Top Stories

Also In This Issue

Meeting Calendar

For the most recent information on the following public meetings and others that may have been scheduled after TRANSReport went to press, go to www.bostonmpo.org or call (617) 973-7119. A photo ID is required to access most meeting sites.

MPO Seeks Comment on Proposed TIP Amendment

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has proposed an amendment to the federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2009 and 2010 elements of the 2007­2010 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that will allow projects which are ready to be advertised for construction to move forward.

The MPO has notified members of the public, including TIP contacts and other local officials in the 101 municipalities in the Boston region, of the amendment. In the amendment, as proposed, the FFY 2009 element of the current TIP reflects the highway projects included in the same element of the future draft FFYs 2009­2012 TIP, which was approved in June. It also includes an update of transit projects that reflects their current status.

The draft TIP amendment is available on the MPO’s web- site, www.bostonmpo.org. To request a copy in print, on compact disc, or in an accessible format, contact the MPO’s TIP Manager, Hayes Morrison: By mail Boston Region MPO 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150 Boston, MA 02116 By telephone (617) 973-7129 (voice) (617) 973-7089 (TTY) By fax (617) 973-8855 By e-mail hayesm@bostonmpo.org

The comment period for the amendment will close on Tuesday, October 21, at 5:00 pm.

Comments may be sent to the attention of David J. Mohler, MPO Transportation Planning and Programming Committee Chair, via any of the means listed above.

Next Story • Back to Top

A Strategic Transportation Plan for Massachusetts

youMOVE massachusetts program engages the public

In September the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works (EOTPW) began a series of public workshops to engage Massachusetts residents, businesses, and visitors in a listening session designed to gather input about the role that transportation plays in the economic and social vitality of the Common-wealth. These views will contribute to the state’s evaluation of its transportation network, and input received from the public will be used to develop a strategic plan for the transportation sector and to set priorities for the state’s future transportation investments.

These discussions are occurring at a time when decisions about transportation investments are taking place in the context of higher gas prices, a heightened focus on the structural integrity of the transportation infrastructure, transportation-related contributions to climate change, and a national debate about the upcoming reauthorization of the federal transportation legislation, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

The ongoing workshops are intended to help the state’s transportation officials better understand where users of the transportation system notice gaps in mobility and experience challenges when traveling. When considering the mobility problems that have been identified at the workshops, transportation officials will be evaluating all possible solutions across modes, including actions for maintaining and expanding the system.

So far EOTPW has held workshops in Barnstable, Boston, Braintree, Lawrence, Natick, North Adams, and Taunton, Worcester, and Malden (please see the calendar for the date of final meeting). Everyone interested in the state’s transportation system is encouraged to participate in the workshops. Please visit www.youmove massachusetts.org for more information.

Next Story • Previous Story • Back to Top

Boston Region MPO Activities; Boston Region MPO Action Items


Since August, the Transportation Planning and Programming Committee has approved the following: the Federal Fiscal Year 2009 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), an amendment to the Federal Fiscal Year 2007­2010 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and an administrative modification to the TIP. In addition, the Committee approved three work programs to be carried out by MPO staff: Support to the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line Small Starts Process, the Customer Satisfaction Review of the MBTA THE?RIDE?CharlieCard Pilot Program, and MBTA Bus Service Data Collection Phase VI. (See articles on page 1 related to the UPWP and TIP.)
Regional Transportation Advisory Council Update
The Regional Transpor-tation Advisory Council spent much of its September meeting planning ahead. It held its annual election of officers and selected Malek Al-Khatib, who represents the Boston Society of Civil Engineers on the Advisory Council, as its chair for the upcoming year, and Sue McQuaid, the designee of the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, as the vice chair. Both were recognized as having demonstrated strong interest in Advisory Council business, and a broad, regional perspective on transportation planning. Mr. Al-Khatib and the other members thanked the outgoing chair, Kristina Johnson, of the City of Quincy, for her ideas and energy as she led the Advisory Council through a productive past year.
The Advisory Council is also seeking to identify potential new member organizations or agencies with interests related to regional transportation. If your organization fits this description and would like to be considered for membership, please call John Hersey at (617) 973-7144 or e-mail him at jhersey@ctps.org.

Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT) Update
At the September meeting, Kathy Cox, Manager of Fixed-Route Services at the MBTA’s Office of Systemwide Accessibility, provided an update on THE RIDE CharlieCard Program. This pilot program was instituted last January to provide free access to the MBTA’s fixed- route services for individuals who are eligible for the MBTA’s paratransit service, THE RIDE, and to invite feedback from those users on the effectiveness of the MBTA’s accessibility improvements. THE RIDE has continued to see record increases in ridership. On September 17, THE RIDE had scheduled 6,369 trips, the most ever scheduled in one day.

Next Story • Previous Story • Back to Top

 

MPO Begins New Fiscal Year; FFY 2009 UPWP Available

As the Boston Region MPO marked the beginning of a new federal fiscal year on October 1, MPO staff began the work set forth in the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2009 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), which the MPO adopted in August. In addition to providing support for the metropolitan transportation planning process and completing studies already underway, the FFY 2009 UPWP contains several new initiatives, including some studies: the Route 126 Corridor, Oper-ational Improvements at Congested and High-Crash Locations, Inner Suburban Mobility, and Arterial Traffic Signal Improvements and Coordination. Watch Transreport as the MPO gives the go-ahead for work to begin on these and other projects over the course of FFY 2009.

The adopted UPWP also includes a summary of comments received during the 30-day public review period and the MPO’s responses to them. It is available for viewing at www.bostonmpo.org by clicking on “UPWP” under the “Programs” section at the left side of the MPO’s Web page. To request a copy in print, on compact disc, or in an accessible format, contact the UPWP Project Manager, Mary Ellen Sullivan, at (617) 973-7100 (voice), (617) 973-7089 (TTY), or mesullivan@ bostonmpo.org (e-mail).

Next Story • Previous Story • Back to Top

Fields Corner Station Reopens with Accessibility Improvements


The Fields Corner Red Line station in Dorchester has reopened after a $30 million overhaul that brought the 80-year-old transit station up to modern accessibility standards. The station is now fully accessible and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The improvements include a new busway, station lobby, elevators, and escalators, as well as new platforms that can accommodate six-car train sets. The MBTA’s CharlieCard system is now operating at the station, and the station’s communication and security systems have been updated. New lighting, landscaping, and signage have also been added. Fields Corner Station is one of four MBTA stations that were identified for modernization through the Dorchester Red Line Rehabilitation project. The state legislature appropriated $67 million in funding for the Red Line program in 1999. This program included funding for Savin Hill Station (which was rebuilt, and reopened in 2005) Shawmut Station (which is nearly complete), and Ashmont Station (which is scheduled for completion in 2009).

Next Story • Previous Story • Back to Top

Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA Celebrates 30 Years of Achievement

The Access Advisory Committee to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (AACT) will celebrate its thirtieth year of working to promote safe, efficient, and accessible transportation on the MBTA system by holding an anniversary celebration on the evening of October 16, at the Holiday Inn in Brookline.

Speaking at the event will be Dan Grabauskas, current MBTA General Manager, Robert Rizzo, Manager for the MBTA Office for Transportation Access, Michael Mulhern, former MBTA General Manager, Kristen McCosh, Ms. Wheelchair America 2008, and Ben Haynes, AACT Chairman.

AACT’s roots go back to 1975, when a group of advocates for transit accessibility established the Special Needs Advisory Committee (SNAC), a subcommittee of the Boston Region MPO’s Joint Regional Transpor-tation Committee (now the Regional Transportation Advisory Council), to address the transportation needs of people with disabilities and seniors.

Since its inception, the organization now known as AACT evolved to become an independent advisory committee that works directly with the MBTA to provide recommendations for improving accessibility and for complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Over the years, AACT members have advocated for the expansion of the MBTA’s paratransit ser-vice, THE RIDE, and for accessibility improvements on the fixed-route transit system.

Today AACT is a voting member of the MBTA committee that makes decisions regarding paratransit ser-vice, as well as a voting member of the MPO’s Regional Transportation Advisory Council, which provides an avenue for public involvement in the MPO’s planning processes. For more information about the event, please contact Janie Guion at (617) 973-7505, or by e-mail at aact@ctps.org.

Previous Story • Back to Top

State Holds Forum on Financing the Future of Surface Transportation Transportation

Elected officials, national leaders in the transportation field, representatives from public and private organizations, and other members of the public gathered at the State Transportation Building in Boston on October 8 to share ideas about how to shape the next federal legislation that will replace the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

Work on the reauthorization has been underway at the federal level for some time, and draws on the study recommendations of entities such as the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and the Brookings Institution.

The conference, hosted by Secretary of Transportation Bernard Cohen, featured keynote addresses by Congressman Michael Capuano and State Senator Steven Baddour, and panelist and roundtable discussions regarding transportation finance, policy goals, and visions for the future of the state’s transportation system. Among the themes heard throughout the day-long event were the need to streamline the process to allow for speedier project delivery, and to establish flexible, multimodal funding programs. .

Previous Story • Back to Top