
Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MVMPO);
Montachusett
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MMPO);
Northern Middlesex Metropolitan Planning Organization (NMMPO);
Old Colony Metropolitan Planning Organization (OCMPO); and
Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization (SMMPO)
Victoria Sheehan,
Commissioner Date
New
Hampshire DOT (NHDOT)
Peter Alviti, Jr., Director Date
Rhode
Island DOT (RIDOT)
Jay Minkarah, Executive
Director Date
Nashua
Regional Planning Commission (NRPC)
Tim Roache, Executive
Director Date
Rockingham
Planning Commission (RPC)
Sylvia Von Aulock, Executive Director Date
Southern
New Hampshire Planning Commission (SNHPC)
Michael DiBiase, Chair Date
Rhode Island
Planning Council (RIPC)
Reinald
G. Ledoux, Jr., Administrator Date
Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT)
George Sioras, Chair Date
Cooperative Alliance for Regional Transportation (CART)
Paul Talbot, Administrator Date
Cape Ann Transit Authority (CATA)
Frank Gay, Administrator Date
Greater
Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA)
Jim Scanlon, Administrator Date
Lowell
Regional Transit Authority (LRTA)
Ed Carr, Administrator Date
Metrowest
Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA)
Joe Costanzo, Administrator Date
Merrimack
Valley Regional Transit Authority (MVRTA)
Mohammed Khan, Administrator Date
Montachusett
Area Regional Transit Authority (MART)
Hon. Jim Donchess, Mayor,
City of Nashua Date
Nashua
Transit System (NTS)
Scott Avedisian, CEO Date
Rhode
Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA)
Erik Rousseau, Administrator Date
Southeastern
Regional Transit Authority (SRTA)
Dennis Lipka, Administrator
(Acting) Date
Worcester
Regional Transit Authority (WRTA)
[1]
The term “metropolitan
planning area” or “MPA” is used to describe the geographic area determined by agreement between the MPO for the
area and the Governor, in which the metropolitan transportation planning process is carried out.