Draft Memorandum for the Record

Regional Transportation Advisory Council Meeting

November 9, 2022, Meeting Minutes

2:30 PM – 4:15 PM, Zoom

Lenard Diggins, Chair, representing the MBTA Ridership Oversight Committee (ROC)

Meeting Agenda

Introductions

Lenard Diggins called the meeting to order at 2:30 PM. Members and guests attending the meeting introduced themselves. (For attendance list, see page four.)

Public Comments

L. Diggins called for public comments; there were none.

MPO Peer Exchanges Discussion—Tegin Teich, Executive Director, MPO Staff

Tegin Teich, Executive Director of MPO Staff, led a discussion about coordination and lessons learned from the Boston and Miami-Dade MPO peer exchange in July and the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) conference in October.

T. Teich discussed takeaways from a peer exchange held with Boston Region MPO board members and members of the Miami-Dade MPO, as well as her role and recent activities as a member of the AMPO board. She highlighted some differences in structure and composition of other MPOs.

T. Teich, L. Diggins, and Jen Rowe, City of Boston, discussed their experiences at the Miami-Dade peer exchange and compared the differences in the areas of focus, approaches, and regional roles of the Boston MPO and Miami-Dade MPO. They discussed the Boston MPO’s technical expertise and role as a regional coordinator and connector.

John McQueen, WalkBoston, AnaCristina Fragoso, Boston Society of Civil Engineers (BSCES), and T. Teich discussed the types of projects each MPO focuses on, with Miami-Dade pursuing large, visionary initiatives, leading a three-MPO consortium, and outsourcing project work to consultants.

Andy Reker, City of Cambridge, and T. Teich discussed the pros and cons of using consultants and the benefits of peer exchanges.  

L. Diggins, J. McQueen, and T. Teich discussed the geographic considerations both MPOs face, patterns of movement that extend beyond MPO region borders, and the importance of broader coordination across MPO regions. They and A. Reker and Scott Zadakis, National Rural Transportation Assistance Program, also discussed the Advisory Council’s role in regional and statewide MPO coordination. Members expressed interest in learning about and connecting with other MPO advisory councils.

J. Rowe, L. Diggins, and T. Teich continued to discuss regional and municipal coordination, relationship building, and the advancement of large projects and regional visions. T. Teich highlighted the importance of engagement, the role of the Advisory Council, and the utility of these conversations.

Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) Update—Srilekha Murthy, MPO Staff

Srilekha Murthy, MPO staff, discussed the development timeline for the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024 UPWP, including the collection of study ideas currently underway, and asked members to share feedback on last year’s UPWP development process and areas for improvement.

Discussion

J. McQueen stated concerns about a lack of adequate opportunities for Advisory Council involvement during last year's UPWP development process, particularly during the development of the Universe of Proposed Studies and study selection. Franny Osman, Acton Transportation Advisory Committee, added that it would be helpful to see how study selection decisions were made.

L. Diggins, J. McQueen, and Steve Olanoff, Three Rivers Interlocal Council, discussed the Advisory Council’s role in study selection and the perceived lack of input last year. They expressed support for considering early versions of the Universe of Proposed Studies and having more time and meaningful opportunities to provide feedback.

S. Murthy discussed details of last year’s development process, areas of improvement, and ways to increase Advisory Council involvement in the development of the FFY 2024 UPWP.

A. Reker noted that the themes of active transportation and resiliency had been highlighted in the Advisory Council’s UPWP comment letters for the past two years. He, S. Murthy, J. Rowe, and Stella Jordan, MPO staff, discussed ways for the Advisory Council to promote and further studies in those areas and support engagement efforts for study proposal submission.

Advisory Council Elections—Stella Jordan, MPO Staff

S. Jordan conducted elections for Advisory Council Chair and Vice-Chair via electronic ballot. Members elected L. Diggins as Chair and F. Osman as Vice-Chair. L. Diggins expressed priorities for his upcoming term.

David Montgomery, Town of Needham, suggested clarifying leadership terms since this election process occurred later than previous years.

Discussion of Bylaw Changes—Lenard Diggins, Chair

Addressing D. Montgomery’s suggestion, L. Diggins discussed the possibility of amending the Advisory Council’s bylaws to update the elections process. He and D. Montgomery discussed the advantages of permanently moving the official election date from October to November. They and S. Olanoff discussed timing for shifting the rest of the elections process accordingly.

L. Diggins, A. Reker, S. Olanoff, and J. Rowe discussed the advantages and disadvantages of instituting two-year terms for Advisory Council leadership. L. Diggins expressed interest in continuing the conversation about bylaw changes at future meetings.

Chair’s Report—Lenard Diggins, Chair

L. Diggins discussed highlights from recent MPO board meetings, including an equity analysis presentation by MPO staff. He noted potential topics of discussion from staff work for future Advisory Council meetings.

Approval of Meeting Minutes

Minutes from the August 10, 2022, meeting were presented for approval. Members decided to postpone voting on the minutes.

Old Business, New Business, and Member Announcements

There were no items.

Adjourn 

A motion to adjourn was made by the BSCES and seconded by the Acton Transportation Advisory Committee. The motion carried.

Attendees