Memorandum
DATE: October 5, 2017
TO: Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM: Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director
RE: Work Plans for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2018 Certification Activities
This document is a cover memorandum that accompanies a concurrent transmittal to the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) of work plans for a number of 3C activities, including the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP).
The federal government requires that each MPO conduct a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation-planning process (3C process) to be eligible for federal funds. The purpose of the 3C process is to guide and support MPO information gathering and decision making related to the policies and programming of federal transportation funds. Because the MPOs must conduct 3C work to remain certified to receive these funds, activities conducted by the MPO staff to comply with 3C requirements and guidance are called “certification activities.”
Primary among the 3C requirements is the production of three major certification documents:
In addition, MPO staff performs a number of other 3C activities that support production of the certification documents, federal requirements, and the general operation of the MPO, including:
Each of the above activities is described in Chapter 5, “Certification Requirements,”of the FFY 2018 UPWP. In a continuing effort to improve project management, increase transparency and accountability, and more fully describe work that the MPO will undertake to meet its goals, staff has prepared work plans for the activities listed above for the upcoming federal fiscal year.
In developing these work plans, staff has been careful to include tasks that are required to comply with the current federal surface transportation funding authorization, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, other federal and state regulations and guidance, and recommendations from the 2014 certification review. The work plans also include activities that the MPO has directed staff to conduct in the past or that reflect MPO priorities and preferences.
Throughout the year, the MPO will review the 3C program and provide direction to staff, as needed, on any of its elements. Staff will update and report progress to the MPO, and will seek its concurrence on these ongoing programs.
KQ/LD/ld
Encl.
DATE: October 5, 2017
TO: Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM: Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director
RE: Work Plan for Long-Range Transportation Plan: FFY 2018 and 2019
Review
Certification Requirements
8118
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Principal: Lourenço Dantas
Manager: Anne McGahan
MPO Planning Contract #101725
MPO §5303 Contract #98873 and subsequent contract
This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.
This work plan focuses on the Boston Region MPO’s activities related to its Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which is one of the three major certification documents developed through the federally required “continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive planning process,” or 3C process (discussed in more detail below). The LRTP guides transportation system investments for the Boston metropolitan region over a period of at least 20 years. The MPO adopted its most recent LRTP, Charting Progress to 2040, in July 2015 and amended it in August 2016.
The LRTP serves as the Boston Region MPO’s guiding document as it plans investments in the region’s transportation system from now until the year 2040. During the development of this document, the MPO established regional goals and objectives, which the MPO will use for future decision making.
Although the LRTP document is prepared quadrennially, the MPO’s 3C process—including its long-range planning activities—is ongoing. The MPO’s robust LRTP development program helps meet the requirements of the current federal transportation legislation, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), which requires the measurement and tracking of the performance of the region’s transportation system and the effectiveness of the MPO’s programming in meeting regional goals. This work plan addresses those requirements and also scenario planning to generate data for future decision making.
The federal government requires that MPOs conduct planning processes and prepare certain planning documents—the LRTP, Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)—in accordance with federal regulations and guidelines. These documents guide and support information gathering and decision making related to policies and to the programming of federal transportation funds. MPOs must conduct this 3C process in order to remain certified and eligible to receive these funds. The 3C activities conducted by the Boston Region MPO staff are called certification activities.
The Certification Activities Group of the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS), which is the staff to the MPO, has the primary responsibility for conducting this work and preparing the necessary documents. However, staff members from all of the groups at CTPS contribute to this process.
The 3C process is so named because it must be a continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative transportation-planning process. To be “continuing,” the MPO must conduct the process all year long, not sporadically. To be “comprehensive,” the MPO must be aware of the activities of the many agencies and interested entities involved in transportation planning in the MPO region, and must consider these and the transportation needs identified by all interested parties in its decision making. Finally, to be “cooperative,” an MPO must invite the public to participate in its process, and must conduct its planning and decision making with an open and cooperative approach.
This work plan describes the specific tasks that will be conducted during FFYs 2018 and 2019 that support two major initiatives. The first is the ongoing implementation of the current LRTP, Charting Progress to 2040, as amended, which provides a vision for the future of the transportation system in the Boston region and the means to monitor progress toward achieving that vision. A major part of LRTP implementation is the continued advancement of the MPO’s performance-based planning and programming (PBPP) practice, which builds on the work conducted during development of the LRTP. The second is the production of a new LRTP, which is scheduled to be adopted in FFY 2019.
The objectives of this work plan are as follows:
This work plan consists of nine tasks, which outline all of the LRTP work that will be undertaken during FFYs 2018 and 2019. Each task identifies the time frame in which each activity will occur.
The Needs Assessment has become a foundational resource for the MPO’s transportation-planning work. The Needs Assessment includes information on the current state of the region’s transportation system, how the system is used now and projected to be used in the future, and how it interacts with the region’s current and projected land-use conditions and environment.
In FFY 2018, staff will conduct a comprehensive review and update of the Needs Assessment developed as part of Charting Progress to 2040—including the report, the Needs Assessment Application, and other related applications—to support the development of the LRTP and other MPO activities. This information will be available to the public via the MPO’s website.
In FFY 2018 and 2019, staff will use data from the Needs Assessment to develop and analyze land-use and transportation options and scenarios. The data will also be used to review performance measures, set performance targets, evaluate progress toward the targets, and track other indicators of interest.
Staff will continue to work with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), and other MPOs in the Commonwealth to develop a process for projecting demographic trends for use in the MPO’s regional travel demand model. The projections will reflect the MPO’s vision and goals, planned developments (documented in MAPC’s development databases), and the goals and policies in MAPC’s land-use plan, MetroFuture. Staff will coordinate with MAPC as they begin the MetroFuture update process.
Schedule:
Staff will continue to update existing data, identify newly available data from state- and CTPS-managed databases, and identify additional sources of data that are needed to implement the MPO’s PBPP practice. The data collected will be used for tracking performance measures and targets, understanding trends, and updating data in the current Needs Assessment for an improved understanding of needs in the region.
Schedule:
Staff will collect feedback from regional transportation stakeholders, including the public, on transportation needs in the region. This task will include developing informational materials and tools to collect feedback, such as surveys.1 Staff will also seek opportunities to host or attend meetings to discuss and gather public input on needs. As part of this task, staff will coordinate with outreach efforts for other MPO activities, including, but not limited to, development of the TIP and the UPWP.
Schedule:
Staff will review the updated and new data and use it for analyses that will explore the extent of demographic and development changes and the implications for the region’s transportation network and land use. Staff will also identify travel behavior trends and transportation system and user needs. Staff will discuss these findings with the MPO and the public. Using the new data and the performance measures established in Task 2, staff will assess and report on the progress toward reaching the MPO’s vision for the region.
Schedule:
New and updated data will be incorporated into the existing web-based Needs Assessment, which includes the report, the web application, and other data resources. This will involve developing text, tables, maps, and charts that summarize the new data and the analyses performed in Subtask 1.3.
Schedule: Ongoing in FFYs 2018 and 2019
The Needs Assessment will be updated for public review and comment. Staff will produce a table that summarizes the public comments received. Final versions will be made available on the MPO website.
Schedule: Ongoing in FFYs 2018 and 2019
Under the FAST Act, the MPO is required to develop and use performance measures in its planning process and decision making. Federal regulations for the performance measures were finalized in 2016 and 2017.
This work is well under way. The MPO adopted its goals and objectives in FFY 2015 as part of Charting Progress to 2040. As part of the planning process, the MPO used an initial set of performance measures for scenario planning and for evaluating LRTP projects and programs. In FFY 2017, the MPO initiated the development of performance targets, which are specific levels of performance that the MPO desires to achieve within a certain time frame.
In FFYs 2018 and 2019, the MPO will continue to formalize and expand its PBPP practice by establishing a set of MPO performance measures, to include measures required by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and other measures of interest to the MPO. New measures may also be recommended by MassDOT or identified from emerging data sources. Staff will support the MPO in establishing targets for these measures, as federally required or desired by the MPO.
Staff will continue to research and develop performance measures that correspond with the vision and goals in Charting Progress to 2040, to complement those required by FHWA and FTA. Staff will recommend performance measures for adoption by the MPO and prepare materials explaining the process of developing the recommendations and the reasoning behind them. These materials will also explain how the MPO will use the performance measures to track how well implementation of projects programmed in the TIP and the LRTP helps to achieve the MPO’s targets and goals, and to identify performance trends for measures that do not have specific associated targets.
As part of this research, staff will gather information on performance measures being developed by MassDOT and other agencies, and will use this information when making recommendations. The development of performance measures will be an ongoing process, and new information will be incorporated as it becomes available.
Throughout this process, staff will lead a series of discussions with the MPO and MassDOT about performance measures, staff recommendations, and the process for implementing the MPO’s PBPP practice. Staff will seek guidance and concurrence from the MPO in all of the discussions. Discussion materials will be posted on the MPO’s website for public discussion and comment.
Schedule: Ongoing in FFYs 2018 and 2019
Staff will continue to make data and information on performance measures available to the MPO and stakeholders, including the public. Staff developed a Performance Dashboard—a web-based visual tool that houses, organizes, manages, and presents data used for performance measurement. This tool will continue to be used to communicate information about the transportation system’s performance to policymakers, stakeholders, and the public. This work is being coordinated with the Needs Assessment work and the MPO’s Congestion Management Process (CMP), along with other MPO programs, including the Regional Equity and Bicycle and Pedestrian programs. Staff may produce other reports summarizing trend and progress information as needed or desired.
Staff has also established an agency-wide committee to develop an inventory of the data available for use by MPO staff and the public. Staff will continue to develop formats for housing and presenting data, giving consideration to the analysis needs of this PBPP work. Staff will then assemble the data into the agreed-upon formats.
Schedule: Ongoing in FFYs 2018 and 2019
Staff will recommend targets for federally required (and potentially other MPO) performance measures by establishing baseline conditions, using the updated data discussed in Subtask 2.2, and applying the national and state goals and the MPO’s vision and goals. Staff will consider the availability of data and will also account for the possibility that some information may be qualitative. Staff will coordinate with MassDOT and the region’s transit agencies when recommending targets for federally required measures, and will coordinate with other stakeholders when developing targets for additional measures.
Schedule: Ongoing in FFYs 2018 and 2019
As is the case for many of the tasks in this work plan, the tasks outlined below will involve ongoing and often detailed consultation with the MPO with the goal of creating agreement and policy on the MPO’s PBPP practices. In FFYs 2018 and 2019, the MPO will formalize and expand its PBPP practice in the context of both the LRTP and TIP programs. This work will be coordinated with the MPO’s ongoing CMP and other MPO activities.
Staff will review the current criteria that are used for project and program selection in the MPO’s 3C certification documents—the LRTP, TIP, and UPWP—and recommend revisions to the criteria, as necessary, to ensure they are consistent with the performance measures identified in Task 2. (This work will be done in conjunction with the work plans for the TIP and UPWP.)
Schedule: Ongoing in FFYs 2018 and 2019
Staff will use the data collected in Tasks 1 and 2 to document the current conditions of the Boston region’s transportation system with respect to identified performance measures. This information will be compared to prior baseline conditions, and may itself serve as a baseline for future evaluations. Staff will incorporate baseline information into the Performance Dashboard in order to show changes in performance metrics over time.
Schedule: Ongoing in FFYs 2018 and 2019
Staff will continue to prepare memoranda, presentations, and other materials that explain how the PBPP process will be used to guide MPO decision making on programming transportation funds. These materials will describe the national, state, and MPO goals and policy frameworks that affect the PBPP process. They also will discuss plans and schedules for monitoring the performance of the transportation system, development of targets and strategies, methods for evaluating progress, and reporting of data.
Schedule: Ongoing in FFYs 2018 and 2019
Staff will recommend investment strategies to implement in the LRTP and TIP that will help the MPO achieve its performance targets. Once adopted by the MPO, these strategies will be used to guide the MPO’s investment decisions. This work will be coordinated with work to select projects and programs for the LRTP (see Task 6).
Schedule: Ongoing in FFYs 2018 and 2019
In addition to the Performance Dashboard, both the LRTP and TIP documents will include a performance report that describes trends and progress toward targets and the trends of non-target indicators of interest. In the LRTP, staff will create a performance report that describes the MPO’s performance measures and targets, an evaluation of the transportation system’s condition with respect to these measures and targets, and an estimate of progress made compared to previously established baselines. In the future, the development of each LRTP will provide an opportunity to review and document progress in meeting performance goals and, if needed, make adjustments to the LRTP to meet those goals. Staff will continue to update and refine the performance reports in the TIP to reflect MPO targets and estimates of the anticipated effect of programmed projects on achieving those targets.
Schedule:
The MPO has an ongoing practice of using the regional travel demand model set and other tools to generate forecasts and information about regional conditions and future transportation needs. These tools are also used to assess the effects of potential changes to the transportation network. The MPO plans to continue to use this information to make policy and capital investment decisions.
Throughout FFYs 2018 and 2019, staff will compare different investment and land-use scenarios by exploring impacts on travel behavior, transportation system reliability, air quality, mode shift, and economic vitality. Some of this work also may explore policy-related implications, as was done in the scenario-planning process conducted during the development of the current LRTP. In this way, the LRTP program will serve as an ongoing resource for current information, insights, and analysis for everyone involved in managing and improving the regional transportation network.
This scenario-planning process will culminate in the testing of a scenario that reflects the projects and investment programs that the MPO recommends for the LRTP. This stage will include evaluations of the air quality and equity impacts of these transportation projects and programs.
Schedule:
During each LRTP development process, the MPO has the opportunity to review and revise its vision, goals, and objectives. Staff will support this review process by organizing information, sharing recommendations, and soliciting input from the public. The framework set by this vision, goals, and objectives—whether maintained or updated—shapes the MPO’s investment decisions in the LRTP and TIP.
Schedule: Fall 2017 through fall 2018
Staff will work with the MPO and other stakeholders to select projects and programs to include in the LRTP (and ultimately fund through the TIP). These investment strategies are intended to meet the region’s transportation needs and make progress toward performance goals.
Staff will work with MPO members, Boston region transportation agencies, municipal representatives, and other stakeholders to identify candidate projects or investment programs for the LRTP. Staff will document these potential projects in a universe for MPO consideration.
Charting Progress to 2040 also included investment programs—Intersection Improvements, Complete Streets, Bicycle Network and Pedestrian Connections, and Community Transportation/Parking/Clean Air and Mobility Program, which designate funding for specific types of projects to meet the MPOs goals. Based on the Needs Assessment and input from stakeholders, the public, and the MPO, staff may suggest new investment programs (or modifications to existing programs) for the LRTP.
Schedule: Summer 2018 through fall 2018
Staff will propose revisions to the criteria used for evaluating candidate LRTP projects based on the MPO’s vision, goals, objectives, performance measures, and available data. Once the MPO has approved these criteria, staff will compile data on candidate projects, conduct the evaluations, and make results available for MPO and public review.
Schedule: Winter 2019
Based on the universe of projects, project evaluations, and a list of projects being implemented by MassDOT, MBTA, and other agencies (without federal funding), staff will recommend a set of projects and programs—at recommended funding levels—to include in the LRTP. While developing its recommendations, staff may conduct public outreach to get feedback on policy and programming options, potentially via surveys or at public events. Staff will submit this set of projects and programs to the MPO for consideration and will facilitate discussions to support the creation of a preferred MPO programming scenario, which can be evaluated through the scenario planning process (see Task 4).
Schedule: Fall 2018 to spring 2019
Staff will produce a draft LRTP document, in which staff will detail the recommended transportation projects and programs, summarize the process used to create the recommended plan, and organize relevant information from the various stages of LRTP development.
Schedule: Fall 2018 to spring 2019
Staff will circulate the draft LRTP document for public review and comment. At the conclusion of the review period, staff will produce a table that will summarize the public comments received (and will work with the MPO to respond to these comments).
Based on input and approval (endorsement) of the MPO, staff will produce a final version of the plan. The LRTP will be submitted to MassDOT and relevant federal and state agencies for review and approval. The document and supporting materials will be made available on the MPO website.
Schedule: Spring 2019
One or more amendments to the current LRTP may be required in FFY 2018 or FFY 2019 if any changes are made to regionally significant projects in the TIP, or if there are changes to the State Implementation Plan. As these situations arise, staff will prepare informational materials for the MPO members’ decision making and follow the MPO’s procedures for informing and involving the public.
Schedule: As needed
LRTP amendment(s), if required
Throughout the course of the year, the MPO staff receives requests for information associated with the LRTP or information that was developed during the LRTP process, from MPO members, staff of various transportation and planning agencies, and members of the public. Staff will respond to these requests for information, as needed.
Schedule: As needed
The LRTP program plays an important role in keeping the MPO abreast of current state-of-the-practice communication methods, planning tools, and approaches. In collaboration with MAPC, the MPO staff will explore effective ways to gather information, understand the Boston region’s needs, and analyze transportation and land-use options. As part of FFYs 2018 and 2019 work activities, staff will research the best practices in metropolitan transportation planning and other facets of planning.
Schedule: Ongoing
The tasks described above support both the implementation of Charting Progress to 2040 and the development of the LRTP to be adopted in FFY 2019. The schedule in Exhibit 1 reflects items that will take place in the 24 months of FFYs 2018 and 2019.
While the tasks described above will be conducted during FFYs 2018 and 2019, the budget in Exhibit 2 reflects the total cost of program tasks to be conducted in FFY 2018 only. The FFY 2018 cost is estimated to be $371,670. This includes the cost of 115.5 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 105.66 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated FFY 2018 costs is presented in Exhibit 2.
KQ/AM/am
1 Certain outreach activities will be funded as part of the 3C Planning and MPO Support Program. The LRTP budget will support the development of informational materials for outreach activities.
2 Schedules for developing targets for federally required measures vary.
Task |
Month | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | |
1.
Update Needs Assessment |
From month 1 to 25.
Deliverable
A
, Demographic Projections delivered by Month 11
Deliverable
B
, Needs Assessment Report delivered by Month 12
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
2.
Develop Performance Measures and Targets |
From month 1 to 25.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
3.
Incorporate PBPP into Decision Making |
From month 1 to 25.
Deliverable
C
, LRTP and TIP Performance Reports delivered by Month 20
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
4.
Analyze Scenarios |
From month 1 to 19.
Deliverable
D
, Scenario Results delivered by Month 4
Deliverable
E
, Scenario Results delivered by Month 8
Deliverable
F
, Scenario Results delivered by Month 14
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
5.
Review Vision, Goals, Objectives |
From month 1 to 16.
Deliverable
G
, Revised Goals and Objectives, as needed delivered by Month 15
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
6.
Select Projects and Programs |
From month 12 to 21.
Deliverable
H
, Universe of Projects delivered by Month 15
Deliverable
I
, Evaluate Projects delivered by Month 17
Deliverable
J
, Recommended Projects delivered by Month 19
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
7.
Finalize Plan (FFY 2019) |
From month 18 to 22.
Deliverable
K
, Draft Plan for Public Review delivered by Month 20
Deliverable
L
, Adopt Final Plan delivered by Month 21.5
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
8.
Adopt Amendments (as needed) |
From month 1 to 25.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
9.
Other Ongoing LRTP Activities |
From month 1 to 25.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Task |
Person-Weeks | Direct Salary |
Overhead (105.66%) |
Total Cost |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | P-5 | P-4 | P-3 | P-2 | P-1 | Temp | Total | ||||
1.
Update Needs Assessment
|
2.0 | 12.5 | 9.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 30.7 | $47,013 | $49,674 | $96,688 |
2.
Develop Performance Measures and Targets
|
1.2 | 8.5 | 10.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 23.0 | $35,417 | $37,421 | $72,838 |
3.
Incorporate PBPP into Decision Making
|
1.0 | 7.0 | 10.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 20.0 | $31,048 | $32,806 | $63,854 |
4.
Analyze Scenarios
|
2.5 | 15.3 | 13.9 | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 37.0 | $59,048 | $62,391 | $121,439 |
5.
Review Vision, Goals, Objectives
|
0.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.5 | $4,182 | $4,419 | $8,601 |
6.
Select Projects and Programs
|
0.0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | $520 | $549 | $1,069 |
7.
Finalize Plan (FFY 2019)
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | $00 | $00 | $00 |
8.
Adopt Amendments (as needed)
|
0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | $952 | $1,006 | $1,958 |
9.
Other Ongoing LRTP Activities
|
0.1 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 1.5 | $2,539 | $2,683 | $5,222 |
Total
|
7.2 | 46.0 | 46.1 | 5.9 | 2.7 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 115.5 | $180,721 | $190,949 | $371,670 |
Memorandum
Date October 5, 2017
TO Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director
RE Work Plan for Transportation Improvement Program: FFY 2018
Review
Certification Requirements
8218
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Principal: Lourenço Dantas
Manager: Alexandra Kleyman
MPO Planning Contract #101725
MPO §5303 Contracts #98873 and subsequent contract
This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.
The “continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive” (3C) transportation-planning process requires the MPO to conduct various activities to maintain its federal certification. Primary among these activities are the production of the three major certification documents:
This work plan focuses primarily on the development of the FFYs 2019–23 TIP, but also covers activities associated with ongoing changes to the TIP development process, and amendments and administrative modifications to the FFYs 2018–22 TIP, which is the active document during FFY 2018.
An integral part of developing the TIP is engaging the public throughout the document-development and decision-making process. Some of the public participation activities for the TIP are described in the UPWP under the Public Participation Program, which is part of the 3C Planning and MPO Support Program.
The MPO staff will conduct a process to develop a TIP document that accomplishes the following:
This work plan describes the tasks that will be completed in FFY 2018 to ensure that the TIP process is conducted in compliance with all aspects of the 3C transportation-planning process and meets the objectives stated above.
The TIP is a dynamic document. Typically, throughout the year there are many occasions when estimated construction costs or advertisement schedules for projects are revised. These changes require either an amendment or administrative modification to the TIP. The MPO staff estimates that as many as six amendments and/or administrative modifications to the TIP will be made during FFY 2018.
For proposed TIP amendments and modifications, staff will collect information on the projects involved, the proposed changes to costs or schedules, and the reasons for those changes. Then, staff will prepare draft TIP tables that reflect the proposed changes and indicate the reasons for the changes, and brief the MPO. The MPO will review and discuss the proposed changes and take appropriate action to approve an administrative modification or release the amendment for public review.
Staff will manage all of the public review processes related to TIP amendments, including the posting of TIP materials on the MPO’s website. Proposed amendments are typically released for a 30-day public review period, during which staff will compile and summarize public comments received. Staff will relay public comments to the MPO for members’ consideration prior to their vote to endorse the TIP amendment. Following endorsement by the MPO, the updated TIP documents will be posted on the MPO’s website.
Draft and final TIP amendments, administrative modifications, and associated materials for the MPO and the public
Outreach is conducted during each phase of TIP development. The goals of TIP outreach and public participation are as follows:
The main elements of public outreach and communications during TIP development will consist of conducting TIP development workshops, attending meetings of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) subregional planning groups, and corresponding with municipal TIP contacts and chief elected officials. (Much of the public outreach process for the TIP is covered as part of the MPO’s 3C Planning and MPO Support Program, under the Public Participation Program.)
Each year, the MPO conducts a TIP development process to decide how to spend federal surface transportation funds for capital projects. Staff support this process by conducting the following activities: coordinating the collection of project funding requests; evaluating projects; proposing projects for programming based on anticipated funding levels; supporting the MPO’s decision making about project programming; and developing a draft TIP document for public review.
These activities are detailed in the following subtasks, to be undertaken by the TIP program manager:
Specific tasks under this subtask include:
Staff will compile and update information on active and eligible projects for the TIP Database. Data inputs and updates will consist of the following activities: mapping project boundaries; inventorying pavement conditions; documenting bicycle and pedestrian accommodations; compiling crash information; documenting traffic volumes and congestion; calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts; and compiling other relevant project information.
Work in FFY 2018 will include reorganizing the TIP Database to accurately reflect the data inputs into each criteria scoring area as well as the total score for each evaluation criteria. This update and reorganization will be completed both for the purposes of internal TIP project tracking and the public-facing TIP Interactive Database.
During initial TIP development, staff will confirm the contact in each municipality (i.e., TIP contact) and will send materials to each contact to announce the beginning of the TIP process, present the schedule for TIP development, and remind contacts of the process they need to follow if they have active projects they want the MPO to consider for federal funding.
Through TIP Contact Outreach (Subtask 3.3), MPO staff will communicate with the 101 cities and towns in the region to gather information on existing and new TIP project funding requests. MPO staff will obtain information on new existing projects and new funding requests from MassDOT. All active MassDOT projects that align with the categories of projects that the MPO considers for funding with its Regional Target funding will be added to a draft Universe of Projects list. The MPO, TIP contacts, and MassDOT will review the draft Universe, and staff will add any projects that were missed or delete any projects that are either no longer active or have been accomplished with other funding sources.
Using the TIP evaluation criteria, staff will evaluate projects within the Universe of Projects list for which there is a Functional Design Report (FDR), or for which the project proponent can provide all necessary data needed for the evaluation. The evaluation results will be posted on the MPO’s website to allow project proponents, MassDOT districts, and MPO members to review the projects’ ratings and provide feedback. Staff will consider the feedback and revise the evaluations, as needed.
No significant changes are expected to the TIP project evaluation criteria this year. Prior to conducting project evaluations, if MPO members request a review of the TIP evaluation criteria, staff will identify opportunities for improvements and recommend relevant revisions. Upon MPO member concurrence on any changes to TIP project evaluation criteria, staff will update the online TIP Project Funding Application Form to be consistent with the revisions.
Staff will develop a recommendation for prioritizing the MPO’s Regional Target funding. Staff will prepare a First-Tier List of Projects using the evaluation results (project ratings), project readiness information, and LRTP programming.
Accounting for fiscal constraint (i.e., available Regional Target funding) and geographic equity (distribution of projects throughout the region) to ensure that the group of projects addresses needs in all parts of the MPO region, staff will develop a recommendation for programming of projects. This recommendation may involve developing a series of programming scenarios for review and discussion by MPO members.
In addition, staff will prepare and present to the MPO for its consideration, materials related to the selection of projects as part of Statewide Infrastructure Items and Bridge Programs (which are non-target programs overseen by MassDOT), and the transit capital programs for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA), and the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA).
The MPO will review, discuss, and take action on all of these proposed investments, which will be included in the draft TIP.
Based on Subtask 3.6, staff will prepare a draft TIP document, which will be released for a 30-day public review period, during which members of the public can submit comments about the document and the programming of TIP funding. Staff will compile and summarize the comments received and relay the comments to the MPO for members’ consideration.
After the public review period and after the MPO has considered all of the comments, staff will seek the MPO’s endorsement of the final TIP document, which will include the following elements:
After the MPO endorses the final TIP, staff will prepare written responses to the comments received during the public review period.
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), the previous federal surface transportation funding authorization, transformed the Federal-aid Highway Program to focus on performance- and outcome-based results. The current transportation authorization legislation, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, continues the performance-based planning and programming provisions established under MAP-21. Therefore, the MPO must continue to demonstrate that transportation projects funded in the TIP help the MPO make progress toward the achievement of its performance goals defined in the current LRTP, Charting Progress to 2040.
As part of the next LRTP, MPO staff will continue to work on developing performance measures, gathering data on performance measures, and developing performance measure targets. In the FFY 2019–23 TIP document, staff will report on progress toward the desired performance outcomes, monitor past trends using performance measures, and document which TIP investments have improved performance.
Work on analyzing progress toward MPO goals through TIP investments will be aligned with work conducted during development of the next LRTP. While additional performance measure targets are being developed, MPO staff will continue to track data and trends related to safety, system preservation, and capacity management/mobility. Also, staff may identify additional performance measures throughout the FFY to track progress toward goals.
As more detailed performance measures are developed through the LRTP process, staff will review current TIP project evaluation criteria and recommend revisions as necessary. In addition, if it is determined that new strategies are warranted in order to help the MPO achieve its performance goals, the LRTP will recommend investment strategies that should be carried out via the TIP programming.
MPO staff continuously seeks to improve the information and analysis provided to the MPO, so that the MPO can make well-informed decisions and the public can better understand the federal transportation programming process. Furthermore, staff will seek opportunities to increase municipal participation in the TIP development process, stay updated on new state policies, and continue to research the best practices of other MPOs. Staff will also follow the implementation guidance of the FAST Act and will modify MPO practices accordingly.
While a new TIP document is produced each year, this program is ongoing from year to year. The tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2018. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.
The total cost of this program is estimated to be $201,600. This includes the cost of 73.3 person-weeks of staff time, overhead at the rate of 105.6 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.
KQ/AK/ak
Task |
Month | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
1.
Modify the Current FFYs 2018-22 TIP |
From month 1 to 2.5.
Deliverable
A
, TIP Amendment One (schedule may vary) delivered by Month 2.5
From month 3 to 4.5.
Deliverable
B
, TIP Amendment Two (schedule may vary) delivered by Month 4.5
From month 5 to 6.5.
Deliverable
C
, TIP Amendment Three (schedule may vary) delivered by Month 6.5
From month 7 to 8.5.
Deliverable
D
, TIP Amendment Four (schedule may vary) delivered by Month 8.5
From month 9 to 10.5.
Deliverable
E
, TIP Amendment Five (schedule may vary) delivered by Month 10.5
From month 11 to 12.5.
Deliverable
F
, TIP Amendment Six (schedule may vary) delivered by Month 12.5
|
|||||||||||
2.
Outreach and Communications |
From month 1 to 13.
Deliverable
G
, TIP Contact Conference Calls delivered by Month 2.5
Deliverable
H
, Communications around TIP Universe delivered by Month 3
Deliverable
I
, Deadline for submitting project information delivered by Month 3.8
Deliverable
J
, Communications around TIP Evaluations delivered by Month 4.8
Deliverable
K
, Communications around First Tier List of Projects delivered by Month 5.8
Deliverable
L
, Communications around TIP Programming delivered by Month 6.5
Deliverable
M
, Communications around draft TIP and Comment Period delivered by Month 8
Deliverable
N
, Communications around final endorsed TIP delivered by Month 9.5
|
|||||||||||
3.
Conduct Development Process for FFYs 2019-23 TIP |
From month 1 to 10.
Deliverable
O
, MPO-endorsed FFYs 2019-22 TIP document delivered by Month 9.8
|
|||||||||||
4.
Track and Analyze Performance Measures |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
5.
Identify Opportunities to Improve the TIP Document and Process |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
Task |
Person-Weeks | Direct Salary |
Overhead (105.66%) |
Total Cost |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | P-5 | P-4 | P-3 | P-2 | Temp | Total | ||||
1.
Modify the Current FFYs 2018-22 TIP
|
0.6 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 5.4 | $7,431 | $7,851 | $15,282 |
2.
Outreach and Communications
|
0.6 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 7.0 | $9,402 | $9,934 | $19,337 |
3.
Conduct Development Process for FFYs 2019-23 TIP
|
2.2 | 4.0 | 28.4 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 7.7 | 45.3 | $58,626 | $61,944 | $120,570 |
4.
Track and Analyze Performance Measures
|
0.6 | 0.2 | 10.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.8 | $15,418 | $16,291 | $31,710 |
5.
Identify Opportunities to Improve the TIP Document and Process
|
1.0 | 0.0 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.8 | $7,148 | $7,553 | $14,702 |
Total
|
5.0 | 4.2 | 49.8 | 2.6 | 4.0 | 7.7 | 73.3 | $98,026 | $103,574 | $201,600 |
Memorandum
Date October 5, 2017
TO Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM Karl H. Quackenbush
CTPS Executive Director
RE Work Program for Unified Planning Work Program (FFY 2018)
Review
Certification Requirements
8318
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Principal: Lourenço Dantas
Manager: Sandy Johnston
MPO Planning Contract #101725
MPO §5303 Contract #98873 and subsequent contract
This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.
The “continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive” (3C) transportation-planning process requires that MPOs produce three certification documents: the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). The UPWP document has two main purposes:
The UPWP document is produced by the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS)—the staff to the MPO—with oversight by the MPO’s UPWP Committee. The committee provides guidance to staff in the development and implementation of the UPWP and either takes action or makes recommendations to MPO members on UPWP-related decisions.
The UPWP document includes descriptions and budgets for work that staff will conduct during the upcoming federal fiscal year (FFY), including both 3C-funded work for the MPO and work funded by state agencies or other entities. The UPWP document also provides supplementary information about other transportation-planning activities in the region that are not funded through the MPO or conducted by staff. The federal government requires that the UPWP comply with federal regulations and address planning focus areas as recommended by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) also provides content for the UPWP document, which details MAPC’s 3C-funded studies, programs, and activities. MAPC’s participation is funded through its allocation of federal transportation-planning funding (typically 20 percent of the MPO’s 3C funding).
An integral part of developing the UPWP is engaging the public throughout the process. Some of the public outreach process for the UPWP is covered as part of the MPO’s 3C Planning and MPO Support Program.
Work on the UPWP is ongoing and under way year-round. Via the UPWP, the MPO creates a framework for the planning processes and activities that support the achievement of the MPO’s vision, goals, and objectives.
This work plan focuses on two major activities:
These activities will be conducted in a way that ensures that the MPO maintains compliance with all relevant federal regulations and requirements.
Work related to developing the upcoming FFY 2019 UPWP and supporting implementation of the current FFY 2018 UPWP will be conducted on an ongoing basis and in compliance with all aspects of the 3C transportation-planning process. The primary tasks of the work are described below.
In coordination with the Public Participation Program Manager, the UPWP Manager will prepare new outreach materials for the current year. Potential topics that outreach materials could address include the following: explanation of the UPWP and the MPO planning process; a geographic analysis of UPWP spending; an analysis of how UPWP spending has helped advance LRTP goals; updates on findings and recommendations from completed UPWP studies; and an analysis of how UPWP spending has addressed different modes of transportation.
In coordination with the Public Participation Program Manager and other program managers, the UPWP Manager will attend meetings held by MAPC subregional groups, municipal planners, and other stakeholder groups. The outreach program this year will extend to emphasize inclusion of non-municipal stakeholders. The purpose of these meetings will be to answer questions about the FFY 2018 UPWP and gather ideas for new studies and programs for the MPO to conduct in FFY 2019.
Staff will investigate opportunities to improve the UPWP document and process on an ongoing basis by identifying key themes for UPWP development and investigating ways to improve the UPWP document and process.
Staff will review any available federal guidance on the UPWP and on the planning focus areas defined by federal agencies. Staff members will also coordinate with each other to identify any key themes or needs—such as for data or analysis products—that should be addressed in the FFY 2019 UPWP to support MPO priorities. Staff will be attentive to the vision, goals and objectives established in Charting Progress to 2040, the MPO’s current LRTP; emerging priorities from the development process for the upcoming LRTP; developments in the MPO’s performance-based planning practice and its information needs; and any other priorities that may emerge.
Examples of activities staff may engage in to improve the UPWP document and process include the following: 1) reviewing the UPWPs produced by other MPOs, which could inform improvements to the Boston Region MPO’s UPWP process; 2) tracking planning trends that may inform future UPWP planning studies; 3) responding to new practices in LRTP, TIP, and Congestion Management Process (CMP) development and in the MPO’s performance-based planning activities; and 4) investigating new planning tools and data.
Staff will compile ideas for study proposals in order to develop a Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs from which to select new UPWP efforts. This task will be accomplished via the following three subtasks.
Staff will gather ideas for UPWP study proposals from both internal and external sources, including public input received during the FFY 2018 UPWP development process. Staff will also develop study proposals based on priority planning topics, the content of major planning documents (such as the LRTP), and staff-identified information needs. To support this activity, the UPWP Manager will develop internal memoranda to guide the development of study proposals and host meetings with CTPS directors and group managers to refine study ideas.
Ideas for study proposals will also come from the outreach activities identified in Task 1, above. Sources for study ideas will include, but not be limited to, the following: 1) MAPC subregional groups, 2) the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, 3) community and advocacy groups, 4) municipalities, and 5) Boston-area transportation agencies and committees.
The UPWP’s Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs is organized in a table that includes study descriptions, estimated costs, study evaluation criteria, and notes and comments. In coordination with CTPS directors and group managers, the UPWP Manager will host meetings to discuss all of the study ideas in the Universe and form a more focused Universe from which to develop a recommendation for new discrete studies to fund in the following FFY (see Task 4). Decisions about narrowing down the number of studies in the Universe and eliminating some from further consideration for funding as discrete studies are based on the following considerations:
Over time, staff may add proposed studies to the Universe, along with additional research findings and content reflecting comments from members of the MPO, the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, and the public.
Once the Universe is narrowed down to studies that the MPO could appropriately fund through the UPWP, the UPWP Manager—in coordination with appropriate CTPS directors, group managers, and the LRTP Manager—will conduct qualitative reviews of the proposals for transportation-planning studies using evaluation criteria based on the goal areas established in the current LRTP, Charting Progress to 2040. In addition to evaluating proposals based on these criteria, staff will select a group of studies to meet the following criteria:
Project ratings determined through these reviews will be incorporated into the UPWP Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs document. Additional refinements to study descriptions may be made as part of this rating process.
Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs document with proposed studies rated according to selection criteria, and related internal memoranda
Staff will develop a recommendation for new transportation-planning studies to be conducted in FFY 2019. These recommendations will be based on several factors, which include, but are not limited to, the following:
Then staff will produce and present materials to the UPWP Committee that describe the staff recommendation for new transportation-planning studies and the proposed FFY 2019 UPWP budget. The UPWP Committee will consider the staff recommendation and develop their recommendation for the MPO board. Staff will then document the committee’s recommendation, including updated study descriptions and costs, and present it to the MPO board for consideration. After the MPO members’ discussion, staff will complete the drafts of the FFY 2019 UPWP chapters that contain study descriptions.
Staff will develop a proposed budget for the FFY 2019 UPWP based on financial information from the FHWA and FTA on 3C funding for the upcoming FFY. Staff will identify the 3C funds available for new discrete planning studies, ongoing programs, and those discrete studies that will carry over into FFY 2019.
The UPWP also documents the budget information for studies that are funded by other entities, such as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), for work conducted by CTPS. Thus, all work conducted by CTPS for the MPO and for transportation agencies is documented in the UPWP.
Staff will create drafts of all of UPWP chapters that were not completed as part of Tasks 3 through 5, along with UPWP appendices. This activity may include developing materials that respond to specific federal or MassDOT guidance. Staff will circulate these materials to the public after receiving approval from the MPO to do so.
Upon MPO approval, staff will summarize the FFY 2019 UPWP budget in text and in table formats and will incorporate this and all other draft UPWP materials into the draft FFY 2019 UPWP document.
After receiving MPO approval to release the draft FFY 2019 UPWP for public review, staff will post the document on the MPO’s website and conduct public outreach (funded in part via the 3C Planning and MPO Support Program). During the public review period, staff will develop outreach materials and give presentations at MPO public meetings or workshops and other events to discuss the draft document with the public and gather input. Public outreach approaches will be planned and refined in coordination with the Public Participation Program Manager.
Staff will summarize the written and verbal comments received and propose responses from the MPO, which the UPWP Committee and MPO will review. Responses from the MPO will be sent to the commenters. As necessary, based on feedback from the public and MPO, the UPWP document may be modified (see subtask 6.3).
Staff will incorporate final changes, including the documentation of public comments (and the MPO’s responses to the comments), into the UPWP for the MPO’s vote to endorse the document. Staff will transmit the MPO-endorsed UPWP to the FHWA and FTA and make the document available to the public on the MPO’s website.
In order to respond to new federal guidance or requirements, or new direction from the MPO board, staff may need to modify elements of the FFY 2018 UPWP.
For minor changes or budget adjustments, staff will produce a memorandum and supporting documentation on the proposed changes to the UPWP and submit these items to the UPWP Committee for approval. For amendments, staff will submit documentation to both the UPWP Committee and MPO for approval.
Staff will coordinate all of the meetings that are related to the UPWP and will develop materials, as needed, to support UPWP Committee and MPO discussions about changes to the UPWP. In the case of UPWP amendments, staff will support the public review process, summarize public comments for the MPO, and submit the endorsed amendments to the FHWA and FTA for final approval.
As a final step in carrying out the UPWP, the UPWP Manager, in coordination with the CTPS directors and group managers, will be involved in tracking the progress of studies throughout the FFY, assisting in study closeout, and ensuring proper maintenance of study files. Management of the work programs and the studies produced may utilize a UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database.
The current UPWP webpage (www.ctps.org/upwp) is a simple, text-based page. Based on public input, staff will modify the webpage to increase clarity and understanding of the UPWP and the transportation-planning work conducted in the region. Enhancements to the webpage may include creating a “UPWP development page” (such as already exists for the TIP); showing data from the UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database; providing a graphical or map interface that interacts with the database (see Task 9); and moving Appendix A of the UPWP online in order to provide a current listing of non-MPO transportation-planning efforts and projects around the region.
The UPWP Committee will meet on a quarterly basis to review and discuss the status of FFY 2018 UPWP study spending, scheduling, and staff assignments. Staff will prepare materials to support the committee’s discussions and decision-making.
The UPWP Committee will meet several times during FFY 2018 to provide guidance and make recommendations on the development of the FFY 2019 UPWP, as described in the above tasks.
In addition to coordinating with the UPWP Committee, staff will keep the MPO briefed on UPWP development and implementation.
For each of the above meetings, staff will schedule meeting times and locations and develop agendas and meeting summaries. Staff will develop presentations and meeting materials, as needed, to support discussions and decision-making. Staff will work closely with the UPWP Committee chairperson on all of the UPWP development, monitoring, and staff activities that support the UPWP Committee.
The administration of the UPWP-related activities will involve providing assistance in the development and maintenance of the UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database. The database, developed in FFY 2017, tracks the implementation of recommendations generated via UPWP studies and work. Staff will input additional data into the database, generate reports of interest to the MPO, and explore the potential uses of the database to inform MPO activities and priorities. As resources allow, this work may include developing a public-facing graphic/map-based interface for exploration of the data contained in the database.
The UPWP development is an ongoing, annual program. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2018. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.
The total cost of this project is estimated to be $112,530. This includes the cost of 46.3 person-weeks of staff time, overhead at the rate of 105.66 percent, printing, travel, equipment, consultants, and other direct costs. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.
KQ/SJ/sj
1 Certain outreach activities will be funded as part of the 3C Planning and MPO Support Program. The UPWP budget will support the development of informational materials for outreach activities.
Task |
Month | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
1.
Conduct Outreach to Municipalities and Other Groups |
From month 1 to 4.9.
Deliverable
A
, Updated Outreach Materials delivered by Month 1.5
|
|||||||||||
2.
Establish the FFY 2019 UPWP Development Framework and Identify Areas for Improvement |
From month 1 to 4.9.
Deliverable
B
, Documentation of FFY 2019 UPWP Priorities and Possible Improvements delivered by Month 3.5
|
|||||||||||
3.
Develop the FFY 2019 Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs |
From month 3.1 to 5.4.
Deliverable
C
, Universe of Proposed New Studies: FFY 2019 delivered by Month 4.9
|
|||||||||||
4.
Develop Recommendation of New Studies for FFY 2019 |
From month 4.5 to 7.2.
Deliverable
D
, Develop MPO Staff Recommendation delivered by Month 6.3
Deliverable
E
, Develop UPWP Committee Recommendation delivered by Month 7.2
|
|||||||||||
5.
Develop the FFY 2019 UPWP Budgets for New Studies, Ongoing Programs, and Administrative and Resource Activities |
From month 4.7 to 7.7.
Deliverable
F
, Recommended FFY 2019 Budget Tables (new and ongoing/carryover work) delivered by Month 7.7
|
|||||||||||
6.
Develop the Draft and Final FFY 2019 UPWP Documents |
From month 6.3 to 10.
Deliverable
G
, Public Review Draft FFY 2019 UPWP delivered by Month 8.6
Deliverable
H
, Final MPO Endorsed FFY 2019 UPWP delivered by Month 9.8
|
|||||||||||
7.
Manage the Administration of the FFY 2018 UPWP |
From month 1 to 12.8.
|
|||||||||||
8.
Support Ongoing Coordination between MPO Staff, the UPWP Committee, and the MPO |
From month 1 to 12.8.
|
|||||||||||
9.
Maintain and Update the UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database |
From month 1 to 12.8.
|
|||||||||||
Task |
Person-Weeks | Direct Salary |
Overhead (105.66%) |
Total Cost |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | P-5 | P-3 | P-2 | Temp | Total | ||||
1.
Conduct Outreach to Municipalities and Other Groups
|
0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 3.6 | $4,374 | $4,622 | $8,996 |
2.
Establish the FFY 2019 UPWP Development Framework and Identify Areas for Improvement
|
0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.8 | $1,023 | $1,081 | $2,105 |
3.
Develop the FFY 2019 Universe of Proposed Studies and Programs
|
2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 5.0 | $6,975 | $7,370 | $14,345 |
4.
Develop Recommendation of New Studies for FFY 2019
|
1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3.5 | $4,960 | $5,240 | $10,200 |
5.
Develop the FFY 2019 UPWP Budgets for New Studies, Ongoing Programs, and Administrative and Resource Activities
|
2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 8.3 | $10,792 | $11,403 | $22,195 |
6.
Develop the Draft and Final FFY 2019 UPWP Documents
|
1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | $10,558 | $11,155 | $21,713 |
7.
Manage the Administration of the FFY 2018 UPWP
|
1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | $5,117 | $5,407 | $10,524 |
8.
Support Ongoing Coordination between MPO Staff, the UPWP Committee, and the MPO
|
1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | $5,117 | $5,407 | $10,524 |
9.
Maintain and Update the UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 7.1 | 9.1 | $5,800 | $6,128 | $11,928 |
Total
|
9.6 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 26.6 | 7.1 | 46.3 | $54,717 | $57,814 | $112,530 |
Memorandum
Date October 5, 2017
TO Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director
RE Work Plan for 3C Planning and MPO Support: FFY 2018
Review
Certification Requirements
Various: 9118–9718
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Principal: Director of Transportation Policy and Planning
Manager: Lourenço Dantas
MPO Planning Contract # 101725
MPO §5303 Contract # 98873 and subsequent contract
This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.
This work plan encompasses the following 3C activities, which support the federally mandated “continuing,” “cooperative,” and “comprehensive” transportation-planning process:
There are four primary objectives of the 3C Planning and MPO Support program:
Although there is much overlap among the various activities conducted by the MPO, the work described here supports the program management, planning, coordination, and general administration of the 3C process and its certification activities.
This work is conducted on an ongoing basis, in compliance with the continuing portion of the 3C process. To be fully inclusive, the work is performed in close communication and consultation with the MPO’s municipalities and with a broad base of agencies, organizations, interest groups, and individuals.
The MPO posts and distributes extensive information related to transportation in the region and to the matters before the MPO for decision-making. Being inclusive and open in this way, the MPO takes a fully cooperative stance, fulfilling the second precept of the 3C process.
Finally, to be consistent with the comprehensive principle of the 3C process, this work covers all transportation modes, populations, and areas of the region and addresses their needs.
This task focuses on carrying out the day-to-day and ongoing operations of the MPO.
MPO staff will undertake numerous activities in this subtask:
MPO staff will keep informed on federal requirements and national best practices for this work and incorporate them as appropriate. If needed, staff will prepare memoranda to brief the MPO on emerging developments.
Activities in this subtask include:
The MPO decision-making board typically meets twice a month. MPO staff will plan, attend, and provide support for these meetings by carrying out the following tasks:
In addition, MPO staff will ensure that all MPO meetings are held on or near public transportation routes; the venues are physically accessible to persons with disabilities; adequate amplification and assistive-listening devices are present for all meetings; MPO meeting materials are posted on its website in a screen-readable format; and meeting materials are provided in other accessible formats and in languages other than English, upon request. Staff will also ensure that these accommodations are made for all MPO-related meetings.
The MPO currently has three committees: Administration and Finance, Congestion Management Process, and Unified Planning Work Program. The MPO may form additional committees to focus on other issues that the MPO believes are important, and that require more time and attention. MPO staff will support the work of these committees by:
Preparing meeting materials for committee meetings and coordinating and preparing for the meetings are tasks covered by other work scopes.
The Boston UZA is served by multiple MPOs. This task involves working with staff from these neighboring MPOs to promote coordinated, comprehensive, and consistent transportation plans and programs for the broader metropolitan planning area. Transportation managers from the MPOs in the state convene on a regular basis (typically monthly). Furthermore, MPO staff will engage with staff from MPOs in other parts of the state (or country) to share best practices, coordinate on planning activities, or participate in certification reviews.
To adhere to federal guidance and best serve the MPO and its certification activities and planning practices, staff will continue to develop its expertise on current and emerging planning topics. MPO staff will continue to maintain their expertise and pursue professional development opportunities, in part, by participating in relevant and topical courses, seminars, training programs, and workshops offered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Transportation Research Board (TRB), Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), American Planning Association (APA), and other organizations.
MPO staff will continue to provide ongoing support to the Advisory Council, the MPO’s citizen advisory committee, which comprises approximately 65 entities (among its members and “friends”). The Advisory Council’s role is to provide a broad-based forum for discussing regional transportation issues and MPO certification documents, reports, studies, policies, and decisions. The Advisory Council also provides feedback to the MPO that it elicits from municipalities, transportation-related interest groups, public entities from around the region that have an interest in transportation, and non-transportation agencies.
MPO staff will continue to provide coordination, planning, and comprehensive administrative support to the Advisory Council, and will facilitate its monthly meetings. Support activities include:
MPO staff may plan and execute all actions necessary to conduct a field trip for Advisory Council members to highlight issues related to a transportation project or problem of interest.
The Advisory Council has several standing committees, and forms other committees as needed. The standing committees are Program, Nominating, and Membership.
MPO staff will continue to provide ongoing support to these committees and will be responsible for committee notifications and communications, meeting planning, meeting materials, meeting minutes, correspondence, updating and maintaining an Advisory Council contact list and database, and implementation of the decisions and guidance that stem from the meetings.
In addition to the tasks noted above, staff support may involve:
Public participation is at the core of the metropolitan planning process and relates to all elements of the 3C process—continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive. The MPO’s Public Participation Program aims to engage the people of the Boston region in a collaborative transportation planning process, especially those communities with the fewest transportation choices. The best outcomes emerge when decisions are made in an environment of inclusive and collaborative dialogue, debate, and negotiation.
MPO staff will implement the Public Participation Program through various outreach strategies and media that are used to help people understand, follow, and participate in the MPO process, as discussed below and described in more detail in the Public Participation Plan (PPP). As noted in the PPP, staff will develop a customized public participation plan to guide the development of the Long-Range Transportation Plan. In addition, staff will continue to explore other ways to effectively engage the public by identifying and adopting state-of-the-practice techniques and technologies as they become available.
MPO staff aims to make it easy to access the information required to understand, follow, and engage in the MPO’s regional transportation planning. As part of this work plan, the following means will be used for external communications:
In addition to the external communications efforts, staff plans to investigate best practices for increasing media coverage and measuring message effectiveness.
The MPO wishes to consider perspectives of the full spectrum of the public when making decisions about our shared transportation system. MPO decisions—what ultimately gets built and studied, and for whom—are made at meetings that most community members are unable to attend. Through the MPO’s Public Participation Program, staff works to provide opportunities to participate in the development process so that everyone’s voice may be heard, valued, and considered.
Under this task, MPO staff will support the work of the MPO by designing and producing maps, charts, illustrations, report covers, brochures, photographs, PowerPoint presentations, and other graphical products to enhance readers’ understanding of our content through clear and engaging visual communications.
This program is ongoing from year to year. The tasks presented in this work plan will be executed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2018. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.
The total cost of this project is estimated to be $611,610. This includes the cost of 233.4 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 105.66 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.
KQ/LD/ld
Task |
Month | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
1.
Support the MPO and Its Committees |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
2.
Support the Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
3.
Conduct the Public Participation Program |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
4.
Provide General Graphics Support |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
Task |
Person-Weeks | Direct Salary |
Overhead (105.66%) |
Total Cost |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | P-5 | P-4 | P-3 | P-2 | P-1 | Temp | Total | ||||
1.
Support the MPO and Its Committees
|
29.6 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 5.4 | 12.2 | 24.0 | 1.6 | 82.8 | $111,524 | $117,836 | $229,360 |
2.
Support the Regional Transportation Advisory Council
|
1.2 | 0.4 | 32.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 39.7 | $53,053 | $56,056 | $109,110 |
3.
Conduct the Public Participation Program
|
6.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 35.8 | 28.0 | 3.8 | 84.6 | $91,399 | $96,572 | $187,970 |
4.
Provide General Graphics Support
|
6.0 | 6.2 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 26.3 | $41,413 | $43,757 | $85,170 |
Total
|
42.8 | 13.4 | 49.2 | 17.7 | 49.4 | 54.3 | 6.5 | 233.4 | $297,389 | $314,221 | $611,610 |
Memorandum
Date October 5, 2017
TO Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director
RE Work Plan for Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities: Federal Fiscal Year 2018
Review
Certification Requirements
8418
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Principal: Lourenço Dantas
Manager: Anne McGahan
MPO Planning Contract # 101725
MPO §5303 Contract # 98873 and subsequent contract
This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.
Under the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990, states must monitor emissions from transportation vehicles and other sources to determine whether ambient emissions levels exceed health-based allowable levels of air pollutants. Areas in which the emissions exceed the allowable levels are designated as nonattainment areas. For these, the state must develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP) that establishes emissions budgets and shows how the plan would reduce emissions in the area sufficiently to comply with national ambient air-quality standards. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) with nonattainment areas must complete air-quality conformity determinations to demonstrate the conformity of transportation plans, programs, and projects with the Massachusetts SIP. Typically, a conformity determination is performed annually for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and every four years for a new Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). However, a conformity determination may be required if an LRTP amendment is undertaken during the year. This program covers the tasks that must be undertaken to demonstrate that an MPO’s federally funded transportation programs meet conformity requirements.
The Boston Region MPO area had been classified as a nonattainment area for ozone, but it was reclassified as an attainment area under the new 2008 ozone standard. Because the reclassification resulted from a new standard, a maintenance plan was not required, and the MPO area was not classified as a maintenance area. A maintenance area is an area that has been reclassified from nonattainment to attainment, and for which a maintenance plan has been approved as part of the Massachusetts SIP. As the Boston Region MPO area is an attainment area, the MPO is not required to demonstrate that the LRTP and TIP conform to national standards for the two pollutants that form ozone: volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). A new ozone standard was recently proposed and released for public review by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Boston Region MPO area might again be classified as a nonattainment area if this standard is approved; however, this might not occur within federal fiscal year (FFY) 2018. If the MPO area is reclassified as a nonattainment area, conformity determinations for ozone will be required.
The City of Boston and surrounding cities and towns were classified as a maintenance area for carbon monoxide (CO). As of April 1, 2016, the 20-year maintenance period had expired and conformity is no longer required for this area. The City of Waltham, however, is classified as an attainment area; a limited maintenance plan is in place, and projects in this city still must comply with certain requirements. The MPO still must show that it is complying with transportation control measure requirements outlined in the Massachusetts SIP for both ozone and CO.
As required by the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act, the MPO must track the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of planned and programmed projects, and consider GHG impacts when prioritizing transportation projects. Analyzing and tracking the projects in the LRTP and TIP are included as part of this work plan.
In addition to conformity work, air-quality support work is funded in this work plan. The support work includes research and analysis for air-quality and climate-change issues in the MPO area. It allows for additional support in implementing air-quality-related transportation programs and projects and includes consultation, research, and coordination between MPO staff and federal, state, local, and private agencies. Much of the research, analysis, and coordination with federal and state agencies result in products used by the MPO, including the mobile source emissions factors used in all of the MPO’s regional and project-level air-quality analyses and conformity analyses for the Massachusetts SIP.
This work plan covers the tasks undertaken to demonstrate that the MPO’s federally funded transportation programs meet conformity requirements. It also covers work completed through the Air-Quality Support Program, which is critical to the MPO’s ability to conduct transportation planning within the current regulatory and policy framework.
This work plan has two primary objectives:
This work is conducted on an ongoing basis. It consists of the following tasks:
The Boston Region MPO’s regional travel demand model and the emissions model, Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES), are used to analyze various pollutant emissions for the entire Boston Region MPO area. The analysis provides collective emissions data from all regionally significant transportation projects included in the LRTP and the TIP. For air-quality conformity analysis purposes, a regionally significant project is one that adds capacity to the system.
A systemwide conformity determination is no longer required for ozone and CO unless the MPO area is reclassified as a nonattainment area for these pollutants in the future. Although not part of the federal conformity determination, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions must be calculated to provide information for implementing MassDOT’s GreenDOT policy and to meet requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act.
A conformity determination will also be done for the TIP to show that the SIP projects are being funded and are advancing in a timely manner.
In accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation and EPA guidelines, staff will conduct a detailed analysis of potential VOC and NOx (the two precursors of ozone), CO, and CO2 impacts of each project that will receive funding from the Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) Program in the TIP. Staff will also conduct such an analysis for each project that would help the MPO meet the requirements of the Commonwealth’s Global Warming Solutions Act and MassDOT’s GreenDOT policy.
Although a conformity analysis is not required for the two ozone precursors and CO, an analysis is performed at the project level to ensure that the identified projects have a positive impact on air quality. Specifics of the analysis are determined through consultation between the state’s transportation and environmental agencies. In addition, the CO2 analysis is used as input into the MPO’s project-selection process, and, furthermore, estimates for CO2 emissions for projects that are funded in the TIP and are provided to MassDOT for monitoring under their GreenDOT program.
Staff will integrate climate-change considerations and emissions-reduction opportunities into the MPO’s planning processes and will assist with integrating them into state agencies’ planning processes. Activities in this task include the following:
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is required to submit a SIP to the EPA that documents the strategies and actions designed to bring Massachusetts into compliance with air-quality standards, as needed. Under this task, staff will complete the following activities:
Air-quality analyses of specific projects and programs
This work includes continued coordination with and support to DEP, MassDOT (including the Highway Division, Office of Transportation Planning, and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority [MBTA]), and the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) on air-quality matters. This task entails the following primary activities:
This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2018. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.
The total cost of this project is estimated to be $37,400. This includes the cost of 11.3 person-weeks of staff time, overhead at the rate of 105.66 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.
KQ/AM/am
Task |
Month | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
1.
Perform System-Level AQ Analysis |
From month 3 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
2.
Perform Project-Level AQ Analysis |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
3.
Support on Climate Change Initiatives |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
4.
Support the Mobile-Source Element of SIP |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
5.
Ongoing Technical Support to Agencies |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
Task |
Person-Weeks | Direct Salary |
Overhead (105.66%) |
Total Cost |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | P-5 | P-4 | P-3 | Temp | Total | ||||
1.
Perform System-Level AQ Analysis
|
0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 2.4 | $3,619 | $3,824 | $7,443 |
2.
Perform Project-Level AQ Analysis
|
0.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 2.6 | $3,432 | $3,626 | $7,057 |
3.
Support on Climate Change Initiatives
|
0.0 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 | $2,665 | $2,816 | $5,482 |
4.
Support the Mobile-Source Element of SIP
|
0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | $381 | $402 | $783 |
5.
Ongoing Technical Support to Agencies
|
0.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 4.7 | $8,089 | $8,547 | $16,636 |
Total
|
0.2 | 7.2 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 11.3 | $18,185 | $19,215 | $37,400 |
Memorandum
Date October 5, 2017
TO Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM Karl H. Quackenbush, Executive Director
RE Work Plan for Transportation Equity Program (Federal Fiscal Year 2018)
Review
Certification Requirements
8518
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Principal: Lourenço Dantas
Manager: Betsy Harvey
MPO Planning Contract #101725
MPO §5303 Contracts #98873 and subsequent contract
This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.
The purpose of the MPO’s Transportation Equity (TE) Program is to serve populations that have been traditionally underrepresented in the transportation planning process and underserved by the transportation system. The TE Program seeks to change that dynamic by reaching out to underserved populations during the planning process; identifying their needs; funding transportation plans, services, and projects to meet those needs; and evaluating whether the MPO’s investments meet those needs. The TE Program supports the development and implementation of analytical tools used to evaluate the impacts of the MPO’s transportation investments on protected populations. Finally, the TE Program implements the MPO’s Title VI Program to ensure compliance with associated federal and state regulations and guidance.
The TE Program is concerned with persons who may be either underrepresented in the planning process or underserved by the transportation system based on their minority status, limited English proficiency (LEP), low-income status, age, sex, or disability. The TE program is based on the following federal mandates:
Both the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) impose specific requirements for compliance with the above directives on recipients of federal financial assistance. For transit agencies, state departments of transportation (DOTs), and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), FTA has published a Title VI Circular (4702.1B), which specifies the requirements with respect to minority and LEP populations, and an EJ Circular (4703.1), which specifies the requirements with respect to low-income populations. FHWA has issued various guidance documents that describe its requirements for state DOTs and MPOs under its Title VI/Nondiscrimination Program. Through this program, FHWA requires recipients of federal funding to demonstrate their compliance with protections based not only on minority and low-income status, but also on age, sex, and disability.
To comply with regulations directed at those populations covered under the FTA Title VI and FHWA Title VI/Nondiscrimination Programs, the MPO has established its Title VI Program within the TE Program. Due to the cross-cutting nature of FTA and FHWA requirements, some of the MPO’s Title VI activities are undertaken in various other TE tasks, as well as under other MPO work plans. These include the Public Participation Process (PPP) (funded under the 3C Planning and MPO Support work plan), the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
The objectives of the TE Program are to identify traditionally underserved populations, engage them in the MPO transportation planning process, understand their needs, and implement projects, policies, and services to meet those needs. The TE Program also supports the development and implementation of tools to evaluate the impacts of the MPO’s transportation investments on protected populations. Finally, the TE Program implements the MPO’s Title VI Program.
This work will be conducted on an ongoing basis through the following tasks:
As a subrecipient of FTA and FHWA federal funding, the MPO is required to comply with both agencies’ Title VI requirements. This task will consist of the MPO’s efforts to develop and make available to the public notices and documents regarding civil rights, as needed, and to implement, monitor, and update its non-English language services as identified in the MPO’s 2017 update to its Language Assistance Plan (LAP). Translations of vital documents, as identified in the LAP, will be completed under the MPO’s Direct Support budget, while the provision of MPO documents in accessible formats will be completed under the Provision of Materials in Accessible Formats Program. Outreach to Title VI populations to ensure they have meaningful opportunities to participate in the MPO’s planning process is described in Task 5 of the TE work plan; the outreach activities will be supported by the MPO’s PPP.
In federal fiscal year (FFY) 2017, the MPO completed its Triennial Title VI report, which documented MPO compliance with FTA’s and FHWA’s Title VI requirements. The MPO anticipates that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Office of Diversity and Civil Rights (ODCR) will develop annual work plans for FFY 2018 for all Massachusetts MPOs to ensure consistency across Title VI activities statewide and to require MPOs to address specific ODCR recommendations. ODCR is also developing standardized complaint procedures for individuals who believe they have received discriminatory treatment. ODCR plans to translate these documents into multiple languages and provide them to all Massachusetts MPOs for their use.
Boston Region MPO staff will produce an annual Title VI report that documents the MPO’s compliance with ODCR’s work plan for the MPO. During the course of the year, staff will regularly coordinate with ODCR to ensure the MPO is in compliance with Title VI monitoring and reporting requirements and will conduct additional program updates as requested.
Staff will continue to collect and analyze demographic data from a variety of sources, including the US Census, the Massachusetts Household Travel Survey, and various other surveys. The data collected will relate to the populations that are protected by federal mandates. Staff will update the appropriate equity-related analyses as these data become available. The data will also be used to support and inform other MPO programs, including the LRTP, TIP, Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), and specific studies undertaken by MPO staff. Staff will also explore other methods of illustrating and communicating demographic data to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of protected populations in the region.
As part of the MPO’s Title VI and EJ requirements, each year staff completes several analyses of the benefits and burdens that result from its transportation investments. Under this task, staff will continue to coordinate the activities of an internal technical committee, the Transportation Equity Analysis Committee (TEAC). The task will comprise of meetings involving staff from across the agency with relevant expertise in order to develop strategies for updating the various components of these analyses. The committee’s goals are to provide an opportunity for staff to discuss its practices relating to Title VI and EJ analyses, make decisions about updating and implementing these practices, and promote the integration of EJ and Title VI principles throughout all MPO activities. Analyses that will be addressed include, but are not limited to the following: TIP and LRTP benefits-and-burdens analyses, project-level EJ analyses, and analyses of the distribution of federal funds. As necessary, decisions made by the committee will be presented to the MPO for their review or approval.
The activities in this task are meant to operate in conjunction with those in Task 3 by implementing the decisions made regarding updates to the analytical components of the TE Program. Staff will develop new techniques for and refine existing approaches to conducting federally and state-required analyses that evaluate the benefits and burdens of MPO activities on populations protected by the civil rights and EJ mandates stated above. It may also include, but is not limited to, other analyses such as demographic profiles, analyses of the distribution of the MPO’s federal funds through the TIP and UPWP, geographical mapping of programmed projects, and project-level analyses. Staff will also ensure that the MPO remains up-to-date on federal and state guidance and industry best practices for analyzing the equity-related impacts of transportation investments, which will be integrated into the TE Program.
Staff will continue to conduct public outreach targeted specifically to the populations covered by federal mandates. The main goals of this task are 1) to reach out to organizations that serve these populations in order to improve their awareness of the MPO and the opportunities for participation in the MPO’s transportation planning process, 2) to gather information about their transportation needs for the MPO, and 3) to gather public input for the MPO’s development of the benefits-and-burdens analyses and disparate-impact and disproportionate-burden policies. This work will coordinate with the MPO’s PPP, as well as public participation efforts under the LRTP, TIP, and UPWP processes.
Information will be gathered primarily through qualitative efforts: MPO-hosted meetings with organizations that represent TE populations and staff attendance at relevant events, and meetings hosted by those organizations. These meetings will be used to inform organizations about the MPO’s planning process and how they can most effectively participate, and to enable staff to connect with members of the public through these organizations when needed during the development of MPO plans and programs. The information gathered at these meetings will also be used to inform other MPO programs, including the LRTP Needs Assessment and the Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Plan (CPT-HST) (see Task 7).
Staff will continue to track progress through a database of equity contacts, which is updated on an ongoing basis to ensure that no protected population is barred an opportunity to participate. The database will also be used to regularly inform and communicate with contacts—via the MPO’s TE email list—about how to be involved in and contribute to the MPO’s planning process. Staff will use this database to monitor the diversity and representation of organizations with which staff have met. Other evaluation methods will include tracking of new email list sign-ups and of events that MPO staff has attended.
Periodically, MassDOT, via ODCR, requests that the MPO provide information in various formats so that MassDOT and the MPO remain compliant with federal regulations. Staff will respond to these requests as they arise. These activities will include assisting MassDOT’s Rail and Transit Division’s solicitation for projects and project scoring for several state and federal programs, as requested. As in the previous FFY, it is anticipated that MassDOT will ask the MPO by to participate in scoring project proposals seeking funding through FTA Section 5310 grants, which provide capital and operating assistance for addressing the mobility needs of the elderly and people with disabilities. In the past, the Rail and Transit Division has also requested the MPOs’ assistance in informing organizations in their TE databases of when project solicitations occur and in arranging and hosting pre-proposal meetings.
Pursuant to FTA Circular 9070.1G, projects selected for funding under the Section 5310 program must be consistent with the transportation needs identified in a CPT-HST. The CPT-HST identifies the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, seniors, and low-income persons; provides strategies for meeting those needs; and prioritizes transportation services and projects to fund. The Boston Region MPO is responsible for updating the CPT-HST for this region. Circular 9070.1G stipulates that the CPT-HST follow the update cycles for the LRTP, the latter of which the MPO updates every four years. Given that the MPO’s last CPT-HST was completed in January 2015, this task will begin the process of conducting the outreach necessary for the CPT-HST and identifying the needs of low-income persons, seniors, and persons with disabilities in coordination with the development of the MPO’s 2019 LRTP. This will ensure consistency between the coordinated transportation planning process and the MPO’s broader planning process.
The TE Program is an ongoing, annual program. The tasks presented in this work plan are expected to be conducted and completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2018. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.
The total cost of this program is estimated to be $146,420. This includes the cost of 51.6 person-weeks of staff time, overhead at the rate of 105.66 percent, and travel. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.
KQ/LD/BH/bh
Task |
Month | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
1.
Document Compliance with Title VI |
From month 1 to 13.
Deliverable
A
, FFY 2018 MPO Title VI Report delivered by Month 12
|
|||||||||||
2.
Analyze Data |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
3.
Manage TEAC Committee |
From month 1 to 13.
Deliverable
B
, Memorandum(s) identifying the topics covered in TEAC meetings and decisions made by the MPO regarding Title VI and EJ analysis methods delivered by Month 13
|
|||||||||||
4.
Track and Implement Innovations |
From month 1 to 13.
Deliverable
C
, Memorandum documenting the draft disparate-impact and disproportionate-burden policy for the TIP and LRTP benefits and burdens analyses delivered by Month 8
Deliverable
D
, Memorandum(s) describing updates to and implementation of Title VI and EJ analysis methods made by the MPO delivered by Month 13
|
|||||||||||
5.
Conduct Public Outreach |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
6.
Support MassDOT |
From month 1 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
7.
Coordinate Update of the MPO Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Plan |
From month 9 to 13.
|
|||||||||||
Task |
Person-Weeks | Direct Salary |
Overhead (105.66%) |
Total Cost |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | P-5 | P-4 | P-3 | P-2 | Temp | Total | ||||
1.
Document Compliance with Title VI
|
3.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.4 | $10,401 | $10,990 | $21,392 |
2.
Analyze Data
|
0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.4 | $1,987 | $2,099 | $4,086 |
3.
Manage TEAC Committee
|
4.3 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.8 | $15,792 | $16,686 | $32,478 |
4.
Track and Implement Innovations
|
0.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 13.7 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 20.7 | $26,298 | $27,786 | $54,084 |
5.
Conduct Public Outreach
|
0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 10.0 | $11,682 | $12,343 | $24,025 |
6.
Support MassDOT
|
0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | $1,723 | $1,821 | $3,544 |
7.
Coordinate Update of the MPO Coordinated Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Plan
|
0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.1 | $2,826 | $2,986 | $5,811 |
Total
|
8.9 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 30.7 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 51.6 | $70,709 | $74,711 | $145,420 |