Memorandum for the Record
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization Meeting
June 2, 2016 Meeting
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, State Transportation Building, Conference Rooms 2&3, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA
David Mohler, Chair, representing Stephanie Pollack, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)
Decisions
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) agreed to the following:
• release the Draft federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2017 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) for a 30-day public review period
• approve the minutes of the meetings of April 28 and May 5, 2016
Members of the public made comments on the following projects and addressed questions from the MPO board members:
Matt Borelli, Chairman of Needham Board of Selectmen – joined by Selectman Maurice Handel and Needham’s Director of Public Works Richard Merson – spoke in support of the Reconstruction of Highland Avenue, Needham Street, and Charles River Bridge (Newton and Needham) project and urged the MPO to keep the project programmed in the FFY 2018 element of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). He discussed the strong partnership between the Town of Needham and the City of Newton and their collaboration on projects underway on the corridor, including the redevelopment of a 27-acre site that will include offices, a hotel, and 390 units of housing. New construction on the corridor also includes the world headquarters of Trip Advisor. He noted that the success of these economic and residential projects on the corridor depend on the roadway improvements. He also noted that the project dovetails with other roadway reconstruction projects Needham and Newton, and that a MassWorks grant was awarded for improvements to the corridor. He reported that the project is at the 25% design stage and that it received the highest ranking on the MPO’s project evaluations for many years. As such, he said that it would not be good public policy to postpone this project to address cost overruns on other TIP projects.
Mayor Setti Warren of Newton – joined by city staff members David Koses, Barney Heath, James Freas, and Jim McGonagle – supported the comments made by M. Borelli. The Mayor discussed the reasons why the City of Newton strongly supports keeping the project programmed in FFY 2018. First, the two communities have come together in recent years to conduct regional planning – and regional planning is supported by the MPO and the state – and developed an economic development area that will benefit the region. The N2 corridor will provide the region with much needed housing, including affordable housing, and a strong commercial tax base. The roadway project will address public safety concerns as a large mixed-use housing development goes forward by providing multimodal access, including access for bicyclists and pedestrians. The Mayor noted that delaying the roadway improvements could jeopardize new developments.
State Representative Dan Ryan spoke in support of the Reconstruction of Rutherford Avenue (Boston) project. He discussed how the project is crucial for the success of developments underway in the vicinity of Sullivian Square, including developments at Kendall Square in Cambridge, Assembly Row in Somerville, the planned casino in Everett, and North Station in Boston. He also explained that the project will help to address congestion issues that affect Interstate 93. He noted that the project has the support of Congressman Michael Capuano, the Boston City Council, and the Boston Transportation Department. He urged the MPO to fund the project as soon as possible.
Michael Sinatra, Chief of Staff for Boston Councilor Salvatore LaMattina, expressed concerns about the potential delay of the Rutherford Avenue project. The $109 million project is currently scheduled to begin in FFY 2020 with $7 million programmed in that year. He stated that the project should not be delayed to FFY 2021, rather it should begin immediately. Speaking about the existing traffic problems in the Sullivan Square area, he asked members to be mindful about the additional traffic the casino development in Everett will bring to the area.
Congressman Michael Capuano sent a letter to the MPO urging the body to begin funding the Rutherford Avenue project in FFY 2020 and stating that the project should be started as soon as possible.
Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria voiced support for the Rutherford Avenue project. MPO member Jay Monty, At-Large City of Everett, added that the City of Everett supports programming the Rutherford Avenue project in FFY 2020. The Mayor and J. Monty also commented on the Reconstruction of Ferry Street (Everett) project; the comments are recorded below under that project heading.
Anthony Thomas, Legislative Aide to Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, expressed the Senator’s support for the Reconstruction of Melnea Cass Boulevard (Boston) project. He discussed the importance of the project to the Roxbury community, noting that a school and developing businesses are along the roadway, and that the project is expected to bring economic benefits to the area. He also noted that the project is an environmentally friendly, “complete streets” project that will help connect two separated neighborhoods, Roxbury and the South End. He noted that the life expectancy is significantly less in Roxbury than in the South End, and that the project will improve access to services for Roxbury residents. Further, he referenced a letter of support for the project sent to the MPO from State Representatives Byron Rushing and Gloria Fox, and Senator Chang-Diaz. A community group, the Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard, is also supporting the project.
Kay Mathew, Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard, urged the MPO to fully fund the project. She discussed the community support for the project noting that the Friends have worked with the Boston Transportation Department for four years to create a redesign of the boulevard. She stated that funding the project is an equity issue as resources for the built environment in Roxbury have greatly decreased in past years and that the community has lost homes and business in the past due to ill-conceived highway plans. She noted that the boulevard is not pedestrian- or bicycle-friendly and that it divides the neighborhood. She expressed that the Friends look forward to continuing to work with the Boston Transportation Department to realize the community’s vision for the boulevard.
Marah Holland, Health Equity and Wellness Coordinator for the Madison Park Development Corporation, and a member of the Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard, also discussed funding for the boulevard as an equity issue. She reported that Roxbury has some of the highest health disparities and incidences of violence in the Boston metropolitan area and that rates of obesity and diabetes are significantly higher in Roxbury as compared to nearby Back Bay. She noted that fully funding the boulevard project would begin to help correct some of these inequalities. The “complete streets” design would provide sidewalks and bikeways to give residents opportunities for physical activity, access to medical and economic resources nearby, and safe street crossings for school children. The design would also provide space for social cohesion to reduce incidences of violence. She urged the MPO to fully fund the project to start to create a more equitable Boston and improve quality-of-life in Roxbury. She stated that the Friends look forward to continuing to work with the City of Boston to meet the vision for a “complete street.”
MPO Chair David Mohler noted that Congressman Capuano’s office was in contact with his office regarding the Melnea Cass Boulevard project.
Puja Mehta, Office of State Senator Karen Spilka, expressed the Senator’s support for several projects in the MetroWest region. She began by noting that the MetroWest region is becoming a hub for reverse commuters and that it is important to have multimodal streets to support those workers. As such, she advocated for keeping the Reconstruction on Route 126 (Pond Street) (Ashland) project programmed in the FFY 2020 element of the TIP and not delaying the project until FFY 2021. The Senator has sent a letter to the MPO regarding this matter. (P. Mehta’s comments on other projects are recorded below under other the relevant project headings.)
Scott Lieber, Office of State Representative Tom Sannicandro, expressed the Representative’s support for the Route 126 project and urged the MPO not to delay the project.
Yolanda Greaves, Ashland Board of Selectmen, also urged the MPO to keep the project programmed in FFY 2020. She remarked on the community support for the project and stated that the community would be discouraged if the project were delayed. She also noted that this would be the first project in Ashland to be funded through the TIP.
Mike Herbert, Ashland’s Town Manager – joined by members of Ashland’s redevelopment authority, the town engineer, and the assistant town manager – discussed the importance of the Route 126 project as a community and economic development project. He discussed the community support for the project, the importance of Route 126 as Ashland’s economic corridor, and the benefits of the project from a safety standpoint. He also noted that this would be the first time Ashland will have received significant state and MPO funding. He stated that the town wants to be a partner with the state and MPO, that the town has already contributed resources to the project, and that the town is committed to continue contributing in support of a holistic plan for the area. He remarked that the project has the full support of Ashland’s legislative delegation. He asked the MPO to keep the project programmed in FFY 2020.
Eric Johnson, Framingham’s Town Engineer, provided an update on the Reconstruction of Union Avenue (Framingham) project. First, he discussed the importance of Union Avenue as a regional transportation corridor; Union Avenue connects Route 9 to the commuter rail and Route 126. He explained that the project would connect with other TIP projects (including Ashland’s) and future proposed projects north of Route 9. He noted that the project provides critical safety improvements and “complete streets” to an economically disadvantaged area. He urged the MPO not to delay the project as the town has planned $14 million in utility improvements around the TIP schedule. The utility work will break ground in the coming weeks. By deferring the TIP project, the town will have to invest more funding after the utility work rather than having that work flow seamlessly into the TIP-funded construction work. He noted that Framingham’s legislative delegation sent a letter in support of the project.
P. Mehta expressed Senator Spilka’s support for this project. She noted that downtown Framingham was cited in MAPC’s MetroFuture plan and the 495 Compact plan as an appropriate place to target growth and dense development. She asked the MPO to keep the project programmed in the TIP.
Ken Weismantel, Chair of Hopkinton’s Planning Board, spoke in support of the Signal and Intersection Improvements on Route 135 (Hopkinton) project and asked that the MPO keep the project on schedule as programmed in the TIP in FFY 2019. He noted that the project is greatly needed to support various developments in Hopkinton and the surrounding area, including Ashland. A 28% growth in housing is projected for Hopkinton this decade. He pointed to the Legacy Farms housing development and planned and ongoing construction of hundreds of other units of condominiums, and senior and assisted living. Other new construction in the area includes new shopping areas and restaurants, and a library expansion.
He reported that drivers are using alternate routes to avoid the project area because the intersection needs improvement; as a result there is a negative impact to the economic development of downtown Hopkinton. He also stated that the roadway improvements will provide connections to trails, schools, a library, athletic fields, an arts center, and a state park. In advance of the project, the town is making $1.5 million worth of sidewalk improvements, constructing new parking spaces to replace street parking that would be lost from the project, putting utilities underground, upgrading water mains, negotiating for land acquisition, and designing bicycle lanes.
P. Mehta expressed Senator Spilka’s support for this project. The Senator and State Representative Carolyn Dykema have sent the letter of support to the MPO.
P. Mehta expressed Senator Spilka’s support for the Reconstruction of Route 27 (Natick) project.
Reconstruction and Widening on Route 18 (Main Street) (Weymouth,
Abington)
Owen MacDonald, Traffic Engineer for the Town of Weymouth, expressed the town’s appreciation to MassDOT for contributing additional funds to address the cost increase to the Route 18 project. He also thanked the MPO for supporting the project and asked for the MPO’s continued support for this project that will improve mobility and safety and support economic development on the South Shore region.
Reconstruction of Main Street (Route 30) (Southborough)
Karen Galligan, Southborough Department of Public Works, provided an update on the Reconstruction of Main Street (Route 30) (Southborough) project and expressed support for programming the project in the FFY 2018 element of the TIP. She provided an update on the status of a special town meeting where there will be a vote regarding easements for the project. A date has not yet been set for the meeting, but the town is working with various boards, schools, and senior groups to gain more community support for the project.
MPO member Eric Bourassa, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), inquired about the concerns of one opponent of the project – which relate to an easement and the loss of parking – and whether the town is making progress to address those concerns. K. Galligan indicated that the town is working with the resident, though the issue is not resolved. E. Bourassa then expressed the MPO’s support for the project, but noted that if the town meeting does not approve the easements in the fall and the project is not ready for construction in time, the MPO would have needlessly delayed other TIP projects that could have gone forward in its place.
MPO member Dennis Crowley, South West Advisory Planning Committee (Town of Medway), asked how soon the town could make the project ready after getting approval from town meeting. K. Galligan replied that securing the easements would likely take a couple of months. The town has already received comments from MassDOT on the 75% plans and should be able to submit final plans by January or February 2017.
D. Crowley asked if it could be possible to move the project timeline forward from FFY 2018 to FFY 2017. K. Galligan replied yes.
Mayor DeMaria spoke in support of the Reconstruction of Ferry Street (Everett) project and asked the MPO to keep the project programmed in FFY 2019. He reported that the City of Everett has been conducting work on the water, sewer, and gas systems in the corridor in anticipation of the reconstruction project. He described Ferry Street as a 1.5 mile multimodal, urban roadway in the heart of Everett that provides connections to parks, a school, and police and fire stations; carries MBTA bus routes; serves bicyclists and pedestrians; and runs through an environmental justice area. He remarked on the need for safety improvements in the wake of the accidental death of a crossing guard last year. He also remarked on the chronic congestion that occurs on the roadway at peak travel times, which is caused, in part, by cut-through traffic from drivers traveling to and from the North Shore and Boston. He noted that the reconstruction project will enhance livability and economic development along corridor and make aesthetic improvements.
J. Monty added that the City of Everett supports programming the Ferry Street project in the FFY 2019 element of the TIP.
Canal Street Rail Trail Construction, Phase 2 (Salem)
David Knowlton, City Engineer for Salem, representing Mayor Kim Driscoll, provided an update on the Canal Street Rail Trail Construction, Phase 2 (Salem) project. He began by reporting that Phase 1 of the rail trail, part of the Canal Street Improvement project, which will begin later this month. Phase 2 will connect Phase 1 with the existing Marblehead-Salem Rail Trail. The city staff has met with MassDOT Right-of-Way staff; the right-of-way acquisition involves the MBTA, Keolis, and Pam Am. The 25% design plans have been submitted to MassDOT, MBTA, and Keolis; however, because no money has been assigned to the project, the agencies are not accelerating their reviews. The city expects the design to be complete this fall. The project could be advertised in the winter for construction in the spring of 2017. The city is requesting that the MPO identify $2.4 million for the project.
Lee Auspitz, Somerville resident, commented on the draft Amendment Four to the FFYs 2016-20 TIP, which would reallocate funding from Phase 2 of the Green Line Extension project to Phase 1. He stated that there is a discrepancy between the version of the MPO’s proposed resolution and that which was presented to the MassDOT Board of Directors and MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board. Whereas the MPO materials give the impression that $190 million of funding will be reprogrammed from Phase 2 to Phase 1, the submission to the joint board indicates that the MPO is committing only the $152 federal share.
He pointed out that the $38 million match – that previously would have been provided by the state – now appears to be coming from the contributions pledged by the Cities of Cambridge and Somerville. This, he said, shows a flaw in the process because there is no evidence to document that the MPO approves the change in matching funding sources. For the federal share to be valid, a match must be assigned through the MPO process, he said.
Further, he noted that relevant contingencies have not been addressed in the resolution; for example, the municipal contributors expressed that they would like to commit their funding on an as-needed basis with excess funding returned to the municipalities. He expressed concern that this issue could present a problem in gaining the Federal Transit Administration’s approval for the new federal funding agreement for the Green Line Extension project.
There was none.
Paul Regan, MBTA Advisory Board, announced that the MPO’s Administration and Finance Committee meeting is scheduled to convene on June 16 at 9:00 AM.
J. Monty announced that the MPO’s Congestion Management Committee is scheduled to meet on June 16, following the MPO meeting.
T. Bennett announced that the Advisory Council will convene on June 8 at Boston Public Library. The agenda will include a discussion about the Council’s comments to the MPO regarding the TIP and UPWP. There will also be a presentation by David Block-Schachter, Chief Technology Officer for the MBTA, regarding technology advances at the MBTA.
K. Quackenbush introduced Elizabeth Harvey, who has joined Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) as Transportation Equity Coordinator.
Members received a presentation on the Draft FFY 2017 UPWP at their meeting of May 19. Members had no further questions or comments about the document today, so they proceeded to a vote.
A motion to release the Draft FFYs 2017 UPWP for a 30-day public review period was made by the MAPC (E. Bourassa), and seconded by the City of Boston (Jim Gillooly). The motion carried.
A motion to approve the minutes of the meeting of April 28 was made by the MAPC (E. Bourassa), and seconded by the MBTA Advisory Board (P. Regan). The motion carried. The Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination (Town of Bedford) (David Manugian) abstained.
A motion to approve the minutes of the meeting of May 5 was made by the MAPC (E. Bourassa), and seconded by the MBTA Advisory Board (P. Regan). The motion carried. The Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination (Town of Bedford) (D. Manugian) abstained.
A. McGahan presented a draft of Amendment One to the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and discussed the schedule for implementing the amendment. The LRTP must be amended when there are changes to projects that are considered regionally significant, either because they would add capacity to the transportation system or because they cost more than $20 million.
On May 5, the MPO expressed its intention to move the funding currently programmed for the Phase 2 of the Green Line Extension (extending the line from College Avenue to Route 16 in Medford) to Phase 1 of the Green Line Extension (extending the line from Lechmere Station in Cambridge to Union Square in Somerville and College Avenue in Medford) by releasing the Draft Amendment 4 to the federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2016-20 TIP for a 30-day public review period. The approval of the TIP amendment would trigger an amendment to the LRTP because the project is regionally significant both because it adds capacity and because of its cost.
Leading up to the endorsement of the LRTP amendment, the MPO is required to conduct an air quality conformity determination; the MPO is no longer required to report on carbon monoxide, however, as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that the region is in attainment for that pollutant. (A letter from the EPA was provided.) The MPO must also perform greenhouse gas (GHG) and environmental justice analyses, which involve running the travel demand model for the 2020 Build and No-Build and 2040 Build and No-Build scenarios. The MPO members must also sign a new certification form in compliance with a regulation of the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act. The MPO must also hold a 30-day public review period for the amendment.
Members were provided with tables showing the details of the proposed LRTP amendment. The document shows the transfer of funding from Phase 2 to Phase 1 of the Green Line Extension and shows that Phase 1 will not be complete until after FFY 2020. In addition, two other regionally significant projects, which are programmed in MassDOT’s Capital Investment Plan (CIP), are shown: the nearly $270 million Reconstruction of Interstates 90 and 495 (Hopkinton and Westborough) project, and the $9.3 million project to construct a new bridge connection from Burgin Parkway over the MBTA railroad in Quincy. Statewide funds (not MPO discretionary funding) are assigned to both of these projects.
Also, the amendment shows updates to other project costs: the Middlesex Turnpike Improvements, Phase 3 (Bedford, Billerica, and Burlington); Reconstruction and Widening on Route 18 (Weymouth and Abington); and New Boston Street over MBTA Bridge Replacement (Woburn).
Tom O’Rourke, Three Rivers Interlocal Council (Town of Norwood/Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce), inquired about the reason for the inclusion of the Reconstruction of Interstates 90 and 495 project, and he remarked on the absence of the Canton Interchange project. A. McGahan stated that the reconstruction project is included in the draft CIP; while it will not use MPO target funds, the project must be listed in the LRTP because it is regionally significant. D. Mohler added that the project resulted from a planning study and that it would be funded with toll revenues (state funding), which are available only for projects on tolled roadways. He emphasized that the funding for this project and the project for the bridge connection from Burgin Parkway over the MBTA railroad in Quincy (both in the CIP) would come entirely from state revenues. If the MPO chooses not to program these CIP projects in the LRTP, the projects would not be able to advance. He noted, however, that such an action would not result in making additional funds available for the MPO to program for other projects in their place.
Ken Miller, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), suggested that the MPO have a more comprehensive discussion regarding the relationship between how the MPO and the state prioritize projects for funding. He suggested that, in the spirit of the federally mandated 3C process, there should be a more collaborative approach to prioritizing projects.
D. Giombetti recollected that the MPO had a discussion about the Reconstruction of Interstates 90 and 495 project and deemed it an important project, but that the MPO elected not to program it in the LRTP because it would be funded entirely with state dollars.
E. Bourassa expressed agreement with K. Miller’s point. He noted that all the funding being discussed is the taxpayers’ resources, and expressed concern about the state’s position.
D. Mohler stated that MassDOT is using the project evaluation criteria developed at the state level to prioritize the spending of state-controlled monies. He noted again that the MPO is free to exclude those projects from the LRTP if the MPO does not support them; however, the funding currently assigned to those projects would not then be made available for other MPO priorities. He noted that the state-controlled monies are for addressing projects in the 351 municipalities of the Commonwealth, rather than only the 101 in the MPO region.
T. Bennett suggested that the MPO members have another discussion about the Reconstruction of Interstates 90 and 495 project, considering the discussion D. Giombetti alluded to occurred before some members were serving on the board.
D. Mohler explained that the MPO’s prior discussion about the project did not result in the MPO committing federal funding for the project, and that the state did not have funding for it at the time. The state has more flexibility to fund the project now because of a decision to keep the western turnpike tolls in place until 2017; this decision allows flexibility for funding projects on the western turnpike.
Members decided to table their vote on the LRTP amendment pending further discussion of this issue.
A. McGahan then presented the schedule for the LRTP amendment process and for the approval of the FFYs 2017-21 TIP and FFY 2017 UPWP. The MPO is currently scheduled to vote on June 16 to release the three documents for a 30-day public review period, and to vote on endorsing the documents on July 28. Staff is currently modeling the projects in the LRTP amendment for the associated greenhouse gas and environmental justice analyses. If any projects in the amendment are removed or added, the group of projects would have to be remodeled.
D. Mohler raised questions about the schedule for the UPWP public review period and expressed concern about the gap of time between the MPO’s vote to release the document and the start of the review period. Staff responded that the schedule for the UPWP was planned to coincide with the release of the other certification documents. Staff would need two weeks to prepare the document for release and expects that it will be ready for posting by June 20.
L. Dantas began the discussion of the TIP by drawing members’ attention to two comment letters, one from Congressman Michael Capuano and another from Framingham State College. He then presented Scenario #3, which shows a scenario for programming highway projects in FFYs 2016-21 that would receive TIP target funding. This scenario was presented for discussion, not as a staff recommendation.
Scenario #3 illustrates the effect of programming the Reconstruction of Main Street (Route 30) (Southborough) and the Intersection and Signal Improvements at Route 9 and Village Square (Gateway East) (Brookline) projects in FFY 2018, rather than FFY 2017. Delaying the projects by a year is being considered because of readiness concerns. These delays would cause other projects to be delayed as well.
Members discussed the programming of the various TIP projects considering the following factors: project readiness; prioritization of projects based on scores received in the TIP project evaluation process; how to best make use of available federal funding in specific TIP fiscal elements; and the benefits of specific projects.
E. Bourassa noted that the Town of Southborough believes that their project will be ready in FFY 2017, assuming that a town meeting in the fall approves the taking of easements. He asked about the implication of leaving the project programmed in FFY 2017 for now, until the town meeting vote occurs. Marie Rose, MassDOT Highway Division, advised keeping the project programmed in FFY 2018 until the vote occurs and then trying to move it back to FFY 2017 if the easements are approved.
D. Giombetti noted that the scenario leaves $11 million unprogrammed in FFY 2017. He asked if there are projects identified that could use that funding. L. Dantas replied that the Reconstruction of Atlantic Avenue (Hull) and Reconstruction of Union Street (Holbrook) projects are two possibilities.
D. Mohler asked about the scores the two projects received in the MPO’s project evaluation process. L. Dantas replied that the two projects are not the highest scoring projects, but they are closest to being ready for programming in the FFY 2017 element.
K. Miller suggested the possibility of changing project payment schedules, so that the unprogrammed funds in the FFY 2017 element could be applied towards the costs of already programmed multiyear projects, thereby freeing funding in later years for higher priority projects. J. Gillooly also supported this option, and mentioned the Route 128 Add-a-Lane (Needham, Wellesley) project as a possible project that could use funding at an earlier date.
D. Crowley asked why the Gateway East project would be delayed. M. Rose indicated that the Town of Brookline has not been active on this project for over a year.
D. Crowley expressed concern about delaying high scoring projects, such as the Reconstruction of Highland Avenue and Needham Street (Newton, Needham) project, because of other projects that are not ready and adding in lower scoring projects before the high scoring ones. He suggested moving the Route 30 and Gateway East projects back to FFY 2017.
Joe Viola, Town of Brookline, explained that the delay in the readiness of the Gateway East project has resulted from requests from the community to better address bicycle accommodations on Route 9. The town held a planning process to address this issue; MassDOT District 6’s Complete Streets staff was involved. The Brookline Board of Selectmen voted in May to authorize a resubmittal of 25% design plans to MassDOT. The town expects to submit the plans at the end of June and is confident that the project will be ready by FFY 2018.
T. O’Rourke asked how the addition of bicycle accommodations to the Gateway East project will affect the project’s cost. J. Viola replied that the town has not yet received an updated estimate from its consultant.
D. Giombetti returned to the idea of adjusting project payment schedules to use unprogrammed funds in the earlier TIP fiscal elements. He asked if it would be possible, from a construction standpoint, to schedule the Route 128 Add-a-Lane project earlier (moving funds from FFY 2018 to 2017) to allow the Reconstruction of Highland Avenue and Needham Street and other high-scoring projects to move forward earlier. K. Miller replied yes, as long as the obligations stay ahead of the cash flows.
M. Rose asked if the Town of Brookline is committed to acquiring the right-of-way for the Gateway East project. J. Viola confirmed that the town is committed to paying for the acquisition of all of the right-of-way; the portion of Route 9 in the project area is controlled by the town.
D. Crowley suggested the possibility of programming the Route 30 project in FFY 2017, and programming funding for the Reconstruction of Highland Avenue and Needham Street project over a two-year period. He expressed concern about the impact the delay on the Route 30 project is having on the programming of the other projects in the TIP, and he suggested that the onus is on the town to hold a special town meeting to ensure the project is ready by FFY 2017. D. Mohler responded that the Reconstruction of Highland Avenue and Needham Street project, which is planned as a one-year project, cannot be split over two-years. He also stated that MassDOT is opposed to programming the Route 30 project in FFY 2017 because of readiness issues.
J. Gillooly suggested keeping the Route 30 project programmed in FFY 2017, which would keep other projects on track. If necessary, the MPO could amend the TIP at a later date.
D. Giombetti suggested programming the Route 30 project in FFY 2018 in order to give Town of Southborough enough time to marshal their votes in support of the project for the upcoming town meeting and to allow time for addressing outstanding issues.
K. Miller reported that FHWA would like projects to be delivered in the year they are programmed to receive funding. He also noted the importance of allowing for due process concerning right-of-way issues on federally funded projects.
D. Mohler reiterated MassDOT’s position that the Route 30 and Gateway East projects should not be programmed in FFY 2017. He asked members to consider the option of adjusting project payment schedules to use unprogrammed funds in the earlier TIP fiscal elements, which would make use of the excess funds in FFY 2017 that would be available if those two projects were delayed a year.
J. Gillooly then spoke regarding the Reconstruction of Melnea Cass Boulevard (Boston) project. The City of Boston is planning a substantial reconstruction of the roadway, which serves both regional and local traffic and carries public transit. The redesigned roadway would be a multimodal “complete street” with bicycle facilities, and the project would address existing safety issues. The project cost estimate is $23 million; the city has $19 million available from earmarks and is requesting that the MPO fund the remaining $4.4 million. The city requests that the MPO program the project in FFY 2019. He noted that the city would be amenable to delaying the Improvements on Boylston Street (Boston) project to make room for Melnea Cass, if necessary.
R. Canale returned to the issue of programming projects based on readiness versus their project evaluation scores, and expressed his interest in programming higher scoring projects.
D. Giombetti offered specific guidance for programming the various projects in particular fiscal elements. His suggestions included programming the Route 30 and Gateway East project in FFY 2018. The option he presented would allow for new projects to be programmed in FFY 2021.
As the Reconstruction of Route 126 (Pond Street) (Ashland) project and the New Boston Street Bridge (Woburn) projects were both candidates for funding in FFY 2020, D. Mohler asked staff to check on the projects’ evaluation scores. The Route 126 project scored higher.
L. Dantas asked for guidance regarding the use of earmarks for the Reconstruction of Rutherford Avenue (Boston) project. J. Gillooly noted that he would discuss the issue of allocating earmark funding for a multi-year project with MassDOT staff.
T. O’Rourke expressed support for adjusting project payment schedules to make use of unprogrammed funds in FFY 2017. He also remarked on other unprogrammed funds in later fiscal elements that may be available for new projects.
D. Mohler asked how much of the unprogrammed money is categorized as Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding. L. Dantas replied that staff would have to calculate that figure because projects may be eligible to receive multiple funding categories.
Laura Gilmore O’Connor, Massachusetts Port Authority, asked for more detail about the earmark funding available for the Melnea Cass project. J. Gillooly explained that funding is available from two earmarks for the Melnea Cass project as well as from several earmarks originally intended for other Boston projects that no long require those earmarks.
M. Rose asked whether the City of Boston has a designer under contract for the Melnea Cass project. J. Gillooly replied that the city has allocated $1.8 million to complete the design and that Howard Stein Hudson has been retained.
B. Pounds provided an update on projects in the State Implementation Plan (SIP).
The US Environmental Protection Agency has approved MassDOT’s request to remove the design of the Red Line – Blue Line Connector project as a SIP commitment.
The 100% design plans for the MBTA’s new Blue Hill Avenue Station on the Fairmount commuter rail line were submitted in March 2016. Construction is expected to begin in the winter of 2017.
MassDOT has submitted comments on the annual SIP report to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and is awaiting DEP’s response.
There were none.
A motion to adjourn was made by the MBTA Advisory Board (P. Regan). The motion carried.
|
Members |
Representatives
and
Alternates |
|
At-Large City (City of Everett) |
Jay Monty |
|
At-Large City (City of Newton) |
Mayor Setti Warren David Koses |
|
At-Large Town (Town of Arlington) |
Laura Wiener |
|
At-Large Town (Town of Lexington) |
Richard Canale |
|
City of Boston (Boston Redevelopment Authority) |
Lara Mérida |
|
City of Boston (Boston Transportation Department) |
Jim Gillooly |
|
Federal Highway Administration |
Kenneth Miller |
|
Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville) |
Tom Bent |
|
Massachusetts Department of Transportation |
David Mohler Marie Rose |
|
MassDOT Highway Division |
John Romano |
|
Massachusetts Port Authority |
Laura Gilmore O’Connor |
|
MBTA Advisory Board |
Paul Regan |
|
Metropolitan Area Planning Council |
Eric Bourassa |
|
MetroWest Regional Collaborative (Town of Framingham) |
Dennis Giombetti |
|
Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination (Town of Bedford) |
David Manugian |
|
North Suburban Planning Council (City of Woburn) |
Tina Cassidy |
|
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
Tegin Bennett |
|
South Shore Coalition (Town of Braintree) |
Christine Stickney |
|
South West Advisory Planning Committee (Town of Medway) |
Dennis Crowley |
|
Three Rivers Interlocal Council (Town of
Norwood/Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce) |
Tom O’Rourke |
|
Other
Attendees |
Affiliation |
|
Lee Auspitz |
Somerville resident |
|
Matt Borrelli |
Needham Board of Selectmen |
|
Sarah Bradbury |
MassDOT District 3 |
|
David Daltorio |
Engineer, Town of Hopkinton |
|
Mayor Carlo DeMaria |
City of Everett |
|
James Freas |
City of Newton |
|
Karen Galligan |
Town of Southborough |
|
Yolanda Greaves |
Ashland Board of Selectmen |
|
Maurice Handel |
Needham Board of Selectmen |
|
Barney Heath |
City of Newton |
|
Michael Herbert |
Town of Ashland |
|
Marah Holland |
Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard |
|
Eric Johnson |
Town of Framingham |
|
David Knowlton |
City of Salem |
|
Scott Lieber |
Office of State Representative Tom
Sannicandro |
|
Rafael Mares |
Conservation Law Foundation |
|
Owen MacDonald |
Town of Weymouth |
|
Kay Mathew |
Friends of Melnea Cass Boulevard |
|
Jim McGonagle |
City of Newton |
|
Puja Mehta |
Office of State Senator Karen Spilka |
|
Richard Merson |
Needham Department of Public Works |
|
Steve Olanoff |
Three Rivers Interlocal Council (Town of
Norwood) |
|
Bryan Pounds |
MassDOT Office of Transportation Planning |
|
Rajithe Pruimetta |
Ashland Department of Public Works |
|
Constance Raphael |
MassDOT District 4 |
|
Dan Ryan |
State Representative |
|
Michael
Sinatra |
Office of Boston City Councilor Salvatore
LaMattina |
|
Ellie
Spring |
Office of State Representative Denise
Garlick |
|
Anthony Thomas |
Office of State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz |
|
Joe Viola |
Town of Brookline |
|
Mayor Setti Warren |
City of Newton |
|
Ken Weismantel |
Chair, Hopkinton Planning Board |
|
John Westerling |
Town of Hopkinton |
|
MPO
Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|
Karl Quackenbush, Executive Director Robin Mannion, Deputy Executive Director Scott Peterson, Director of Technical Services |
|
Lourenço Dantas David Fargen Elizabeth Harvey |
|
Alexandra Kleyman Anne McGahan |
|
Jennifer Rowe |