Summary: Proposed SFY 2018 Transit Asset Management Targets for the Boston Region
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA), and the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) have established state fiscal year (SFY) 2018 targets for federally required Transit Asset Management (TAM) performance measures. The proposed TAM targets for the Boston Region, listed in Tables 1 through 4 below, follow those targets set by the MBTA, MWRTA, and CATA, except for cases where targets for subgroups of transit assets have been aggregated or disaggregated. For more information on TAM requirements and performance measures and these targets, see the Boston Region MPO staff memorandum titled “Proposed SFY 2018 Transit Asset Management Targets for the Boston Region” (as updated on April 27, 2018).
TABLE 1
Baseline Performance Measure Values and Proposed Targets for Equipment: Percentage of Non-Revenue Vehicles that have Met or Exceeded their Useful Life Benchmark, by Agency
Agency |
Vehicle Category |
SFY 2017 (Baseline): Number of Assets |
SFY 2017 (Baseline): Percent of Assets ≥ Useful Life Benchmark |
SFY 2018: Anticipated Number of Assets |
SFY 2018:Target Percent of Baseline Assets ≥ Useful Life Benchmark |
Change Compared to Baseline |
MBTA |
Non-revenue vehicles |
1,822 |
35% |
1,824 |
37% |
Increase (undesirable change) |
CATA |
Non-revenue vehicles |
3 |
0% |
3 |
0% |
No change |
MWRTA |
Non-revenue vehicles |
13 |
62% |
14 |
50% |
Decrease (desirable change) |
Note: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) defines Useful Life Benchmark (ULB) as the expected lifecycle of a capital asset for a particular transit provider’s operating environment, or the acceptable period of use in service for a particular transit provider’s operating environment. For example, FTA’s default ULB of a bus is 14 years. Green shading in the “Target Percent of Baseline Assets ≥ ULB” column indicates a change in a desirable direction; red shading indicates a change in an undesirable direction.
CATA = Cape Ann Transportation Authority. MBTA = Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. MWRTA = MetroWest Regional Transit Authority. ULB = Useful Life Benchmark.
TABLE 2
Baseline Performance Measure Values and Proposed Targets for Rolling Stock: Percentage of Revenue Vehicles that have Met or Exceeded their Useful Life Benchmark, by Agency and Rolling Stock Type
Agency |
Rolling Stock Type |
SFY 2017 (Baseline): Number of Assets |
SFY 2017 (Baseline): Percent of Assets ≥ Useful Life Benchmark |
SFY 2018: Anticipated Number of Assets |
SFY 2018:Target Percent of Baseline Assets ≥ Useful Life Benchmark |
Change Compared to Baseline |
Notes |
MBTA |
Buses |
1,027 |
3% |
1,023 |
25% |
Increase (undesirable change) |
No notes |
MBTA |
THE RIDE Vans and Sedans |
647 |
29% |
647 |
14% |
Decrease (desirable change) |
No notes |
MBTA |
Light Rail Vehicles |
203 |
45% |
206 |
45% |
No change |
No notes |
MBTA |
Heavy Rail Vehicles |
424 |
45% |
430 |
58% |
Increase (undesirable change) |
No notes |
MBTA |
Commuter Rail Locomotives |
87 |
23% |
90 |
20% |
Decrease (desirable change) |
No notes |
MBTA |
Commuter Rail Coaches |
443 |
13% |
443 |
13% |
No change |
No notes |
MBTA |
Ferries |
2 |
0% |
4 |
0% |
No change |
No notes |
CATA |
Bus |
7 |
14% |
7 |
14% |
No change |
No notes |
CATA |
Cutaway Vehicles |
24 |
0% |
24 |
0% |
No change |
The NTD defines a cutaway vehicle as a vehicle in which a bus body is mounted on a van or light-duty truck chassis, which may be reinforced or extended. CATA uses these eight of these vehicles to provide fixed route services, and 16 vehicles to provide demand response service. |
CATA |
Trolley (simulated) |
2 |
100% |
2 |
100% |
No change |
Simulated trolleys, also known as trolley-replica buses, have rubber tires and internal combustion engines, as opposed to steel-wheeled trolley vehicles or rubber-tire trolley buses with rubber tires that draw power from overhead wires. |
MWRTA |
Cutaway Vehicles |
82 |
13% |
87 |
0% |
Decrease (desirable change) |
MWRTA uses cutaway vehicles to provide fixed route and demand response service, and uses autos to provide demand response service. In April 2018, MWRTA updated its SFY 2017 cutaway vehicle count from 83 to 82 and updated the SFY 2017 percentage of vehicles exceeding their ULB from 14 to 13. |
MWRTA |
Autos |
9 |
0% |
9 |
0% |
No change |
MWRTA uses cutaway vehicles to provide fixed route and demand response service, and uses autos to provide demand response service. |
Note: Green shading in the “Target Percent of Baseline Assets ≥ ULB” column indicates a change in a desirable direction; red shading indicates a change in an undesirable direction.
CATA = Cape Ann Transportation Authority. MBTA = Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. MWRTA = MetroWest Regional Transit Authority. ULB = Useful Life Benchmark.
TABLE 3
Baseline Performance Measure Values and Proposed Targets for Facilities: Percentage of Assets with Condition Rating Lower than 3.0 (FTA TERM Scale), by Agency and Facility Type
Agency |
Facility Type |
SFY 2017 (Baseline): Number of Assets |
SFY 2017 (Baseline): Percent of Assets with Condition Rating < 3.0 |
SFY 2018: Anticipated Number of Assets |
SFY 2018:Target Percent of Assets with Condition Rating < 3.0 |
Change Compared to Baseline |
Notes |
MBTA |
Administrative, Maintenance, and Other Facilities |
141 |
46% |
141 |
46% |
No change |
The MBTA includes commuter rail layover yards and subway power substations in the category of “administrative, maintenance, and other facilities.” |
MBTA |
Stations |
277 |
54% |
277 |
54% |
No change |
No notes. |
MBTA |
Parking |
99 |
65% |
99 |
65% |
No change |
No notes. |
CATA |
Administrative, Maintenance, and Other Facilities |
1 |
0% |
1 |
0% |
No change |
Parking facilities include garages and surface lots. |
MWRTA |
Administrative, Maintenance, and Other Facilities |
1 |
0% |
1 |
0% |
No change |
No notes. |
Note: The FTA Transit Economic Requirements Model (TERM) Scale is a rating system used to describe asset condition. The scale values are 1 (poor), 2 (marginal), 3 (adequate), 4 (good), and 5 (excellent).
CATA = Cape Ann Transportation Authority. FTA = Federal Transit Administration. MBTA = Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. MWRTA = MetroWest Regional Transit Authority. TERM = Transit Economic Requirements Model.
TABLE 4
Baseline Performance Measure Values and Proposed Targets for Infrastructure (Rail Fixed Guideway): Percentage of Track Segments with Performance (Speed) Restrictions, by Mode (System), MBTA
Agency |
System |
SFY 2017 (Baseline): Directional |
SFY 2017 (Baseline): Percent of Track Miles with Performance Restrictions |
SFY 2018: Anticipated Directional Track Miles |
SFY 2018:Target Percent of Track Miles with Performance Restrictions |
Change Compared to Baseline |
MBTA |
Light Rail |
45.68 |
8.58% |
45.68 |
8.58% |
No change |
MBTA |
Heavy Rail (including Mattapan High Speed Line) |
84.55 |
5.62% |
84.55 |
5.62% |
No change |
MBTA |
Commuter Rail |
663.84 |
0.35% |
663.84 |
0.35% |
No change |
Note: The term “directional track miles” represents the miles managed and maintained by the MBTA with respect to each direction of travel (for example, northbound and southbound), and excludes non-revenue tracks such as yards, turnarounds, and storage tracks. The baseline and target percentages represent the annual average number of miles meeting this criterion during the 12-month reporting period.
MBTA = Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.