Executive Summary

Introduction

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) five-year capital investment plan, the Federal Fiscal Years (FFYs) 2024–28 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), is the near-term investment program for the region’s transportation system. Guided by the Boston Region MPO’s vision, goals, and objectives, the TIP prioritizes investments that preserve the current transportation system in a state of good repair, provide safe transportation for all modes, enhance livability, promote equity and sustainability, and improve mobility throughout the region. These investments fund arterial roadway and intersection improvements, maintenance and expansion of the public transit system, bicycle path construction, infrastructure improvements for pedestrians, and major highway reconstruction.

The Boston Region MPO is guided by a 22-member board with representatives of state agencies, regional organizations, and municipalities. Its jurisdiction extends roughly from Boston north to Ipswich, south to Marshfield, and west to municipalities along Interstate 495. Each year, the MPO conducts a process to decide how to spend federal transportation funds for capital projects. The Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS), which is the staff to the MPO, manages the TIP development process.

MPO staff coordinates the evaluation of project funding requests, proposes programming of current and new projects based on anticipated funding levels, supports the MPO board in developing a draft TIP document, and facilitates a public review of the draft before the MPO board endorses the final document.

FFYs 2024–28 TIP Investments

The complete TIP program is available in Chapter 3 of this document and online at bostonmpo.org/tip. The TIP tables provide details of how funding is allocated to each programmed project and capital investment program. These tables are organized by federal fiscal year and are grouped by highway and transit programs.

Highway Program

The Highway Program of the TIP funds the priority transportation projects advanced by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the cities and towns within the Boston region. The program is devoted primarily to preserving and modernizing the existing roadway network by reconstructing arterial roadways, resurfacing highways, and replacing bridges.

In Massachusetts, Federal-Aid Highway Program funding is apportioned by MassDOT, which allocates funding to Grant Anticipation Notes (GANs) payments, various statewide programs, and Regional Targets for the state’s MPOs. In the FFYs 2024–28 TIP, roadway, bridge, and bicycle and pedestrian programs account for nearly $2.4 billion in funding to the Boston region. The Regional Target funding provided to the MPOs may be programmed for projects at the discretion of each MPO, whereas MassDOT has discretion to propose its recommended projects for statewide programs, such as those related to bridge repairs and interstate highway maintenance.

Transit Program

The Transit Program of the TIP provides funding for projects and programs that address the capital needs prioritized by the three transit authorities in the region: the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA), and the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA). The Transit Program is predominantly dedicated to achieving and maintaining a state of good repair for all assets throughout the transit system.

The FFYs 2024–28 TIP includes $4.05 billion in transit investments by the transit authorities that will support state of good repair, modernize transit systems, and increase access to transit. Additionally, beginning in FFY 2025, the MPO will allocate $6.5 million of its annual Regional Target funds to its new Transit Modernization investment program. This program aims to build on the investments made through the Transit Program by using a portion of Highway Program funding to fulfill unmet transit project needs in the region. The MPO has already begun to fund discrete projects through this program prior to FFY 2025 based on a surplus of available funding in FFY 2024, as detailed below.

Regional Target Program Details

During FFYs 2024–28, the Boston Region MPO plans to fund 58 projects with its Regional Target funding. In total, 21 new projects were added to the MPO’s Regional Target Program during this TIP cycle. Details on these projects are available in Table ES-1.

Table ES-1
New Regional Target Projects Funded in the FFYs 2024–28 TIP

Note: Funding amounts in this table include both federal and non-federal funds, including matching funds.

CTPS = Central Transportation Planning Organization. FFY = federal fiscal year. MPO = metropolitan planning organization. MWRTA = MetroWest Regional Transit Authority. N/A = not applicable. TIP = Transportation Improvement Program.

Source: Boston Region MPO.

Signed into law on November 15, 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is the five-year federal funding authorization for transportation projects and programs, replacing the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act as the primary governing legislation for the TIP process. The BIL increased the amount of Regional Target funding available to the Boston Region MPO for the development of the FFYs 2024–28 TIP by approximately 20 percent from the funding levels in TIPs under the FAST Act, the last of which was the FFYs 2022–26 TIP.

The majority of the funding available for allocation by the MPO during the FFYs 2024–28 TIP cycle was in the fifth and final year of the TIP, FFY 2028. However, changes in project readiness for some projects created funding surpluses in the early years of the TIP, FFYs 2024 and 2025, and in FFY 2027. These surpluses were driven by programming delays for several projects already funded by the MPO. This dynamic led to a funding surplus in excess of $66.5 million in FFYs 2024 and 2025 and total funding availability of $202 million across all years of the TIP.

The MPO did not have any currently funded Regional Target projects that could be accelerated to make use of these funds, so the MPO worked with MassDOT and the MBTA to identify projects that could be funded in these fiscal years. Jointly, MassDOT and the MBTA brought more than a dozen projects to the MPO for consideration, from which the MPO selected four projects for funding in FFYs 2024 and 2025:

• Columbus Avenue Bus Lanes Phase II     
• Rail Transformation Early Action Items—Reading Station and Wilbur Interlocking    
• Jackson Square Station Accessibility Improvements
• Chelsea—Targeted Safety Improvements and Related Work on Broadway, from Williams Street to City Hall Avenue

The MPO also selected two MassDOT projects for funding in FFY 2027:

• Everett—Targeted Multi-Modal and Safety Improvements on Route 16
• Boston—Bridge Replacement B-16-365-Storrow Drive over Bowker Ramps

These projects were not formally evaluated using the MPO’s project selection criteria prior to the MPO making draft funding decisions, as MPO staff did not have sufficient time to score the projects prior to the deadline for MPO decision-making. Despite not being scored, the projects generally align well with many of the MPO’s goals, including enhancing bicycle and pedestrian safety and access, and expanding the accessibility of and maintaining a state of good repair for the region’s transit system and critical roadways. Scoring information will be included for these projects when available.

Several other key decisions were made by the MPO in the drafting of the FFYs 2024–28 Regional Target Program, including the following:

• The MPO introduced a Bikeshare Support Set-Aside line item to fund capital repair and improvement projects for Bikeshare initiatives in the region starting in FFY 2025. The project is funded at $1 million per year in FFYs 2025 and 2026 and $2 million per year in FFYs 2027 and 2028.
• In FFY 2025 the MPO allocated $4 million to fund a pilot initiative that would provide MPO funding support for communities to design projects and offer additional resources to communities earlier in a project’s lifecycle.
• The programmed amount of Project 607981, Somerville—McGrath Boulevard Construction, in FFY 2027 was increased by $15 million to accelerate the project’s timeline.
• The $6.4 million contribution by the MPO to the MBTA’s Forest Hills Station Improvement Project in FFY 2024 was removed due to the lack of funding availability from other contributors.

Figure ES-1 shows how the Regional Target funding for FFYs 2024–28 is distributed across the MPO’s investment programs. As the chart shows, the Boston Region MPO’s Regional Target Program is devoted primarily to enhancing mobility and safety for all travel modes through significant investments in Complete Streets projects. A large portion of the MPO’s funding also supports the modernization of key regional roadways and transit infrastructure through investments in Major Infrastructure and Transit Modernization projects. The MPO also elected to leave approximately $31.9 million unprogrammed, preferring to retain these funds for use in future TIP cycles in support of a more flexible overall program in the coming fiscal years.

Figure ES-1
FFYs 2024–28 TIP Regional Target Funding by MPO Investment Program

FFY = federal fiscal year. MPO = metropolitan planning organization. TIP = Transportation Improvement Program.

Source: Boston Region MPO.

In addition to the distribution of funding across the MPO’s investment programs listed above, Table ES-2 further details the number of projects and the allocation of funds across each program in the FFYs 2024–28 TIP. As noted in Figure ES-1, the MPO has programmed more than 95 percent of its available funding over five years. More details about every project funded through the MPO’s Regional Target Program are available in Chapter 3.

Table ES-2
FFYs 2024–28 Boston Region MPO Regional Target Investment Summary

Note: Funding amounts in this table include both federal and non-federal funds, including matching funds.

* This includes $6 million in Bikeshare Support funding starting in FFY 2025.

**The $4 million Project Design Support Pilot in FFY 2025 is accounted for under this program.

FFY = federal fiscal year. MPO = metropolitan planning organization. N/A = not applicable.

Source: Boston Region MPO.

When making decisions about which projects to fund, the MPO considers how the allocation of funds to each investment program compares to the funding goals outlined in the MPO’s current Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), Destination 2040. The funding goals for investment programs set forth in the LRTP reflect the types of projects the MPO seeks to fund to help it achieve its goals and objectives for the region, from enhancing safety for all users to promoting mobility and accessibility across the region. More information on the MPO’s goals and objectives is available in Chapter 1, and a comparison between LRTP investment program goals and program funding levels in the FFYs 2024–28 TIP is shown in Figure ES-2.

Figure ES-2
FFYs 2024–28 TIP: Regional Target Funding Levels Relative to LRTP Investment Program Goals

FFY = federal fiscal year. LRTP = Long-Range Transportation Plan. TIP = Transportation Improvement Program.

Source: Boston Region MPO.

The investments made in the FFYs 2024–28 TIP will be implemented in 38 cities and towns throughout the Boston region, ranging from dense inner core communities to developing suburbs further from the urban center. Figure ES-3 illustrates the distribution of Regional Target funding among the eight subregions within the Boston Region MPO’s jurisdiction, as defined by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). This figure also shows how the distribution of funds compares to key metrics for measuring the need for funding by subregion, including the percent of regional population, employment, and Federal-Aid roadway miles within each subregion.

Figure ES-3
FFYs 2024–28 TIP: Regional Target Funding Levels Relative to Key Indicators

Note: Unprogrammed funds and funds held for the MPO’s Transit Modernization and Community Connections Programs are not included in this figure.

FFY = federal fiscal year. MAGIC = Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination. MAPC = Metropolitan Area Planning Council. MetroWest = MetroWest Regional Collaborative. NSPC = North Suburban Planning Council. NSTF = North Shore Task Force. SSC = South Shore Coalition. SWAP = South West Advisory Committee. TIP = Transportation Improvement Program. TRIC = Three Rivers Interlocal Council.

Source: Boston Region MPO.

Additional information on the geographic distribution of Regional Target funding across the region, including a breakdown of funding by municipality, is included in Appendix D.

Financing The FFYs 2024–28 TIP

Highway Program

The TIP Highway Program was developed with the assumption that federal funding for the state would range between $709 million and $865 million annually over the next five years. These amounts include the funds that would be set aside initially by MassDOT as payments for the Accelerated Bridge Program and exclude required matching funds. The funding levels for the FFYs 2024–28 TIP’s Highway Program represent an increase of approximately two percent over those in the FFYs 2023–27 TIP.

The process of deciding how to use this federal funding in the Boston region follows several steps. First, MassDOT reserves funding for GANs debt service payments for the Accelerated Bridge Program; annual GANs payments range between $89 million and $134 million annually over the first three years of this TIP. GANs payments for the Accelerated Bridge Program are expected to conclude in FFY 2026.

The remaining Federal-Aid Highway Program funds are budgeted to support state and regional (i.e., MPO) priorities. In the FFYs 2024–28 TIP, $1.07 billion to $1.15 billion annually was available for programming statewide, including both federal dollars and the local match. MassDOT customarily provides the local match (which can also be provided by other entities); thus, projects are typically funded with 80 percent federal dollars and 20 percent state dollars, depending on the funding program. Costs for project design are borne by the proponent of the project.

Next, MassDOT allocates funding across the following funding categories:

• Reliability Investments: These programs include the Bridge Program—comprising inspections, systematic maintenance, and National Highway System (NHS) and non-NHS improvements—the Pavement Program, the Roadway Improvements Program, and the Safety Improvements Program.
• Modernization Investments: These programs include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Retrofit Program, the Intersection Improvement Program, the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Program, and the Roadway Reconstruction Program.
• Expansion Investments: These programs include the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program and transit network expansions.

Finally, once these needs have been satisfied, MassDOT allocates the remaining funding among the state’s 13 MPOs for programming. This discretionary funding for MPOs is suballocated by formula to determine the Regional Target amounts. The Boston Region MPO receives the largest portion of MPO funding in the state, with approximately 43 percent of Massachusetts’ Regional Target funds allocated to the region. MassDOT develops these targets in consultation with the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA). This TIP was programmed with the assumption that the Boston Region MPO will have between $129 million and $158 million annually for Regional Target amounts, which consist of federal funding and state funding for the local match.

Each MPO may decide how to prioritize its Regional Target funding. Given that the Regional Target funding is a subset of the Highway Program, the MPO typically programs the majority of funding for roadway projects; however, the MPO has flexed portions of its highway funding to the Transit Program for transit expansion projects and through its Transit Modernization and Community Connections Programs. The TIP Highway Program details the projects that will receive Regional Target funding from the Boston Region MPO and statewide infrastructure projects within the Boston region. Details on these investments are outlined in Chapter 3.

Transit Program

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) allocates the funds programmed in the TIP Transit Program according to formula. The three regional transit authorities in the Boston Region MPO area that are recipients of these funds are the MBTA, CATA, and MWRTA. The MBTA, with its extensive transit program and infrastructure, is the recipient of the preponderance of the region’s federal transit funds.

As the current federal transportation legislation, the BIL allocates funding to transit projects through the following formula programs:

• Section 5307 (Urbanized Area Formula Grants): Provides grants to urbanized areas to support public transportation based on levels of transit service, population, and other factors
• Section 5337 (Fixed Guideway/Bus): Seeks to maintain public transportation systems in a state of good repair through replacement and rehabilitation capital projects
• Section 5309 (Fixed Guideway Capital Investment Grants): Provides grants for new and expanded rail, bus rapid transit, and ferry systems that reflect local priorities to improve transportation options in key corridors
• Section 5339 (Bus and Bus Facilities): Provides funding to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment, and to construct bus-related facilities
• Section 5310 (Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities): Provides funding to support transportation to meet the special needs of older adults and persons with disabilities

The TIP Development Process

Overview

When determining which projects to fund through the Regional Target funding process, MPO members collaborate with municipalities, state agencies, members of the public, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders. The MPO board uses evaluation criteria in its project selection process to help identify and prioritize projects that advance progress on the MPO’s six goal areas:

• Safety
• System Preservation and Modernization
• Capacity Management and Mobility
• Clean Air/Sustainable Communities
• Transportation Equity
• Economic Vitality

Additionally, the MPO has established investment programs, which are designed to direct Regional Target funding towards MPO priority areas over the next 20 years, to help meet these goals. The investment programs are as follows:

• Intersection Improvements
• Complete Streets
• Major Infrastructure
• Bicycle Network and Pedestrian Connections
• Community Connections
• Transit Modernization

Projects that the MPO selects to receive Regional Target funding through the TIP development process are included in one of the six investment programs listed above. More information on the MPO’s investment programs is available in Chapter 2.

The MPO incorporates performance-based planning and programming (PBPP) practices into its TIP development and other processes. These practices are designed to help direct MPO funds towards achieving specific outcomes for the transportation system. MPO investments directly relate to the PBPP framework and further the MPO’s goals and performance targets.  With the development of the FFYs 2024-28 TIP, the MPO leveraged funding availability across all fiscal years to program new projects to address transit system reliability, traffic safety for all users, NHS bridge condition, and other priorities. The MPO will continue to closely link its performance targets, investment decisions, and monitoring and evaluation activities. More information on PBPP is available in Chapter 4 and Appendix A (Table A-2).

Outreach and Data Collection

The outreach process begins early in the federal fiscal year. Cities and towns designate TIP contacts and begin developing a list of priority projects to be considered for federal funding, and the MPO staff asks the staff of cities and towns in the region to identify their priority projects. MPO staff compiles the project funding requests into a Universe of Projects, which is a list of all Bicycle Network and Pedestrian Connections, Complete Streets, Intersection Improvements, and Major Infrastructure projects identified as potential candidates to receive funding through the TIP.

Certain types of projects are not listed in the Universe at this time. Projects that would be candidates for funding from the MPO’s Community Connections Program are not included because all projects that apply for this program’s discrete application process are considered for funding. Also, Transit Modernization projects are not listed because the project intake process for this program is being developed. During the development of the FFYs 2024-28 TIP, the MPO engaged transit stakeholders to provide projects to utilize funding availability in FFYs 2024 and 2025, an exception to the process but a key step towards formalizing an intake strategy for the next FFYs 2025–29 TIP.

The Universe includes projects at varying levels of readiness, from those with significant engineering and design work complete to those still early in the conceptual or planning stage. MPO staff collects data on each project in the Universe so that the projects may be evaluated.

Project Evaluation

MPO staff evaluates projects based on how well they address the MPO’s goals. For MPO staff to conduct a complete project evaluation, Bicycle Network and Pedestrian Connections, Complete Streets, Intersection Improvements, and Major Infrastructure projects must have a functional design report or the project plans must include the level of detail defined in a functional design report, a threshold typically reached when a project nears the 25 percent design stage. To complete an evaluation for projects under consideration through the MPO’s Community Connections Program, project proponents must submit a completed application to MPO staff.

In response to significant cost increases in recent TIP cycles for projects already programmed for funding, the MPO board created a committee in the wake of the FFYs 2022–26 TIP cycle to further explore the causes of project cost increases and devise MPO policy changes to support more reliable project delivery. The TIP Project Cost Ad Hoc Committee began its work in June 2021 and advanced a set of policy recommendations to the full MPO board in September 2021. These changes were formally adopted by the MPO on November 4, 2021, and were in effect for the development of the FFYs 2024–28 TIP.

Among other changes, the MPO elected to codify its policy of requiring that project proponents submit 25 percent designs and obtain an updated cost estimate for their projects prior to being programmed in the TIP. While this new policy was formally in effect for the FFYs 2024–28 TIP cycle, the MPO desired to keep this threshold flexible in its first year of implementation, given that the policy was not adopted until after the start of TIP development.

The evaluation results for all projects are presented to the MPO board members for their consideration for programming in the TIP. Draft scores are shared directly with project proponents, at which point proponents are encouraged to review the scores and provide feedback so that MPO staff may make any warranted adjustments to arrive at accurate final results. Once proponents review their scores, final scoring results are posted on the MPO’s website where MPO members, municipal officials, and members of the public may review them.

TIP Readiness Day

An important step toward TIP programming takes place midway through the TIP development cycle at a meeting—referred to as TIP Readiness Day—that both MassDOT and MPO staff attend. At this meeting, MassDOT project managers provide updates about cost and schedule changes related to currently programmed projects. These cost and schedule changes must be taken into account as MPO staff helps the MPO board consider updates to the already programmed years of the TIP, as well as the addition of new projects in the outermost year of the TIP.

Among the other new policies advanced by the TIP Project Cost Ad Hoc Committee, the MPO board adopted a policy requiring proponents of projects that experienced a cost increase of 25 percent or more (for projects costing less than $10 million) or $2.5 million or more (for projects costing more than $10 million) to present to the MPO board on the reasons for these cost increases. The MPO would then compare these projects—at the new costs—to other projects and consider this cost-effectiveness evaluation when deciding whether or not to fund the projects at the higher costs. These cost changes are most often revealed through conversations between MassDOT staff and MPO staff during TIP Readiness Day, making this new policy especially relevant at this stage of TIP development.

Staff Recommendation and Draft TIP

Using the evaluation results and information about project readiness (i.e., the extent to which a project is fully designed and ready for construction), MPO staff prepares a recommendation or a series of programming scenarios for how to program the Regional Target funding in the TIP. Other considerations, such as whether a project was included in the LRTP, addresses an identified transportation need, or promotes distribution of transportation investments across the region, are also incorporated into these programming scenarios. The staff recommendation is always financially constrained—meaning, subject to available funding. There was approximately $698 million of Regional Target funding available to the Boston Region MPO for FFYs 2024–28. In this TIP cycle, the MPO board members discussed several scenarios for the Regional Target Program for highway projects and selected a preferred program in March 2023.

In addition to prioritizing the Regional Target funding, the MPO board reviews and endorses the statewide highway program that MassDOT recommends for programming. The board also reviews and endorses programming of funds for the MBTA’s, CATA’s, and MWRTA’s transit capital programs.

Approving The TIP

After selecting a preferred programming scenario, usually in late March, the MPO board votes to release the draft TIP for a 21-day public review period. The comment period typically begins in late April or early May, and during this time the MPO invites members of the public, municipal officials, and other stakeholders in the Boston region to review the proposed program and submit feedback. During the public review period, MPO staff hosts public meetings to discuss the draft TIP document and elicit additional comments.

After the public review period ends, the MPO board reviews all municipal and public comments and may change elements of the document or its programming. The MPO board then endorses the TIP and submits it to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for approval. MassDOT incorporates the MPO-endorsed TIP into the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The FHWA, FTA, and United States Environmental Protection Agency review the STIP for certification by September 30, the close of the federal fiscal year.

Updates To The TIP

Even after the TIP has been finalized, administrative modifications, amendments, and adjustments often must be introduced because of changes in project schedules, project costs, funding sources, or available revenues. This may necessitate reprogramming a project in a different funding year or programming additional funds for a project.

Notices of administrative modifications and amendments are posted on the MPO’s website. If an amendment is necessary, the MPO notifies affected municipalities, stakeholders, and members of the public via email. The MPO typically holds a 21-day public review period before taking final action on an amendment. In extraordinary circumstances, the MPO may vote to shorten the public comment period to a minimum of 15 days. Administrative modifications and adjustments are minor and usually do not warrant a public review period.

Stay Involved With The TIP

Public engagement is an important aspect of the transportation planning process. Please visit bostonmpo.org for more information about the MPO, to view the entire TIP, and to submit your comments. You also may wish to sign up for email news updates and notices by visiting bostonmpo.org/subscribe and submitting your contact information. To request a copy of the TIP in accessible formats, please contact the MPO staff by any of the following means:

Mail: Boston Region MPO c/o CTPS MPO Activities Group, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA 02116-3968

Telephone: 857.702.3700 (voice)

For people with hearing or speaking difficulties, connect through the state MassRelay service:

• Relay Using TTY or Hearing Carry-over: 800.439.2370
• Relay Using Voice Carry-over: 866.887.6619
• Relay Using Text to Speech: 866.645.9870

Email: publicinfo@ctps.org

Back to top