Contents

List of Exhibits

Executive Summary

1 The Transportation Planning and Programming Process in the Boston Region MPO Area

2 Status of the Federal Fiscal Year 2015 UPWP Projects Conducted by Boston Region MPO Staff

3 Index of Projects by Agency

4 Administration and Resource Management Projects

5 Certification Requirements

6 Planning Studies

7 Technical Support/Operations Analysis Projects

8 Boston Region MPO Budget and Operating Summaries

Appendix A: Other Boston Region Transportation- Planning Projects

Appendix B: Public Participation

Appendix C: Federal Fiscal Year 2016 UPWP Universe of Proposed New Projects

Unified Planning

Work Program

Federal Fiscal Year 2016

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

Organization Pre-Circulation Draft

June 11, 2015

PRELIMINARY DRAFT

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization Staff

Directed by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is composed of the:

Massachusetts Department of Transportation

Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

MBTA Advisory Board

Massachusetts Port Authority

Regional Transportation Advisory Council

City of Boston

City of Beverly

City of Everett

City of Newton

City of Somerville

City of Woburn

Town of Arlington

Town of Bedford

Town of Braintree

Town of Framingham

Town of Lexington

Town of Medway

Town of Norwood

Federal Highway Administration (nonvoting)

Federal Transit Administration (nonvoting)

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other federal and state nondiscrimination statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. The MPO does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, English proficiency, income, religious creed, ancestry, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or military service. Any person who believes herself/himself or any specific class of persons to have been subjected to discrimination prohibited by Title VI, ADA, or other nondiscrimination statute or regulation may, herself/himself or via a representative, file a written complaint with the MPO. A complaint must be filed no later than 180 calendar days after the date on which the person believes the discrimination occurred. A complaint form and additional information may be obtained at www.bostonmpo.org or by contacting the MPO staff at 857-702-3700 (voice), 617-570-9193 (TTY), 617-570-9192 (fax), or publicinformation@ctps.org.

To request additional copies of this document or to request it in an accessible format, please contact MPO staff using the methods described below. It is also possible to download the document by visiting www.bostonmpo.org (“Unified Planning Work Program” link).   

Contact MPO staff:

By mail:

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization,

UPWP Manager, Certification Activities Group

10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150                                   

Boston, MA 02116

By telephone: 857-702-3692 (voice), 617-570-9193 (TTY)

By fax: 617-570-9192

By email: publicinformation@ctps.org

This document was funded in part through grants from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Self-Certification Statement

Following MPO endorsement of the final FFY 2016 UPWP, this section will include the MPO’s self-certification statement regarding the federal requirements for the metropolitan transportation planning process. This document will be signed by MPO members.

       List of Exhibits

Following MPO approval to circulate the draft FFY 2016 UPWP for public review, a list of exhibits will be prepared and included in this section.

      Executive Summary

This Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) contains information about surface transportation planning projects that will be conducted in the Boston metropolitan region from October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2016 (federal fiscal year 2016). The UPWP is an essential transportation-planning tool for the region and is often a first step in determining whether or not a capital project will be implemented. The UPWP relates to other planning initiatives conducted by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), and the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport).

The projects and programs will be funded by federal, state, and local sources. This UPWP has been prepared in accordance with Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) provisions and with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant application requirements, planning factors, and other guidance. This UPWP contains (number pending MPO approval) projects and programs, of which (number pending MPO approval) will be performed by the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) on behalf of the MPO, MassDOT, the MBTA and Massport. The remaining (number pending MPO approval) projects will be conducted by individual transportation agencies, municipalities, and academic institutions.

The majority of the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2016 UPWP projects and programs have been ongoing since FFY 2015 (or earlier). However, there are several new projects that the MPO will perform. They are:

•  (Projects will be listed once the draft has been approved by the MPO)

CTPS also will continue to support projects that are being conducted by MassDOT, the MBTA, and other entities. Examples of these are:

• (Projects will be listed once the draft is approved by the MPO)

The UPWP serves two purposes. First, it provides information to government officials, local communities, and the general public about surface transportation planning projects and programs expected to be conducted in the Boston region. Second, it provides budget information to federal and state officials about how the MPO plans to spend federal metropolitan planning funds on projects and programs performed on behalf of the Boston Region MPO. These funds include FHWA metropolitan planning (PL) funds and FTA Section 5303 metropolitan planning funds, which are used to support the MPO’s continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive, or 3C, planning process. 

The UPWP document is structured as follows. Chapter 1 provides general information about the Boston Region MPO, the transportation-planning process, and the funding sources for UPWP projects and programs. In addition, it explains the MPO’s role in programming these funds, and the process the MPO followed to select the projects it was responsible for programming. Chapter 1 includes a chart depicting the MPO’s organizational structure; a map showing the municipalities that are members of each MAPC subregional group; information about the MPO’s vision, goals, and objectives; and a table citing the relationship between MPO-funded UPWP projects and federal planning factors. It also includes a figure showing the UPWP’s relationship to other MPO planning documents, feasibility studies, and other visioning processes.

Chapter 2 provides a status report on the FFY 2016 UPWP projects and programs that were conducted by CTPS and MAPC. It also includes a list of products and activities related to those projects and programs, and information about how to obtain copies of reports, memoranda, and certification documents.

Chapter 3 includes an index of the FFY 2016 UPWP projects and programs, which are organized by the responsible agency.

Chapters 4 through 7 contain project and program descriptions and budget information for MPO work being conducted by CTPS and MAPC, and for work conducted by CTPS on behalf of other transportation-planning entities. Descriptions in these chapters will reflect budget information once the budget has been approved by the MPO.

Chapter 8 provides budget summaries and schedules for the projects and programs included in Chapters 4 through 7, and describes how federal metropolitan planning funds will be spent on projects and programs in this UPWP. Chapter 8 provides federal and state officials with necessary information for approving the use of funds (as documented in the UPWP) and for administering contracts. Budget summary tables will be included in this chapter once the budget has been approved by the MPO. Project schedules will be included in the final FFY 2016 UPWP that is endorsed by the MPO.

Appendix A presents project summaries for other, non-MPO transportation-planning projects, which will be conducted in the Boston region. These projects have separate review and approval processes outside of the MPO’s purview. They are included in the UPWP to provide a comprehensive picture of plans and studies that are expected to take place in the Boston region and to ensure that MPO planning efforts are coordinated with other ongoing work.

Appendix B will be completed after the 30-day public review period and before the final document is presented to the MPO for adoption. It will describe the public participation process used for developing the draft UPWP and the workshops that were held during the public review period. It also will present a summary of written comments on the draft UPWP that were received during the review period, and the MPO’s responses to those comments.

Appendix C contains the document that was developed by staff to catalog and rate proposed UPWP projects. This document was used by the MPO UPWP Committee and the MPO as a guide in selecting new projects.

Back to top

1     The Transportation Planning and Programming Process in the Boston Region MPO Area

This chapter is intended to give the reader an understanding of how the transportation-planning process is conducted in the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) area, including the federal requirements that govern the process, the funding sources used to carry it out, and the implementation of the process from conception to completion.

1.1     The Transportation Planning Process

Decisions about how to spend transportation funds in a metropolitan area are guided by information and ideas garnered from a broad group of people, including elected officials, municipal planners and engineers, transportation advocates, and other interested people. Metropolitan planning organizations are the bodies responsible for providing a forum for this decision-making process. Each metropolitan area in the United States with a population of 50,000 or more—also known as an urbanized area—has an MPO, which decides how to spend federal transportation funds for capital projects and planning studies for the area.

Section 134 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act and Section 5303 of the Federal Transit Act, as amended, require that urbanized areas, to be eligible for federal funds, conduct a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation-planning process (3C process) resulting in plans and programs consistent with the planning objectives of the metropolitan area. The Boston Region MPO is responsible for carrying out the 3C planning process in the Boston region and has established the following objectives for the process:

• To identify transportation problems and develop possible solutions to them
  
  
• To strike a balance between short-range and long-range considerations, so that beneficial incremental actions undertaken now reflect an adequate understanding of probable future consequences and possible future options
  
  
• To take into account both regional and local considerations, and both transportation and non-transportation objectives and impacts, in the analysis of project issues
  
  
• To assist implementing agencies in putting policy and project decisions into effect in a timely fashion, with adequate consideration of environmental, social, fiscal, and economic impacts and with adequate opportunity for participation by other agencies, local governments, and the public
  
  
• To assist implementing agencies in assigning priorities to transportation activities in a manner consistent with the region’s needs and resources
  
  
• To maintain MPO compliance with the requirements of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act (MAP-21), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 12898 (regarding environmental justice), Executive Order 13166 (regarding outreach to populations with limited English-language proficiency), and Executive Order 13330 (regarding the coordination of human-services transportation)

1.2     The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

The Boston Region MPO is a 22-member board consisting of state transportation agencies, regional organizations, and municipalities, and its jurisdiction consists of the 101 cities and towns shown on the map that follows the title page of this document. The permanent MPO voting members are the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the MBTA Advisory Board, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), the City of Boston, and the Regional Transportation Advisory Council. The elected MPO voting members are municipalities. A municipality from each of the eight MAPC subregions has a seat, and there are four at-large municipal seats. The current elected members are:

• City of Beverly – North Shore Task Force
• City of Everett – At-Large City
• City of Newton – At-Large City
• City of Somerville – Inner Core Committee
• City of Woburn – North Suburban Planning Council
• Town of Arlington – At-Large Town
• Town of Bedford – Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination
• Town of Braintree – South Shore Coalition
• Town of Framingham – MetroWest Regional Collaborative
• Town of Lexington – At-Large Town
• Town of Medway – SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee
• Town of Norwood – Three Rivers Interlocal Council

In addition, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) participate in the MPO as advisory (nonvoting) members. Figure 1-1 on the following page shows MPO membership and organization of the Central Transportation Planning Staff (staff to the MPO).

Details about MPO voting members are provided below:

• The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) was established under Chapter 25 (“An Act Modernizing the Transportation Systems of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts”) of the Acts of 2009. It includes four Divisions: Highway, Rail and Transit, Aeronautics, and Registry of Motor Vehicles.
  
  
  • The Highway Division has jurisdiction over the roadways, bridges, and tunnels of the former Massachusetts Highway Department and Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. The Division also has jurisdiction over many bridges and parkways previously under the authority of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. The Highway Division is responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of the Commonwealth's state highways and bridges. The Division is also responsible for overseeing traffic safety and engineering activities for the state highway system; these activities include operating the Highway Operations Control Center to ensure safe road and travel conditions.
    
    
  • The Rail and Transit Division oversees MassDOT’s freight and passenger rail program, and provides oversight of Massachusetts’s 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs), as well as intercity bus, MBTA paratransit (THE RIDE), and a statewide mobility-management effort. The MassDOT Board of Directors serves as the governing board of the Rail and Transit Division and the MBTA.
    

MassDOT has three seats on the MPO, including one for the Highway Division.

• The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is the regional planning agency for the 101 cities and towns in the MAPC/MPO region. It is composed of the chief executive (or her/his designee) of each of the 101 cities and towns in the MAPC region, 21 gubernatorial appointees, and 12 ex-officio members. It has statutory responsibility for comprehensive regional planning in its region under Chapter 40B of the Massachusetts General Laws (MGL). It is the Boston Metropolitan Clearinghouse under Section 204 of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966 and Title VI of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968. Also, its region has been designated an economic development district under Title IV of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended. MAPC’s responsibilities for comprehensive planning include responsibilities in the areas of technical assistance to communities, transportation planning, and development of zoning, land use, demographic, and environmental studies. MAPC activities that are funded with federal metropolitan transportation planning dollars are included in this Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).
  
  
• The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) was created in 1964 and is a body politic and corporate and a political subdivision of the Commonwealth. Under the provisions of Chapter 161A of the MGL, it has the statutory responsibility within its district of operating the public transportation system, preparing the engineering and architectural designs for transit development projects, and constructing and operating transit development projects. The MBTA district comprises 175 communities, including all of the 101 cities and towns of the Boston Region MPO area. A seven-member board of directors is appointed by the governor to be the governing body of both MassDOT and the MBTA (which is part of MassDOT but retains a separate legal existence). The MBTA will provide general transit planning in support of projects in this UPWP.
  
  
• The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Advisory Board was created by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1964 through the same legislation that created the MBTA. The Advisory Board consists of representatives of the 175 cities and towns that compose the MBTA district. Cities are represented by either the city manager or mayor, and towns by the chairperson of the board of selectmen. Specific responsibilities of the Advisory Board include review of and comment on the Program for Mass Transportation (PMT), proposed fare increases, and the annual MBTA Capital Investment Program; review of the MBTA’s documentation of net operating investment per passenger; and review of the MBTA’s operating budget. The MBTA Advisory Board advocates for the transit needs of its member communities and the riding public.
  
  
• The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) has the statutory responsibility under Chapter 465 of the Acts of 1956, as amended, of planning, constructing, owning, and operating such transportation and related facilities as may be necessary for the development and improvement of commerce in Boston and the surrounding metropolitan area. Massport owns and operates Boston Logan International Airport, Conley Terminal, Cruiseport Boston, Hanscom Field, Worcester Regional Airport, and various maritime/waterfront properties, including parks, in East Boston, South Boston, and Charlestown.
  
  
• The City of Boston, six elected cities (currently Beverly, Braintree, Everett, Newton, Somerville, and Woburn), and six elected towns (currently Arlington, Bedford, Framingham, Lexington, Medway, and Norwood) represent the 101 municipalities in the Boston Region MPO area. The City of Boston is a permanent MPO member and has two seats. There is one elected municipal seat for each of the eight MAPC subregions and four seats for at-large elected municipalities (two cities and two towns). The elected at-large municipalities serve staggered three-year terms, as do the eight municipalities representing the MAPC subregions.
  
  
• The Regional Transportation Advisory Council, the MPO’s citizen advisory group, provides the opportunity for transportation-related organizations, non-MPO member agencies, and municipal representatives to become actively involved in the decision-making processes of the MPO as it develops plans and programs transportation projects in the region. The Advisory Council reviews, comments on, and makes recommendations regarding certification documents. It also serves as a forum for providing information on transportation topics in the region, identifying issues, advocating for ways to address the region’s transportation needs, and generating interest among members of the general public in the work of the MPO.

As noted above, two members participate in the Boston Region MPO in an advisory (nonvoting) capacity, reviewing the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), the UPWP, and other facets of the MPO’s planning process to ensure compliance with federal planning and programming requirements:

• The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) oversee the highway and transit programs, respectively, of the U.S. Department of Transportation under pertinent legislation and the provisions of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

Two other entities assist MPO members in carrying out the responsibilities of the MPO’s 3C planning process through policy implementation, technical support, and public participation:

• The Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) was created by the MPO to carry out general and 3C transportation-planning activities on behalf of the MPO and to provide agencies with analyses required for the work described in this document and other agency initiatives.
  
  
• The MAPC subregional groups bring together representatives (usually appointed or elected officials or their staff) of the communities within a subregion of the MAPC region to address shared concerns regarding transportation and land use. MAPC has promoted and supported the formation of subregional groups in order to foster better communication and cooperation among municipalities. They have played an important role in the MPO’s participatory process, including development of the LRTP, TIP, and UPWP project priorities. The MAPC subregional groups and their member municipalities are shown in Figure 1-2.

1.3      The Unified Planning Work Program          

This UPWP contains information about surface-transportation planning projects that will be conducted in the Boston metropolitan region. It is updated annually; this UPWP reflects projects that will be conducted during the period October 1, 2015, through September 30, 2016 (federal fiscal year 2016). The UPWP is an essential transportation-planning tool for the region and often a first step in determining whether or not a project will be implemented. It is integrally related to other planning initiatives conducted by the Boston Region MPO, as well as by MassDOT, the MBTA, and Massport.

1.3.1    Consistency with Federal Planning Regulations

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act (MAP-21)

This legislation requires all MPOs to carry out the 3C process (see page 1-1). Activities the MPOs must perform to meet this requirement include producing the LRTP, the TIP, and the UPWP.

• The Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) guides investment in the transportation system of the Boston metropolitan region for at least the next 20 years. It defines an overarching vision of the future of transportation in the region, establishes policies that will lead to the achievement of that vision, and allocates projected revenue to transportation programs and projects consistent with the policies. The Boston Region MPO produces an LRTP every four years. Paths to a Sustainable Region, the LRTP that the MPO endorsed in 2011, was in effect during development of this document. The MPO is scheduled to endorse its next LRTP, Charting Progress to 2040, in 2015.
  
  
• The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is a staged, multiyear, intermodal program of transportation improvements that is consistent with the LRTP. It describes and prioritizes transportation projects that are expected to be implemented during a four-year period, and contains a financial plan that shows the revenue source or sources, current or proposed, for each project. The TIP serves as the implementation arm of the MPO’s LRTP, and the Boston Region MPO updates the TIP annually.
  

MPOs also are responsible for conducting an inclusive public participation process, and for maintaining transportation models and data resources to support air quality conformity determinations, as well as long-range and short-range planning work and initiatives.

The MAP-21 legislation establishes national goals for federal highway programs. These goals include:

1. Safety—To achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads
   
   
2. Infrastructure condition—To maintain the highway infrastructure asset system in a state of good repair
   
   
3. Congestion reduction—To achieve a significant reduction in congestion on the National Highway System
   
   
4. System reliability—To improve the efficiency of the surface transportation system
   
   
5. Freight movement and economic vitality—To improve the national freight network, strengthen the ability of rural communities to access national and international trade markets, and support regional economic development
   
   
6. Environmental sustainability—To enhance the performance of the transportation system while protecting and enhancing the natural environment
   
   
7. Reduced project delivery delays—To reduce project costs, promote jobs and the economy, and expedite the movement of people and goods by accelerating project completion through eliminating delays in the project development and delivery process, including reducing regulatory burdens and improving agencies’ work practices

MAP-21 also establishes performance-based planning as an integral part of the metropolitan planning process. Performance-based planning and programming refers to practices that apply performance-management principles to transportation system policy and investment decisions. In other words, a system-level, data-driven process is used to make decisions about strategies and investments. 1 MAP-21 requires that each MPO establish performance measures and targets that track progress toward attaining critical outcomes for its region and stipulates that these targets should be coordinated with those of relevant state agencies and public transportation providers to ensure consistency. 2 The Boston Region MPO has begun formalizing the framework of its performance-based planning process, and information about the MPO’s work with respect to performance measures is detailed in the Long-Range Transportation Plan (page 5-XX), the Transportation Improvement Program (page 5-XX), and the Congestion Management Process (page 6-XX) project descriptions.

Consistency with Other Federal Legislative Requirements

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

Conformity determinations must be performed for capital improvement projects that receive federal funding and for those that are considered regionally significant, regardless of the funding source. These determinations must show that the MPO’s LRTP and TIP will not cause or contribute to any new air quality violations, will not increase the frequency or severity of any existing air quality violations in any area, and will not delay the timely attainment of the air quality standards in any area.

Transportation control measures (TCMs) identified in the State Implementation Plan (SIP) for attaining air-quality standards are federally enforceable and must be given first priority when using federal funds. Such projects include the parking-freeze program in Boston, the statewide rideshare program, rapid transit and commuter rail extension programs, park-and-ride facilities, residential parking-sticker programs, and the operation of high-occupancy-vehicle lanes. MPO activities related to air quality are detailed in the Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities (page 5-XX) program description. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 40 CFR Parts 51 and 93—Conformity Regulation established the policy, criteria, and procedures for demonstrating air quality conformity in the MPO region. 

Non-discrimination Mandates

The Boston Region MPO complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ADA, and other federal and state non-discrimination statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. The MPO does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, English proficiency, income, religious creed, ancestry, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or military service. The major federal requirements are discussed below.

Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act

This statute requires that no person be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin, under any program or activity provided by an agency receiving federal financial assistance.

Executive Order 13166, dated August 11, 2000, extends Title VI protections to persons who, as a result of national origin, have limited English proficiency (LEP). Specifically, it calls for improved access to federally-conducted and federally-assisted programs and activities and requires MPOs to develop and implement a system by which LEP persons can meaningfully participate in the transportation-planning process.

MPO activities that meet these requirements are discussed in the Boston Region MPO Title VI Reporting, the MassDOT Title VI Program, and the MBTA Title VI Program Monitoring project descriptions listed in chapters 5, 6, and 7.

Environmental Justice Executive Orders

Executive Order 12898, dated February 11, 1994, further expands upon Title VI, requiring each federal agency to achieve environmental justice by identifying and addressing any disproportionately high adverse human health or environmental effects, including interrelated social and economic effects, of its programs, policies, and activities on minority or low-income populations.

On April 15, 1997, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued its Final Order to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations. Among other provisions, this order requires programming and planning activities to:

• Explicitly consider the effects of transportation decisions on minority and low-income populations
  
  
• Provide meaningful opportunities for public involvement by members of minority and low-income populations
  
  
• Gather (where relevant, appropriate, and practical) demographic information such as the race, color, national origin, and income level of the populations affected by transportation decisions
  
  
• Minimize or mitigate any adverse impact on minority or low-income populations

MPO activities that meet these requirements are discussed in Chapter 5.

The Americans with Disabilities Act

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all transportation projects, plans, and programs to be accessible to people with disabilities. At the MPO level, this means that public meetings must be held in accessible buildings and be conducted in a manner that provides for accessibility. MPO materials must also be made available in accessible formats. MPO activities that meet these requirements are discussed in Chapter 5.

Executive Order 13330

This executive order, dated February 26, 2004, calls for the establishment of the Interagency Transportation Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility under the aegis of the Secretary of Transportation. This executive order reinforces both environmental justice and ADA requirements by charging the Council with developing policies and methods for improving access for persons with disabilities, low-income persons, and older adults. MPO activities related to the above federal requirements are detailed in Chapter 5.

Consistency with Federal Planning Factors and Other Federal Guidance

Federal Planning Factors

MAP-21 maintains the federal planning factors that were included in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). These planning factors are:

1. Support the economic vitality of the metropolitan area, especially by enabling global competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency
   
   
2. Increase the safety of the transportation system for all motorized and nonmotorized users
   
   
3. Increase the ability of the transportation system to support homeland security and to safeguard the personal security of all motorized and nonmotorized users
   
   
4. Increase accessibility and mobility of people and freight
   
   
5. Protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation improvements and state and local planned growth and economic development patterns
   
   
6. Enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across and between modes, for people and freight
   
   
7. Promote efficient system management and operation
   
   
8. Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system

These planning factors are reflected in the LRTP visions described on pages 1-XX through 1- XX and were incorporated in the rating of projects for this UPWP (see Section 1.4.3 of this chapter). Projects specifically relating to these planning factors are detailed in Chapters 4 through 7. A summary of the amount of money being spent for these projects can be found in Chapter 8. Table 1-1 provides a summary of how projects and programs in this UPWP that receive federal formula grant funding to carry out the 3C process address the federal planning factors.

Other Federal Guidance

In addition, this year FHWA and FTA asked MPOs to consider the following guidance when developing their UPWPs:

• Continuing support for performance-based practices in metropolitan planning, as part of implementing MAP-21
  
  
• Addressing bicycle and pedestrian safety concerns
  
  
• Addressing climate change concerns
  
  
• Continuing to focus on Title VI, Environmental Justice (EJ), and Limited-English-Proficiency (LEP) programs and requirements, and working to ensure that all members of the community have access
  
  
• Continuing to implement recommendations from recent metropolitan transportation planning certification reviews
  
  
• Ensuring that at least a third of metropolitan planning funding is spent on activities resulting in tangible products
  
  
• Supporting training and professional development of staff on transportation planning topics
  
  
• Ensuring a regional approach to transportation planning through regional models of cooperation
  
  
• Supporting access to essential services, including for traditionally underserved populations
  
  
• The MPO has programmed or otherwise incorporated initiatives into the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2016 UPWP in compliance with this federal guidance; these are included in Chapters 4 through 7.

Continued Support for Performance-Based Planning

Work to incorporate performance-based planning into Boston Region MPO activities, as required by MAP-21, has been underway for several years. In FFY 2014, MPO staff developed recommendations related to performance-based planning and coordinated with MassDOT and other entities on this topic. During FFY 2015, as part of updating its LRTP, the MPO established goals and objectives that align with national goals. It also developed performance measures and analyzed some performance measure trends over time to identify priorities and demonstrate how MPO investment decisions are making progress toward achieving the MPO goals. To complement this work, The MPO also used scenario planning as part of its LRTP development process in order to refine its goals and objectives, and to see how different combinations of transportation investments might advance performance measures related to MPO goals. During FFY 2015, MPO staff also continued to incorporate performance-based planning into TIP development. MPO staff tracked safety and system preservation measures and established baselines for measures in other goal areas. Staff also reported on how MPO investments through the TIP are making progress toward MPO goals.

In FFY 2016, the Boston Region MPO will continue to incorporate formalized performance-based planning practices in its planning and operations. Anticipated activities related to performance-based planning are included in the Long-Range Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Program descriptions (pages 5-XX and 5-XX, respectively). These include monitoring trends, establishing targets, and reporting on the MPO’s performance goals. The MPO also will continue scenario planning on an ongoing basis to explore how various transportation investments may support MPO goals; this is discussed in the Long-Range Transportation Plan program description.

The MPO coordinates performance-based planning activities in the LRTP and TIP with work carried out through the Congestion Management Program (described on page 6-XX). The LRTP, the TIP, and the CMP programs all conduct performance monitoring to support MPO planning. The MPO will continue to coordinate with MassDOT, the MBTA, MAPC, and other entities as part of its performance-based planning process, and will address performance management requirements once the final rule on metropolitan and statewide planning is published.

The MPO also considers performance-based planning needs and issues when deciding what activities to fund through the UPWP. The process for selecting new projects for the UPWP, which is discussed in detail in Section 1.4.3, “New Study Selection Process,” included an effort to rate proposed projects by various UPWP focus areas. These focus areas, which were used to support development of staff and the MPO’s UPWP Committee recommendations for new projects for FFY 2016, include an area titled “Supports Performance-Based Planning.” Of the new projects recommended for inclusion in this UPWP, two gave this focus area primary consideration, and one gave it secondary consideration. (Note: This paragraph will be updated as needed depending on the projects ultimately approved by the MPO.)

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety

The MPO addresses the safety needs of active transportation modes, such as bicycling and walking, throughout its planning activities. Bicycle and pedestrian safety and access criteria are used in the TIP project evaluation process, and bicycle and pedestrian needs are considered as part of corridor studies, Community Transportation Technical Assistance projects, Livable Community Workshop Program projects, and bicycle and pedestrian planning work conducted under the Alternative-Mode Planning and Coordination program (see Chapters 6 and 7).

The MPO’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Support Activities program specifically targets this issue; activities planned for this program in FFY 2015 include continuing to examine bicycle and pedestrian crash data and continuing to coordinate with state agencies, MAPC, and other entities on bicycle and pedestrian planning for the region (see page 6-XX). During FFY 2016, the MPO may consider developing possible future strategic bicycle and pedestrian safety plans as part of this program. MPO staff also will continue to monitor bicycle and pedestrian plans being developed by MassDOT and others agencies.

Other studies in this UPWP, including Pedestrian Level-of-Service Metric Development (recommended by UPWP Committee) and the Fairmount Line Station Access Analysis (page 6-XX) will also recommend methodologies or improvements that address bicycle and pedestrian safety needs. (Note: This paragraph will be updated as needed depending on the projects ultimately approved by the MPO.)

Addressing Climate Change Concerns

The MPO continues to consider climate change in transportation planning through its ongoing work. Through the Air Quality Conformity Determinations and Support program (page 5-XX), the MPO integrates climate-change concerns and emission-reduction opportunities into the LRTP, TIP, and other activities, and continues to coordinate with MassDOT to implement its GreenDOT policy (see Section 1.3.2). MPO staff supports all-hazards planning as part of 3C Planning and MPO Support Activities (page 5-XX) and has continued to update its all-hazards data resources and monitor climate change adaptation planning and activities. During FFY 2016, MPO staff also will continue to monitor MassDOT vulnerability assessments—including results of the 2013–14 FHWA-funded climate resilience pilot focused on the Central Artery and its Climate Change Adaptation Plan: Phase I Transportation Asset Vulnerability Assessment—and consider opportunities to incorporate findings into the MPO’s planning for climate change.

Civil Rights Programs and Requirements

The MPO’s ongoing and continuing projects and programs include elements that address the needs and participation of minority, low-income, and LEP populations, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The MPO’s Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support program (page 5-XX) is specifically focused on the transportation needs of these populations. Other programs, including 3C Planning and MPO Support (page 5-XX), Access Advisory Committee Support (page 5-XX), and Provision of Materials in Accessible Formats (page 5-XX), include activities that support and encourage participation of these populations in the transportation decision-making process. In all of these transportation-planning activities, MPO staff, frequently in collaboration with MAPC, assesses and seeks to improve processes to provide access to both the region’s transportation system and the decision-making process for people throughout the MPO region. CTPS also conducts Title VI analysis for the MPO, MassDOT, and the MBTA, as described in Chapters 6 and 7. While conducting all of these activities, the MPO works in consultation with MassDOT’s Office of Diversity and Civil Rights. The MPO also will work with Regional Coordination Councils (RCCs) in the Boston region, as described in the Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support program (page 5-XX).

The focus areas used to rate new discrete projects for the FFY 2016 UPWP included an area called “Consider Transportation Equity and Accessibility.” Criteria for this focus area included not only improvements to transportation service and infrastructure serving these populations, but also an element for strengthening the role of these populations in transportation decision making. Of the new projects recommended by the UPWP Committee for FFY 2016, the Systemwide Environmental Justice /Title VI Assessment for TIP Projects (7-XX) particularly addresses the needs of these populations. Also, the Fairmount Line Station Access Analysis project, which is continuing from FFY 2015, addresses bicycle and pedestrian access for those living and working in the vicinity of the Fairmount Line, including low-income, minority, and LEP populations. (Note: This paragraph will be updated as needed depending on the projects ultimately approved by the MPO.)

Recommendations from Recent Metropolitan Transportation Planning Certification Reviews

The FHWA and the FTA conducted a Transportation Planning Certification Review of the Boston Region MPO’s transportation planning process in December 2014 and January 2015. As of May 2015, the report of FHWA and FTA findings, which will contain commendations and recommendations for the MPO’s process, was being finalized. Chapters 4 through 7 of this UPWP detail the initiatives expected to take place in various MPO programs and projects during FFY 2016. MPO staff may undertake other activities as part of these programs and projects in response to the final Certification Review report.

Tangible Products of Planning Activities

The MPO meets and exceeds federal guidelines for expenditure of metropolitan planning funds on tangible products. The MPO considers planning-project feasibility and implementation factors when selecting projects to fund with 3C dollars, including particular locations to study. The MPO maintains a practice of coordinating with MassDOT and other entities, where possible, if there is an opportunity to advance the study recommendations into tangible products.

Regional Models of Cooperation

In addition to the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, four other MPOs are in the Boston urbanized area (UZA): the Merrimack Valley, Northern Middlesex, Old Colony, and Southeastern Massachusetts MPOs. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) is in place that describes areas of cooperation and coordination among MPOs in the Boston Urbanized area, such as sharing draft certification documents for review, notifications of meetings, and attending one another’s MPO meetings. The Boston UZA MPOs are discussing updating the MOU in FFY 2015 and FFY 2016. The Boston Region MPO meets periodically with the other four MPOs through the Northside UZA Group (Boston Region, Merrimack Valley, and Northern Middlesex) and the Southside UZA Group (Boston Region, Old Colony, and Southeastern Massachusetts MPOs). In these UZA meetings, the MPOs share information on important projects and initiatives, such as cross-border projects in the LRTPs and TIPs of more than one MPO and planning methods and approaches. In addition, all of the five MPOs notify each other about all MPO activities and meeting agendas, and invite mutual participation in development and review of their certification documents. These activities are supported through various programs throughout this UPWP, but most specifically the 3C Planning and MPO Support program (page 5-XX). The MPO staff also regularly participates in monthly meetings of all MPO/Regional Planning Agency (RPA) transportation managers in Massachusetts, which are convened by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA), which provide opportunities for collaboration.

Access to Essential Services

The MPO monitors and considers access to essential services—such as employment, health care, education, and recreation destinations—through a variety of activities. As part of the Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support program (page 5-XX), MPO staff will continue to map and analyze access to key destinations within selected EJ areas of concern in the MPO region, as well as destinations identified in the Coordinated Public Transit–Human Services Transportation Plan (CTPHST) and in Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support program (5-XX) outreach to MPO communities of concern. This program also supports special studies to examine how to improve access and increase transportation options for transportation disadvantaged communities, among other topics. The Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support program, the Access Advisory Committee Support program (page 5-XX), and the MPO’s general public participation program (part of the 3C Planning and MPO support program (page 5-XX)), all support ongoing outreach and provide forums for transportation service providers and others to identify solutions for improving access and connectivity. Finally, ongoing outreach, data collection, and updates to the LRTP Needs Assessment, supported by the Long-Range Transportation Plan program (page 5-XX), will improve the MPO’s understanding of where and how the transportation system can be improved to enhance access to essential services.

Staff Training and Professional Development

The MPO, through its ongoing 3C-funded programs, makes resources available for the MPO staff to maintain its transportation-planning expertise by participating in courses, programs, and workshops offered by the FHWA, the FTA, the Transportation Research Board (TRB), and other entities. More information on these topics is available in the Direct Support (page 4-XX) and 3C Planning and MPO Support project descriptions (page 5-XX).

The MPO also considers opportunities to enhance its and the MPO’ staff’s technical knowledge and planning capacity when deciding what activities to fund through the UPWP. In particular, the MPO anticipates that the  Research Projects Generated by MPO Staff project (page 7-XX) (UPWP Committee-recommended project), which funds staff independent research projects, will support professional development as well as generate valuable information for the region’s transportation planning process. (Note: This paragraph will be updated as needed depending on the projects ultimately approved by the MPO.)

1.3.2 Coordination with Other Planning Activities

The MPO’s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

During the development of this UPWP, Paths to a Sustainable Region, the LRTP approved in 2011, was still in effect, while Charting Progress to 2040, the 2015 update to the LRTP, was in development. MPO staff accounted for the content of both of these LRTPs when developing this UPWP.

Paths to a Sustainable Region

Paths to a Sustainable Region describes the visions and policies that have guided the MPO since its adoption in 2011. While the vision, goals and objectives of Charting Progress to 2040 were still in development,the MPO considered the degree to which a proposed UPWP project would further the visions and policies documented in Paths to a Sustainable Region. MPO staff identified which visions were addressed by each candidate project, and both the visions and policies were incorporated in the UPWP focus areas detailed in Section 1.4.3. The Paths to a Sustainable Region LRTP visions include:

1. System Preservation, Modernization, and Efficiency
   
   The regional transportation system will be maintained to a state of good repair and will operate with maximum efficiency. It will be reliable and modern and will provide improved mobility regionwide. Automobile dependency will be reduced, and the transit system will serve more people. Modernization of the existing system will provide access and accessibility throughout for all; additions to the transportation system will also be fully accessible for persons of all abilities.
   
   Efficiencies and operational improvements will come through ongoing system preservation, use of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and other technologies, management and operations strategies, and a balanced program of strategic investments. Innovative approaches will reduce auto dependency and actively promote other modes of transportation.
   
   Expansion of the system will come through strategic investments.
   
   
2. Livability
   
   All residents will have the capability of moving affordably between where they live, work, get services, and play using healthy transportation options that promote a healthy lifestyle. Multimodal transportation will serve business, residential, and mixed-use centers. Transportation investments will focus on existing activity centers, including sites of economic activity and adequate public infrastructure, where density will be encouraged. These centers of community activity will grow in population density and diversity of uses. This density and mixed-use activity will better support new and increased transit services. Investments in bicycle and pedestrian facilities and in accessibility improvements will support healthy lifestyle choices and increase mobility for everyone, including people with disabilities. Community centers will thrive with the implementation of “complete streets” and context-sensitive design principles; urban design changes in community centers will create more human-scale and aesthetically pleasing community environments. The design of the transportation network will protect cultural, historical, and scenic resources, community cohesiveness, and quality of life.
   
   The transportation network will play its part as a foundation for economic vitality. Energy use will be managed efficiently and alternative energy sources used.
   
   
3. Mobility
   
   People in most areas of all corridors in the region will have access to transportation to jobs, education and training, health services, and social and recreational opportunities. This includes persons with disabilities, the elderly, youth, minorities, and persons with low incomes or with limited English proficiency. More communities will have more transportation options, both motorized and nonmotorized. The transportation infrastructure will accommodate freight and commercial activity as well as passenger needs. Freight will be moved efficiently by all freight modes.
   
   The transportation system and services will be reliable. Delays, congestion, and travel time will be reduced. Transit ridership and use of sustainable options will be increased. The system will meet people’s needs; funding decisions will be guided by attention to customer service. Existing transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities will be linked in a network.
   
   
4. Environment
   
   Human and environmental health will be considered in transportation decision making. With transportation investments targeted to areas of existing development, many greenfields will be preserved, many brownfields will be restored and reused, and water and sewer infrastructure and other utilities will be more cost-effectively maintained. Air quality will be improved as the full range of regulated vehicle emissions (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulates) and carbon dioxide are reduced to required and/or targeted levels. The transportation project design process will avoid or minimize negative impacts to wetlands, soil, water, and other environmental resources. Context-sensitive design principles will be implemented to protect communities’ cultural, historical, and scenic resources, community cohesiveness, quality of life, and aesthetic environments.
   
   
5. Transportation Equity
   
   Low-income and minority residents, as well as the elderly, youth, and persons for whom English is a second language (ESL populations), will enjoy, on a level equitable with others, mobility and access to affordable transportation options that connect them with jobs, educational institutions, and services. Environmental burdens from transportation facilities and services (existing and future) will be minimized for these persons; low-income and minority persons will not be inequitably burdened. Expansion projects will address regional needs.
   
   
6. Climate Change
   
   The production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the transportation sector in this region will be reduced to levels that contribute appropriately to the statewide targets set by the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act. The MPO region will have joined with other entities in Massachusetts and the Northeast to slow and perhaps prevent the onset of serious climate change effects. The MPO, in consultation and cooperation with state and federal agencies planning action on GHG reduction, will have adopted GHG reduction goals and taken the steps necessary to meet them. Critical elements of the region’s transportation infrastructure that may be vulnerable to the impacts of climate change will have been identified and protected.
   
   
7. Safety and Security
   
   All modes of the transportation network, passenger and freight, will provide transportation that is safe, personally and operationally, to the maximum feasible degree. The number and severity of crashes will have been reduced. State-of-the practice ITS measures and surveillance communication systems will have been deployed on the transit system to minimize vulnerability to security breaches. Transit malfunctions will have been reduced.
   
   Steps will have been taken to protect the viability of transportation infrastructure critical to emergency response and evacuations necessitated by natural hazards and man-made threats.

Charting Progress to 2040

Development of Charting Progress to 2040 began in FFY 2014 and continued through 2015, and the plan is scheduled to be adopted in July 2015. MPO staff monitored the content and status of the proposed vision, goals, and objectives for Charting Progress to 2040 as they continued to evolve. The finalversions of the visions, goals, and objectives are shown in Figure 1-3. Where applicable, the goals and objectives were incorporated in the UPWP focus areas detailed in Section 1.4.3. Anticipated work to implement Charting Progress to 2040 and to support long-range transportation planning is detailed on page 5-XX. In FFY 2016 and future years, the MPO will further coordinate the development and outputs of the LRTP, the TIP, and the UPWP as it refines the MPO’s performance-based planning framework and practice.

CHARTING PROGRESS TO 2040 ViSION, Goals, and Objectives

CENTRAL VISION STATEMENT

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization envisions a modern transportation system that is safe, uses new technologies, provides equitable access, excellent mobility, and varied transportation options—in support of a sustainable, healthy, livable, and economically vibrant region.

Safety Goals

Transportation by all modes will be safe

Safety Objectives

• Reduce number and severity of crashes, all modes
  
• Reduce serious injuries and fatalities from transportation
  
• Protect transportation customers and employees from safety and security threats (Note: The MPO action will be to incorporate security investments into capital planning.)

System Preservation Goals

Maintain the transportation system

System Preservation Objectives

• Improve condition of on- and off-system bridges
  
  
• Improve pavement conditions on MassDOT-monitored roadway system
  
  
• Maintain and modernize capital assets, including transit assets, throughout the system
  
• Prioritize projects that support planned response capability to existing or future extreme conditions (sea level rise, flooding, and other natural and security-related man-made hazards)
  
  
• Protect freight network elements, such as port facilities, that are vulnerable to climate-change impacts

Capacity Management/Mobility Goals

Use existing facility capacity more efficiently and increase healthy transportation capacity

Capacity Management/Mobility Objectives

• Improve reliability of transit
  
  
• Implement roadway management and operations strategies, constructing improvements to the bicycle and pedestrian network, and supporting community-based transportation
  
  
• Create connected network of bicycle and accessible sidewalk facilities (at both regional and neighborhood scale) by expanding existing facilities and closing gaps
  
  
• Increase automobile and bicycle parking capacity and usage at transit stations
  
  
• Increase percentage of population and places of employment within one-quarter mile of transit stations and stops
  
  
• Increase percentage of population and places of employment with access to bicycle facilities
  
  
• Improve access to and accessibility of transit and active modes
  
  
• Support community-based and private-initiative services and programs to meet last mile, reverse commute and other non- traditional transit/transportation needs, including those of the elderly and persons with disabilities
  
  
• Eliminate bottlenecks on the freight network
  
  
• Enhance intermodal connections
  
  
• Emphasize capacity management through low-cost investments; give priority to projects that focus on lower-cost O&M-type improvements such as intersection improvements and Complete Streets solutions

Clean Air/Clean Communities Goals

Create an environmentally friendly transportation system

Clean Air/Clean Communities Objectives

• Reduce greenhouse gases generated in the Boston region by all transportation modes as outlined in the Global Warming Solutions Act 
  
  
• Reduce other transportation-related pollutants
  
  
• Minimize negative environmental impacts of the transportation system
  
  
• Support land use policies consistent with smart and healthy growth

Transportation Equity Goals

Provide comparable transportation access and service quality among communities, regardless of income level or minority population

Transportation Equity Objectives

• Target investments to areas that benefit a high percentage of low-income and minority populations 
  
  
• Minimize any burdens associated with MPO-funded projects in low- income and minority areas
  
  
• Break down barriers to participation in MPO-decision making

Economic Vitality Goals

Ensure our transportation network 
provides a strong foundation for economic vitality

Economic Vitality Objectives

• Respond to the mobility needs of the 25–34-year-old workforce
  
  
• Minimize the burden of housing and transportation costs for residents in the region
  
  
• Prioritize transportation investments that serve targeted development sites
  
  
• Prioritize transportation investments consistent with the compact-growth strategies of MetroFuture

The MPO’s Congestion Management Process (CMP)

The purpose of the CMP is to 1) monitor and analyze the performance of facilities and services; 2) develop strategies for the management of congestion based on the results of monitoring; and 3) move those strategies into the implementation stage by providing decision makers in the region with information and recommendations for the improvement of transportation system performance. The CMP monitors roadways and park-and-ride facilities in the MPO region for safety, congestion, and mobility, and identifies “problem” locations. Projects that help address problems identified in the most recent CMP monitoring were considered for inclusion in this UPWP. Examples include Priority Corridors for LRTP Needs Assessment: FFY 2016 (page 6-XX), and Safety and Operations at Selected Intersections: FFY 2016 (page 6-XX) (both UPWP Committee-recommended projects). Work being done in the FFY 2016 UPWP to support the CMP is detailed on page 6‑XX. (Note: This paragraph will be updated as needed depending on the projects ultimately approved by the MPO.)

The MBTA’s Program for Mass Transportation (PMT)

In 2009, the MBTA adopted its current PMT, which is the MBTA’s long-range capital plan. The PMT was developed with extensive public involvement and was approved by the MBTA Advisory Board. The PMT informs the UPWP development process and work included in the UPWP will support the PMT planning process. Activities to develop the next PMT are underway, and during FFY 2016 MPO staff will monitor their progress.

MetroFuture

MetroFuture, which was developed by MAPC and adopted in 2008, is the long-range plan for land use, housing, economic development, and environmental preservation in the Boston region. It includes a vision for the region’s future and a set of strategies for achieving that future, and is the foundation for land use projections used in Charting Progress to 2040, Work being done to support MetroFuture implementation and updates is detailed in the MetroFuture Implementation project description on page 6-XX. MetroFuture’s goals, objectives, and strategies were considered in the development of this UPWP, including in the UPWP focus areas used to rate proposed new projects.

You Move Massachusetts and We Move Massachusetts

You Move Massachusetts, a statewide initiative designed as a bottom-up approach to transportation planning, developed 10 core themes derived from a broad-based public participation process that articulated the expressed concerns, needs, and aspirations of Massachusetts residents that are related to their transportation network. These themes were considered in the development of this UPWP.

We Move Massachusetts (WMM) is MassDOT’s statewide strategic multimodal plan. The initiative is a product of the transportation reform legislation of 2009, You Move Massachusetts civic engagement process, wider outreach to environmental justice and Title VI communities, and other outreach activities. In May 2014, MassDOT released We Move Massachusetts: Planning for Performance (WMM), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ 2040 LRTP. WMM identifies high-level policy priorities, which were considered in the development of this UPWP. WMM also incorporates performance management into investment decision-making to calculate the differences in performance outcomes resulting from different funding levels available to MassDOT. In the future, MassDOT will use the scenario tool, described in WMM, to update and refine investment priorities.

GreenDOT and MassDOT’s Statewide Mode-Shift Goal

GreenDOT, an initiative that MassDOT launched in June 2010, is a comprehensive environmental responsibility and sustainability policy that has three primary objectives: 1) reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; 2) promoting the healthy transportation options of walking, bicycling, and public transit; and 3) supporting smart-growth development. GreenDOT applies to MassDOT divisions and contractors, as well as to Massachusetts’s MPOs and regional transit authorities (RTAs). It responds to several critical laws and policies, which include:

• The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) of 2008, which establishes legally enforceable requirements that Massachusetts significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions
  
  
• The Healthy Transportation Compact, which is discussed later in this section
  
  
• Executive Orders 484 (Leading by Example) and 515 (Environmental Purchasing Policy), which require state agencies to invest public resources in ways that support environmental sustainability by conserving energy and water, implementing efficiency measures, and producing or purchasing renewable energy

The GreenDOT Implementation Plan serves as the framework for incorporating the sustainability principles of GreenDOT into MassDOT’s core business practices. The plan details 16 broad sustainability goals and related measurable tasks and performance indicators. These goals include MassDOT’s statewide mode-shift goal, which aims to triple the current mode shares of bicycling, public transit, and walking by 2030. The statewide mode-shift goal is an important part of MassDOT’s strategy for meeting the Commonwealth’s commitments under the GWSA. In 2013, MassDOT built upon the mode‑shift goal by passing the Healthy Transportation Policy Directive to formalize its commitment to the implementation and maintenance of transportation networks that serve all modes. The directive will ensure that all MassDOT projects are designed and implemented in a way that provides all customers access to safe and comfortable walking, bicycling, and transit options.

The goals outlined in the GreenDOT Implementation Plan, including the statewide mode-shift goal, were considered in developing this UPWP. Multiple programs and projects in this UPWP address GreenDOT sustainability goals, including the mode shift goal. Examples include the Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities (page 5-XX) and Bicycle/Pedestrian Support Activities (6-XX) programs. MPO staff also will continue to monitor and coordinate with MassDOT programs and initiatives that further GreenDOT goals.   

Healthy Transportation Compact

The Healthy Transportation Compact (HTC) is a key requirement of the Massachusetts landmark transportation reform legislation that took effect on November 1, 2009. It is an interagency initiative that will help ensure that the transportation decisions the Commonwealth makes balance the needs of all transportation users, expand mobility, improve public health, support a cleaner environment, and create stronger communities.

Participating agencies work together to achieve positive health outcomes through the coordination of land use, transportation, and public health policy. HTC membership is made up of the Secretary of Transportation or designee (co-chair), the Secretary of Health and Human Services or designee (co-chair), the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs or designee, the MassDOT Highway Administrator or designee, the MassDOT Transit Administrator or designee, and the Commissioner of Public Health or designee. The HTC will also promote improved coordination among the public sector, private sector, and advocacy groups, as well as among transportation, land use, and public health stakeholders. The charges of the Healthy Transportation Compact were considered developing this UPWP, and MPO activities that relate to the Healthy Transportation Compact are discussed in the Bicycle/Pedestrian Support Activities (6-XX) MetroFuture Implementation (page 6-XX), Alternative-Mode Planning and Coordination (7-XX), and Livable Community Workshop Program (page 7-XX) descriptions. MPO staff has also supported health impact assessments and addressed health-related topics through analysis for MassDOT-funded transportation- planning projects, such as the Grounding McGrath: Determining the Future of the Route 28 Corridor project. This work has enabled MPO staff to develop expertise in health impact assessments, and to better understand the relationship between public health and transportation, which the MPO can use to inform its transportation planning process.

Figure 1-4 shows the relationship of the UPWP to other transportation-planning documents, including those described above.

1.4     The UPWP Development Process

Each year the MPO considers projects for the annual update of the UPWP through its UPWP Committee. The UPWP documents new projects and projects that are continuing from previous UPWPs, and itprovides updates on the MPO’s ongoing programs that fulfill the 3C process outlined above.

1.4.1    Updates for Ongoing and Continuing Activities

As part of developing the upcoming UPWP, the MPO reviews activities for 1) ongoing projects and programs and 2) discrete (or limited-term) projects that began as part of previous UPWPs. Collectively, these projects and programs include both 3C-funded activities and projects completed on behalf of transportation agencies that serve the Boston region. As part of this process, the MPO staff identifies and develops budgets for continuing activities that will be carried out in the upcoming federal fiscal year.

In addition, MPO staff reviews and revises descriptions of activities to be conducted through the ongoing programs conducted as part of the 3C planning process. If there are changes to the budget of any program as a result of revisions to the planned activities, these are proposed.

This annual project and program review and budget development process defines the amount of 3C funding (from federal grants that support the 3C process) that is available for new projects in the UPWP. After accounting for 3C-funded continuing and ongoing programs, the remaining funding is available for new projects.

To provide a comprehensive perspective of transportation-planning activity occurring in the region, MPO staff members also develop a list of other major transportation-planning activities occurring in the Boston region. This list includes projects that are not funded with MPO funding, but which are being implemented by individual transportation agencies, municipalities, or academic institutions. In some cases, these projects may receive support from MPO staff.

Additional information on funding sources for UPWP projects and programs is available in section 1.5: Funding the Projects.

1.4.2    FFY 2016 UPWP Universe of Proposed New Projects

To develop new planning projects for the FFY 2016 UPWP, the MPO drew from the following sources to generate a universe of proposed new projects for evaluation by MPO staff and the MPO’s UPWP Committee:

1. Existing planning documents: the Congestion Management Process (CMP) reports; the Program for Mass Transportation (PMT), the MBTA’s long-range capital plan; the MPO’s long-range planning documents, including Paths to a Sustainable Region, and the LRTP Needs Assessment for Charting Progress to 2040; MetroFuture; and recent studies
   
   
2. Past guidance received from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration on addressing planning emphasis areas
   
   
3. FFY 2015 UPWP comment letters and project proposals
   
   
4. Consultations with MassDOT, MAPC, and the MBTA
   
   
5. MPO staff-identified needs

MPO staff also requested planning project suggestions through outreach at MAPC subregional group meetings, at Regional Transportation Advisory Council meetings, and through outreach to the public at LRTP-, TIP- and UPWP-Development Sessions, and workshops. Proposed planning projects are documented in the FFY 2016 UPWP Universe of Proposed New Projects, which is available in Appendix C of this UPWP.

1.4.3    New Planning Project Selection Process

After generating a universe of new proposed planning projects, MPO staff rated each proposed project in 14 focus areas in order to assess what visions, goals, policies, factors, and priorities the project would be likely to advance. These focus areas are based on the MPO’s visions and policies, national goals and planning factors, federal guidance, and other state and regional priorities, including those outlined in other regional planning documents. The focus areas include:

1. Supports Performance-Based Planning: Considers whether the proposed project could support the MPO’s performance-based planning process, including data collection and monitoring, scenario analysis, and reporting
   
   
2. Links Land Use and Transportation: Considers whether the proposed project could support the coordination of transportation with local and regional land-use planning activities, policies, and plans, including MAPC’s MetroFuture plan
   
   
3. Helps Maximize Limited Financial Resources: Considers whether the proposed project could support transportation needs or project prioritization, low-cost transportation improvement strategies, or innovative resource management approaches
   
   
4. Protects Air Quality and the Environment: Considers whether the proposed project could support improvements to air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improvements to water systems and other ecological functions, or energy conservation
   
   
5. Preserves, Maintains, and Modernizes the Transportation System: Considers whether the proposed project could support bringing one or more passenger or freight modes into a state of good repair, protecting these modes from natural hazards, or adapting them to withstand anticipated climate change impacts
   
   
6. Increases Transit and Active Transportation Modes: Considers whether the proposed project could support increased access and connectivity for bicycle, pedestrian, or transit options, promoting mode share or mode shift where possible
   
   
7. Advances Mobility, Access, and/or Congestion Reduction: Considers whether the proposed project could contribute to any of the following improvements: closing gaps for one or more passenger or freight modes in the transportation network; supporting reductions in delays, congestion, or travel time for these modes; or increasing access to and between these modes
   
   
8. Encourages Sustainable, Livable, and Healthy Communities: Considers whether the proposed project could support public health, livability, or the preservation of community resources and cohesiveness
   
   
9. Increases Transportation Safety and Security: Considers whether the proposed project could support improved safety for one or more passenger or freight modes, or whether it could support incident and emergency responses to natural or man-made hazards
   
   
10. Supports Economic Vitality: Considers whether the proposed project could support local or regional economic activity or development
    
    
11. Supports Transportation Equity and Accessibility: Considers whether the proposed project could support access, mobility, or participation in decision-making for those with disabilities, those in low-income households, minorities, the elderly, youth, or those with limited English proficiency
    
    
12. Supports MetroFuture Implementation: Considers whether the proposed project could address MAPC’s MetroFuture implementation strategies
    
    
13. Supports Statewide and Regional Transportation Initiatives: Considers whether the proposed project could address MassDOT’s weMove Massachusetts and GreenDOT implementation plans, the Healthy Transportation Compact, and other plans and initiatives
    
    
14. Enhances Technical Capacity, Knowledge, and Insights: Considers whether the proposed project could support the MPO’s understanding of transportation issues and innovations or improves the MPO’s planning capacity

In addition to conducting focus area reviews, MPO staff defined general scopes and estimated costs for proposed planning projects and considered potential study feasibility issues. MPO staff also noted how the proposed project might support Paths to a Sustainable Region visions. Staff mentioned the types of functions that the project might fulfill, including serving regional transportation stakeholders; supporting MPO planning; or contributing to the region’s transportation knowledge base. These various factors, along with the availability of funds for new studies, were considered as staff identified a recommended set of new proposed planning projects for review by the UPWP Committee. These proposed projects, along with their estimated costs, focus area rating results, potential relationships to Paths to a Sustainable Region visions, potential transportation-planning functions, relationship to the staff recommendation, and supporting comments are all documented in the FFY 2016 UPWP Universe of Proposed New Projects in Appendix C.

The UPWP Committee met five times to consider and provide guidance on the development process, proposed budgets for ongoing and continuing activities, new study ideas, idea ratings, and the staff recommendation for new projects. As part of this series of meetings, the Committee developed its recommendation for a public review Draft FFY 2016 UPWP. For this UPWP, the Committee selected a program of new studies that was based on the availability of funding and the factors described above, including planning priorities and state and federal guidelines. The MPO approved the UPWP Committee’s recommendations for the public review of Draft FFY 2016 UPWP on (Month) (Day), 2015.

1.4.4    Finalizing the UPWP

Descriptive and financial information about ongoing, continuing, and new UPWP projects, along with information about the UPWP development process and other major transportation-planning projects occurring in the region, is incorporated into the public review Draft UPWP. Once the MPO votes to release the draft for public review, MPO staff posts the document for downloading from the MPO website (www.bostonmpo.org) and provides notice of its availability through various media and MPO communication outlets. The public review and comment period lasts 30 days, during which time MPO staff members conduct workshops and make presentations at meetings to discuss and collect feedback on the draft document. Comments provided through other venues, including the MPO website, are also compiled during this time and presented to the MPO. Information about the public review process for Draft FFY 2016 UPWP is available in Appendix B.

1.5     Funding the Projects

The funding for the projects included in this UPWP (presented in Chapters 4 through 7) comes from a variety of federal and state sources, as described below. The source of funds has important implications with regard to which agency or organization is responsible for programming them, as well as the MPO’s vote to approve both the UPWP and the subsequent work scopes for the projects included in it. The purview of the MPO is included in each of the funding descriptions.

• FHWA 3C Planning (PL)/MassDOT Local Match – These are FHWA planning funds distributed to MassDOT’s Office of Transportation Planning (OTP), according to an allocation formula established by federal legislation, to carry out the 3C planning process. OTP distributes these funds to Massachusetts MPOs according to a formula based on population. The FFY 2016 3C PL funding allocation for the Boston Region MPO is $X,XXX,XXX, which includes $XXX,XXX in state matching funds. The MPO votes on both the use of funds and the use of MPO staff for projects in this funding category. (Note: Amounts will be filled in once the MPO approves the proposed FFY 2016 UPWP budget.)
  
  
• FHWA Statewide Planning and Research (SPR)/MassDOT Local Match – As in the case of 3C PL funds, FHWA provides SPR funds to OTP according to a distribution formula. OTP uses these funds to carry out planning and research projects throughout the state. This UPWP describes only the SPR projects that will be conducted in the Boston Region MPO area; however, OTP provides a complete listing of how these funds are distributed statewide in a document called the SPR Transportation-Planning Work Program. SPR funds in the amount of $XXX,XXX (including $XX,XXX in state matching funds) are programmed in this UPWP for projects to be conducted by MPO staff. The MPO’s role is to approve the use of MPO staff for projects in this category and to make recommendations on work scopes for implementing them. The MPO’s role in these projects is crucial to the 3C process because it provides an opportunity to coordinate projects with other related transportation work efforts that may be planned for the same area. (Note: Amounts will be filled in once the MPO approves the proposed FFY 2016 UPWP budget.)
  
  
• FTA/MassDOT 3C Planning (§5303) and MAPC Local Match – FTA provides 3C planning funds for transit projects to MPOs under Section 5303 of the Federal Transit Act. These funds require a local match, are distributed according to an allocation formula, and are administered by MassDOT. The FFY 2016 FTA allocation, including a total local match for FFY 2016, is $X,XXX,XXX. The total amount programmed in this UPWP for projects to be conducted by MPO staff, MassDOT, and MAPC on behalf of the MPO is $X,XXX,XXX. As is the case for FHWA 3C PL funds, the MPO votes on both the use of these funds and the use of MPO staff on projects in this category. (Note: Amounts will be filled in once the MPO approves the proposed FFY 2016 UPWP budget.)
  
  
• MassDOT – Funds in the amount of $XXX,XXX for MassDOT projects are included in this UPWP. The MPO’s role is to approve the use of MPO staff time for these projects and to make recommendations on the work scopes for implementing them. (Note: Amounts will be filled in once the MPO approves the proposed FFY 2016 UPWP budget.)
  
  
• MBTA – The MBTA provides $X,XXX,XXX in funding for this UPWP for transit projects to be conducted by MPO staff. As is the case of the SPR and MassDOT funds described above, the MPO’s role is to approve the use of MPO staff time for these projects and to make recommendations on the work scopes for implementing them. (Note: Amounts will be filled in once the MPO approves the proposed FFY 2016 UPWP budget.)
  
  
• Other – This UPWP also includes $XX,XXX in funding provided by Massport for work being conducted by MPO staff on its behalf. The MPO’s role is to vote on the use of MPO staff time for these projects and to make recommendations on the work scopes for implementing them. (Note: Amounts will be filled in once the MPO approves the proposed FFY 2016 UPWP budget.)

1.6     Monitoring the Projects

The following procedures for monitoring the projects in this UPWP were approved by the MPO:

• Project work scopes supported by federal 3C planning funds must be approved by the MPO prior to the start of any CTPS activity.
  
  
• Monthly progress reports on all active projects must be submitted to the respective funding agency by CTPS and/or MAPC. The reports must include the following information for each project:
  
  
  • Brief narrative describing the work accomplished by task
    
    
  • Key personnel attendance at meeting(s) held each week
    
    
  • Objectives/planned activities for the next month
    
    
  • Percent of work completed by task
    
    
  • Some measure of actual resources (hours, funds, etc.) charged to the contract over the past month
    
    
  • Comparison of actual cumulative resources expended compared to the contract budget
• A quarterly report is presented by CTPS comparing the UPWP project budgets with the actual project spending.
  
  
• MPO approval for release of a 3C-funded project’s work products is based on whether the objectives stated in the work scope were met and whether the stated deliverables were produced.

1.7     Amendments and Administrative Modifications to the UPWP

Amendments and administrative modifications may be made to the UPWP, when necessary, throughout the year. If an amendment is under consideration, the Regional Transportation Advisory Council and other interested parties, including any affected communities, are notified. The MPO follows the procedures specified in the MPO’s Public Participation Plan. Members of the public may attend and present comments at UPWP Committee meetings and MPO meetings at which amendments and administrative modifications are discussed. Administrative modifications may be made by the MPO without legal notice or a public review period, although these may be provided at the MPO’s discretion.

Back to top

2     Status of the Federal Fiscal Year 2015 UPWP Projects Conducted By Boston Region MPO Staff

2.1     Introduction to FFY 2015 Projects

During federal fiscal year (FFY) 2015, numerous projects were conducted by the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) on behalf of the MPO. For the purpose of reporting here on the status of these projects, they have been divided into four categories:

• Completed – These projects are either already completed or expected to be complete by October 1, 2015, when this document goes into effect.
  
  
• Ongoing – These projects and programs support and continue the transportation-planning process from year to year.
  
  
• Continuing Discrete – These projects are also continuing from FFY 2015 into FFY 2016. However, they have a specific, limited duration, unlike ongoing activities, which are refreshed each federal fiscal year. The projected percentage completed as of October 1, 2015, for each of these projects is included in the project descriptions presented in Chapters 6 and 7.
  
  
• Inactive – Contrary to expectations when the FFY 2015 UPWP was being developed, work on these projects did not begin during FFY 2015.

2.2     FFY 2015 Project and Budget Tables AND WORK PRODUCTS

This chapter includes four tables that describe the status of FFY 2015 projects. Tables 2-1 through 2-4 group the projects according to the “completed,” “continuing discrete,” “ongoing,” and “inactive categories described above and provide FFY 2015 budget information, while Table 2-5 summarizes the funding associated with projects in each of the three categories. This chapter also contains Table 2-6, which lists the projects that were expected to be completed in FFY 2014 but that actually were completed in FFY 2015. The FFY 2014 budgets for these projects are provided in this table.

Following these six tables is a listing of work products and activities resulting from FFY 2015 UPWP projects, along with work products from previous fiscal years, where applicable. Information is provided on how to obtain copies of reports that were approved by the MPO.

2.3     Work Products of the FFY 2015 UPWP

Listed below are reports, memoranda, and other work products and activities associated with the projects in the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2015 UPWP. These products and activities are either complete or expected to be complete by the end of FFY 2014. Please note that some titles may change as products are finalized. All certification documents and many other work products are or will be available for downloading from the MPO website, www.bostonmpo.org . Work products not found on the MPO website may be requested by contacting CTPS at 857-702-3700 (voice), 617-570-9193 (TTY), or bostonmpo@ctps.org (email). MAPC work products can be found at www.mapc.org .

This list also includes products that were expected to be completed in FFY 2014 or earlier, but were completed or are expected to be complete in FFY 2015. These products are noted with an asterisk (*).

2.3.1    CTPS Work Products

Certification Documents

• Charting Progress to 2040, the Boston Region MPO’s next Long-Range Transportation Plan
  
  
• Federal Fiscal Years 2015–18 Transportation Improvement Program Amendments and Administrative Modifications
  
  
• Federal Fiscal Years 2016–19 Transportation Improvement Program and Determination of Air Quality Conformity
  
  
• Federal Fiscal Year 2016 Unified Planning Work Program
  
  
• Update to the Public Participation Program of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization*
  
  
• Update to the Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan for the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
  
  
• MPO Metropolitan Transportation Planning: Certification Review Advance Materials

CTPS Reports

• Environmental Justice and Title VI Analysis Methodology Review*
  
  
• Exploring the 2011Massachusetts Travel Survey: Barriers and Opportunities Influencing Mode Shift
  
  
• Buzzards Bay Commuter Rail Extension Feasibility Study
  
  
• MBTA Passenger Noninteraction with Automated Fare Collection Equipment
  
  
• TIP Project Impacts Before-After Evaluation

CTPS Technical Memoranda

• 2014–15 I-93 North and Southeast Expressway HOV Lane Monitoring memoranda for fall 2014, winter 2015, spring 2015, and summer 2015
  
  
• Approach and Assumptions for Charting Progress to 2040 LongRange Transportation Plan Scenario-Planning Initiative
  
  
• Bicycle Network Gaps: Feasibility Evaluations memoranda
  
  
• Community Transportation Technical Assistance technical memoranda summarizing the planning recommendations for locations in Foxborough, Lynnfield, and North Reading
  
  
• Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2015 Priority Corridors for Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Needs Assessment: Selection of Study Locations
  
  
• FFY 2015 Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadways: Selection of Study Locations
  
  
• Foxborough JARC Transit Feasibility Study
  
  
• Long-Range Transportation Plan Needs Assessment Priorities
  
  
• Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy Alternives: Cost Effectiveness Analysis technical memorandum
  
  
• Low-Cost Improvements to Express-Highway Bottleneck Locations: FFY 2015 memorandum for locations on I-95 at the I-90 interchange and on I-93, south of I-95 in Woburn
  
  
• Low-Cost Improvements to Express-Highway Bottleneck Locations Selection of Study Locations
  
  
• MBTA 2015 Title VI Program Monitoring
  
  
• Limited-Stop Study, Phase 1: Review of Limited-stop Bus Service; Phase 2: Methodology for Evaluating Limited-Stop Bus Service Potential; and Phase 3: Limited-Stop Service Potential of MBTA Bus Routes
  
  
• Methodology for Title VI Service Equity Analysis
  
  
• Regional Transit Service Planning Technical Support: CrossTown ConnectPedestrian Signal Phasing Study
  
  
• Programmed TIP and UPWP Funds by MPO Municipality: FFYs 2008 through 2013
  
  
• MBTA 2014 National Transit Database: Data Collection and Analysis
  
• Roadway Network Inventory for Emergency Needs: A Pilot Study*
  
  
• Pedestrian Signal Phasing Study
  
  
• Safety and Operations Analyses—Milford Selected Intersection: Medway Road at Kmart Driveway in Milford*
  
  
• Safety and Operations Analyses—Westwood Selected Intersections: High Street at Nahatan Street and High Street at Pond Street in Westwood*
  
  
• Safety and Operations Analyses—Weymouth Selected Intersection: Washington Street at Broad Street in Weymouth*
  
  
• Regional Transit Service Planning Technical Support: Town of Hudson
  
  
• Traffic Signal Retiming Program—Town of Medfield*   
      
• Traffic Signal Retiming Program—Town of Walpole*
  
  
• Transportation Investments for Economic Development
  
  
• Washington Street Subregional Priority Roadway Study in Newton*

Other CTPS Work Products and Activities

• 2015 Program for Mass Transportation: Commuter Rail, Rapid Transit, and Bus – Tabular and graphical summaries of modeling work.
  
  
• Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT) Support – Materials, coordination, and administrative support for the Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA. Meeting agendas, notices, minutes, correspondence, mailing lists, databases, meeting scheduling and planning, and services for the AACT Board of Directors. Accessibility checklist for MPO meetings and distribution of MPO notices to other entities to facilitate outreach. Forum on Transit Accessibility, including planning, coordination, preparation of materials, outreach, logistics, and implementation.
  
  
• Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadways – Selection of study location. Data collection and analysis for for Route 3A in Hingham and Hull. Recommendations, developed inconjunction with the communities, to address safety, operational, and mobility needs facing pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.
  
  
• Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities – Coordination and inputs related to the implementation of GreenDOT and the Global Warming Solutions Act. Development of Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) emission factors. Air quality analyses and evaluations of requested projects for various pollutants. Individual project analyses for use in Green DOT implementation.
  
  
• All-Hazards Planning – Participation in regional meetings focused on planning for climate-change impacts. Maintenance of MPO’s All-Hazards Planning data set for use in TIP and LRTP development and other activities. Review of available data for possible inclusion in the All-Hazards Planning data set. Preparation of briefings and memoranda for internal or MPO communications, as needed.
  
  
• Bicycle/Pedestrian Support Activities – Updates to MPO bicycle and pedestrian traffic count interactive database. Review of opportunities to improve the MPO’s bicycle and pedestrian data collection program.
  
  
• Boston MPO Title VI Reporting – Annual update to MassDOT.
  
  
• Cape Cod Canal Study – Advised project team regarding the development of market segments to better understand bridge users. Reviewed analysis products.
  
  
• Community Transportation Technical Assistance Program – Site visits to municipalities, consultations, recommendations for improvements, and reporting.
  
  
• Computer Resource Management – Maintenance and enhancements of CTPS’s desktop and server computer systems, computer network, backup system and peripheral devices such as printers, plotters, and mass-storage devices.
  
  
• Congestion Management Process – Analysis of purchased speed and travel time data for freeways and arterials. Data collection, analysis, and documentation of park-and-ride lots at MBTA stations. Data collection, analysis, and documentation of bicycle parking at MBTA stations. Support of the CMP Committee, development and application of CMP performance measures for use in the long-range transportation plan, support for the Intersections Improvement Program for the retiming of traffic signals. Development of congestion scans, monitoring TIP intersection program, analysis of regional economic costs of congestion, and investigation of other data sources for monitoring the regions transportation system.
  
  
• Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program analyses and consultation.
  
  
• Core Capacity Constraints – Draft memorandum documenting study findings. Draft memorandum discussing the existing review processes used by core area communities to evaluate transportation mitigation strategies.
  
  
• Data Resources Management – Maintenance and enhancement of CTPS’s database of standard reference geographic information system (GIS) layers and GIS layers required to carry out particular projects. Database updates with new versions of standard reference GIS layers as released by MassGIS, the MassDOT Office of Transportation Planning, and other agencies. GIS maps, computer map files, tables of socioeconomic and travel-related data, databases, and data analyses.
  
  
• Everett Transit Needs Study – Tabular and graphical summaries of modeling work, air quality analyses, and environmental justice analyses. Memorandum documenting methodology and results.
  
  
• Fairmount Line Station Access Analysis – Evaluation of the areas surrounding the stations and recommendations to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to the stations.
  
  
• Freight Planning Support: FFY 2015 – Support to the MPO and the Regional Transportation Advisory Council and coordination of MPO efforts with Freight Stakeholders. Creation of a South Boston waterfront truck travel profile with information by land use type.
  
  
• Ferry Compact Technical Assistance – Technical assistance to the Massachusetts Ferry Transportation Compact.
  
  
• General Graphics – Maps, charts, graphs, illustrations, report covers, brochures, posters, presentations, flyers, photographs and other products to communicate information visually to the MPO.
  
  
• Green Line Extension Completion of New Starts Analysis – Support to the MBTA on the Green Line Extension FTA New Starts process. Memoranda documenting the results of an economic impact analysis. Data from on-board survey of off-peak commuter rail service which will be impacted by Green Line Extension construction. Analysis of this survey data and recommendations for replacement transit strategies.
  
  
• Household Survey Based Travel Profiles and Trends: Selected Policy Topics– Research using Massachusetts Travel Survey data create community travel profiles.
• I-93/I-95 Interchange Improvements North of Boston: Modeling Support – Data analysis and preparation of summaries of modeling results.
  
  
• Integrating Land Use with Regional Transportation Models – Worked on programs that will allow the Cube Land model to be used in a feedback environment with the TransCAD transportation model.
  
  
• Intercity Bus and Rail Maps – Created a New England Regional Transportation map depicting intercity bus and rail services along with seasonal and year-round ferry service. Map information provided in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and French.
  
  
• Kendall Square Mobility Task Force – Graphic and tabular summaries of modeling results.
  
  
• Livable Community Workshop program – Updates to Web-based data and maps for the MPO’s livability index. Livable Community Workshops in MPO municipalities, including research, site visits, and preparation of materials and memoranda to support and document workshop discussions.
  
  
• Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) Needs Assessment Updates – Data gathering and incorporation into the LRTP Needs Assessment databases, tables, and maps. Summary of identified needs to inform scenario planning and LRTP development. Review and updates to current Needs Assessment to provide the most up-to-date information for the MPO and the public; updates reflected incorporation of the MPO regional travel demand model set’s new base year of 2012, which was developed using new census data and updated data sets, and a 2040 no-build scenario.
  
  
• Massachusetts Turnpike Allston Interchange Traffic Study – Documentation of methodology and results for Allston Interchange Study and Commonwealth Avenue Closure study.
  
  
• MassDOT Diversity Posters – Eight Diversity posters on following topics: Asian Pacific Islanders; Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender; Disability Awareness; Hispanic Heritage; Native American; Black History; Women’s History; and Veteran’s Day.
• MassDOT Road Inventory File – Assistance to MassDOT, including updates to MassDOT Road Inventory line work and attributes and other inventory enhancements.
  
  
• MassDOT Title VI – Ongoing technical support to the MassDOT Office of Civil Rights to assist in compliance with FHWA and FTA Title VI requirements and response to reporting deficiencies. Support to MassDOT in the implementation of its existing Title VI program; the preparation of its 2015 Title VI program for the FHWA; and in monitoring the compliance of its subrecipients, among other activities.
  
  
• Massport Technical Assistance – Spreadsheet summaries of MBTA Silver Line passenger counts. Updated Logan Ground Access Model.
  
  
• MBTA 2014 Review of Fare Structure, Tariffs and Policy –Development and analysis of Youth Pass and University Pass programs. Analysis of other potential fare policy changes.
  
  
• MBTA Bus Service Data Collection VIII – MBTA bus trip pointchecks and passenger counts on selected routes. Support to the MBTA in service planning.
  
  
• MBTA Fiscal Year 2015 National Transit Database: Data Collection and Analysis – Sampling of passenger boardings and alightings on randomly selected directly-operated and purchased-services bus trips; survey of a sampling of rail rapid transit passengers’ trips.
  
  
• MBTA Fiscal Year 2016 National Transit Database: Data Collection and Analysis – Sampling of passenger boardings and alightings on randomly selected directly-operated and purchased-services bus trips; survey of a sampling of rail rapid transit passengers’ trips.
  
  
• MBTA Funded Graphics – MBTA neighborhood maps and MBTA Transit Map.
  
  
• MBTA Rider Oversight Committee Support – Technical assistance to the MBTA Rider Oversight Committee and attendance at committee and subcommittee meetings.
  
  
• MBTA Service Standards and Service Delivery Policy: Phase II – Review of the MBTA’s service standards and service delivery policy to identify areas to update to reflect both the large amounts of data available from the various automated data collection systems and the customers’ perspective.
  
  
• MPO Public Participation Program – Planning and implementation of public outreach activities, including the production of materials that support the development of certification documents and other MPO programs and all other public involvement activities conducted by the MPO. Development and distribution of surveys on MPO planning topics, and complilation and analysis of survey results. Development of outreach materials specific to the LRTP, including handouts describing the overall process, identified needs, and scenario planning, as well as handouts supporting specific activities. Translation of key documents. Preparation, publication and posting of MPO notices and informational materials. Solicitation of and responses to public comments on documents under review and gathering and responding (year-round) to other comments, questions, and requests for information from members of the public. Preparation of press releases, email notifications, Tweets, and website news flashes.
  
  
• MPO Support (including support for the Congestion Management Program Committee, the UPWP Committee, and the Administration and Finance Committee) – Preparation of the FFY 2015 MPO Certification Activities Schedules; meeting planning; communications and coordination with MPO members and interested parties; preparation of meeting agendas, minutes, other meeting materials and informational materials, and various memoranda and presentations; staff support; and database maintenance. Planning for the MPO’s recertification review and preparation of related materials.
  
  
• MPO Website Development – Posting of meeting materials and minutes for all MPO meetings. Deployement of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and Emissions data browser. Deployment of Express Highway Performance Dashboard, Arterial Highway Performance Dashboard, and Long Range Transportation Plan Needs Assessment web application. Updated data for interactive TIP database and bicycle/pedestrian traffic count Web application. New entries to regional data catalog.
  
  
• Other Accessibility Initiatives – Work to ensure that all meeting locations are free of physical barriers for people with limited mobility through the use of a meeting checklist and other means. Staff training to raise awareness of why accessibility is important and how it can be achieved.
  
  
• Other State Planning and Research (SPR) Graphics – Massachusetts State Map.
• Performance Measures and Performance-Based Planning Process – Development of staff recommendation for the MPO’s performance-based planning process and select performance measures.
  
  
• Planning Topics – Notes documenting research and pertinent information for MPO consideration on topics such as climate change adaptation and all-hazards and emergency planning.
  
  
• Pioneer Valley Technical Assistance – Reviewed the suitability of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) travel demand for conducting travel forecasts for the I-91Interchange Improvement Project. Identified and corrected model deficiencies.
  
  
• Priority Corridors for LRTP Needs Assessment: FFY 2015 – Selection of study location. Data collection and analysis for Route 1A (Lynnway) in Lynn. Recommendations, developed inconjunction with the community, to address safety, operational, and mobility needs facing pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.
  
  
• Provision of Materials in Accessible Formats – Accessible formatting of the Long-Range Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program and amendments, the Unified Planning Work Program, and meeting agendas, minutes and materials for the MPO, the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, the Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT), and other materials on request. Development and implementation of procedures to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are accommodated so that they can participate in the MPO’s transportation-planning and decision-making processes. Work includes documenting internal accessibility policies and procedures; maintaining and updating document-production standards and templates that allow materials to be easily translated onto paper or into electronic formats that are accessible to people with limited vision; and maintaining an accessible website.
  
  
• Regional Model Enhancement – Development of in-house training materials and model documentation.
  
  
• Regional Model Enhancement, Land Use Enhancements – Worked with MAPC to calibrate the Cube Land land use allocation model and develop post-processing programs to make outputs suitable for use in TransCAD. Worked with MAPC to evaluate land use allocations predicted by Cube Land.
  
  
• Regional Model Enhancement, Model Updates – Refined and calibrated model using statistics from the Massachusetts Statewide Travel Survey, which included examination of commuter rail, transit lines, and bus routes. Began development of a scenario manager to support faster scenario creation and project coding. Built a new parking choice model. Converted the Logan Airport ground access model to TransCAD software. Developed a new truck model.
  
  
• Regional Transit Service Planning Technical Support – Technical assistance to regional transportation authorities, subregions, and municipalities to improve transit services.
  
  
• Regional Transportation Advisory Council Support (including the Freight Committee, Program Committee, Membership Committee, LRTP Committee, TIP and UPWP committees, and ad hoc committees) – Meeting planning; scheduling speakers; coordinating with the MPO, coordination of the Advisory Council election process; preparation of meeting agendas, minutes, materials, and various memoranda; outreach for new members; coordination of the process for the review and revision of the bylaws; staff support; database maintenance and meeting preparations for ADA compliance.
  
  
• Roadway Safety Audits – Participation in audit teams for roadway safety audits.
  
  
• Safety Analysis for Intersections Near MAGIC Schools – Data gathering, mapping, and development of supporting documentation.
  
  
• Statewide Travel Model Assistance: Made highway and transit skimming functions in the statewide model operational. Revised the transportation analysis zone (TAZ) structure in the model to reflect the 2010 Census. Prepared land use inputs for trip generation processes.
  
  
• South Boston Waterfront Transportation Plan: Modeling Support – Provided model data to the project team.
  
  
• South Station Expansion – Detailed responses to questions about the DEIR.
  
  
• Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Program – Transportation needs assessment outreach (including meetings) to organizations and agencies familiar with the needs of environmental justice areas, and memoranda to document the results of the outreach activities. Coordination of a Transportation Equity Forum. Continuous updates to transportation equity and environmental justice contact database.Support for MassDOT Division of Rail and Transit Community Transit Grant program, including solicitation notices and project evaluations. Updates to information on available TMA and private carrier services. Development of a benefits and burdens threshold policy. A survey of contacts in the environmental justice database.Various demographic and socioeconomic analyses.
  
  
• Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) – Updates for the Project Funding Application Form in the TIP Interactive Database, evaluation criteria and results, and staff recommendation for the FFYs 2016–19 TIP. Analysis of impacts of TIP projects for performance measure development and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Development and circulation of amendments to the FFYs 2015–18 TIP.
  
  
• TRANSreport – Production of the MPO’s bimonthly newsletter.
  
  
• Travel Data Forecasts – Travel data forecasting.
  
  
• Travel Operations Analyses – Responses to requests for transit data.
  
  
• Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) – Development of outreach materials, evaluation criteria and process, staff recommendation for the FFY 2016 UPWP, FFY 2015 UPWP quarterly reports, and research to improve the UPWP development and monitoring process.
  
  
• Work Scopes – Development of work scopes for MPO evaluation and approval and, where applicable, transmission to the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.

2.3.2    MAPC Work Products

MAPC Reports and Technical Memoranda

• Downtown Cohasset Parking Analysis
  
  
• Downtown Malden Parking Analysis
  
  
• Downtown Scituate Parking Analysis
  
  
• Everett Casino Parking Technical Assistance memorandum
  
  
• LandLine: MAPC’s Regional Greenway Plan
  
  
• Lynnfield Downtown Technical Assistance memorandum
  
  
• Melrose Lynn Fells Parkway Technical Assistance memorandum
  
  
• Population and Housing Projections for Metro Boston
  
  
• Regional Employment Projections for Metro Boston
  
  
• Salem Bicycle Infrastructure Plan
  
  
• Transit-Oriented-Development Opportunities and Impediments at Braintree MBTA Red Line Station
  
  
• Transit-Oriented-Development Opportunities and Impediments at Dedham Corporate Center Commuter Rail Station

Other MAPC Work Products and Activities

• Alternative Mode Planning and Coordination – Assisted 128 Business Council TMA with the development of automated dispatching software. Coordination with Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) in advancing bicycle facilities on parkways. Hubway Bicycle Sharing coordination among Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Brookline; system implementation and expansion planning. Updates and reformatting of GIS off-road trail inventory to integrate MassDOT mapping into MAPC formats. Municipal Complete Streets policies adopted by Acton, Beverly, Everett, Framingham, Maynard, Reading, and Salem. Regional partking meter procurement for cities and towns. Procurement of a vendor to retrofit existing municipal vehicles to make them hybrid electric vehicles, and coordination of a workshop on this technology for interested municipalities. Technical memorandum for the CrossTown Connect TMA on strategies to fund local transit service.
  
  
• Community Transportation Technical Assistance – Site visits to municiaplities, consultations, and recommendation for improvements.
  
  
• Corridor/Subarea Planning Studies – Right-Size Parking Calculator memo on selected sites and utilization of residential parking rates. Streamcrossing inventory of Ipswich River Watershed identifying roadways and bridges with underperforming culverts or bridge spans.
  
  
• Land Use Data for Transportation Modeling – Updated Development Database for creating employment projections used in LRTP and Land-Use Allocation Model Activities
  
  
• Land Use Development Project Reviews – Comment letters analyzing major development projects across the region, including:
  
  
  • Wynn Everett Casino FEIR
    
    
  • Allston I-90 Interchange ENF
    
    
  • I-495/I-90 Interchange ENF
    
    
  • South Station Expansion DEIR
• Harvard Institutional Master Plan for Allston FEIR
  
  
• Livable Communities Workshops – Engagement with municipalities and recommendations for transportation and land use improvements to be more in line with livability principles.
  
  
• MetroFuture Implementation – MetroFuture community engagement at the local level, updates to the Regional Indicators reports, and continued development of Smart Growth profiles.
  
  
• MPO/MAPC Liaison and Support Activites – Interagency coordination, work scopes, participation in advisory and corridor committees, public participation, 2015 MPO elections, and attendance at relevant meetings. Preparation of meeting agendas, coordination with transportation agencies, traffic study reviews, presentations to the MPO, support for subregion and corridor advisory committee meetings. Provision of information to the MAPC Executive Committee, MAPC officers, and MAPC subregional groups on MPO transportation activities and issues.  TIP and LRTP evaluations focusing on land use and economic development criteria.
  
  
• Subregional Support Activites – Subregional meetings and forums focused on transportation, land use, and economic development.
  
  
• Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) – UPWP project listings and monthly reports on UPWP activities. Support to CTPS staff in the development of the FFY 2015 UPWP and specific project work scopes. Support to MAPC subregions regarding participation in the UPWP development process

Back to top

3     Index of Projects by Agency

Following MPO approval to circulate the draft FFY 2016 UPWP, an index of the projects by the agency responsible for leading the work effort will be prepared and included in this section. 

Back to top

4   Administration and Resource Management Projects

Chapters 4 through 7 of the UPWP present project descriptions and budget information for transportation-planning work that will be carried out between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016. The activities described in these chapters will be conducted by the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) acting on behalf of the MPO. 

The projects in the UPWP are funded by a variety of federal and state sources. Each project description identifies the project’s funding source or sources. With respect to funding, there are two types of projects:

1. Projects funded with federal 3C planning funds, to be carried out by CTPS and MAPC. The MPO programs these funds and approves the use of staff time.
   
   
2. Projects funded from other sources (federal, state, and local), to be carried out by CTPS for an individual transportation agency. The MPO approves the use of staff time for these projects and provides guidance to the implementing entities on their coordination with other planning efforts.

In reviewing the project listings, it is important to remember that the 3C transportation-planning process is a coordinated effort that is often carried out simultaneously by several agencies. For example, when the MBTA hires a consultant to prepare an environmental impact report for a transit project, CTPS may provide the travel-demand and air-quality modeling for the consultant and MAPC may perform land-use analysis. Thus, if the same project is mentioned in more than one place in this UPWP, it is because of this kind of interagency coordination. To help clarify the distinctions between the various work activities, cross-referencing is provided, where appropriate, to show the interrelationship between projects.

The administration and resource management projects, presented in this chapter, are listed in the table below. Budget information for these projects will be added once the MPO has approved a draft FFY 2016 UPWP budget for public review.        

Back to top

5   Certification Requirements

The projects in this chapter are categorized as certification requirements because they include work that the Boston Region MPO must do to maintain its certification by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. The projects also include activities that are necessary to comply with federal and state laws, such as the federal Clean Air Act Amendments and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Budget information for these projects will be added once the MPO has approved a draft FFY 2016 UPWP budget for public review.                     

Back to top

6   Planning Studies

The projects in this chapter are planning studies that will be conducted during federal fiscal year 2016. They are technical in nature and may include support for larger projects that are described in Appendix A: Other Boston Region Transportation-Planning Projects.

Budget information for these projects will be added once the MPO has approved a draft FFY 2016 UPWP budget for public review.New discrete studies will be added to this chapter upon approval by the MPO.

Back to top

7   Technical Support/Operations Analysis Projects

The projects in this chapter will be conducted during federal fiscal year 2016. They are technical in nature and may include support for larger projects, which are described in Appendix A: Other Boston Region Transportation-Planning Projects. Budget information for these projects will be added once the MPO has approved a draft FFY 2016 UPWP budget for public review.New discrete studies will be added to this chapter upon approval by the MPO.

Back to top

8   Boston Region MPO Budget and Operating Summaries

This chapter contains overall budget information by recipient agency and funding source for the projects and programs listed in Chapters 4 through 7. The information is presented according to the same UPWP categories used in those chapters.

Administration and Resource Management Projects: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

Certification Requirements: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

Planning Studies: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

Technical Support/Operations Analysis Projects: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

Total: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

The funding for the projects listed in Chapters 4 through 7 comes from the following sources, which are described in Chapter 1:

FHWA 3C Planning (PL)/MassDOT Local Match: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

FHWA Statewide Planning and Research (SPR)/MassDOT Local Match: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

FTA/MassDOT and MAPC Local Match: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

MassDOT: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

MBTA: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

Other: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

Total: Funds to be listed after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget

On the following pages, the funding information presented in the preceding chapters is summarized in four tables, one for each UPWP category. These tables are followed by a one-page summary that include a table showing the entire budget by recipient agency and funding source, and a table showing the federally designated elements and tasks for projects utilizing Section 5303 funding. These tables will be added after MPO approval of federal fiscal year 2016 budget.The purpose of these summaries is to assist federal and state contract administrators in reviewing the overall work program in detail. Charts presenting schedules and staff assignments for CTPS projects in this UPWP will be included in the finalized UPWP.

Back to top

Appendices