Draft Memorandum for the Record
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
Unified Planning Work Program Committee Meeting Summary
September 2, 2021, Meeting
9:00 AM–9:20 AM, Zoom Video Conferencing Platform: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dunBcwRT2xU
Derek Shooster, Chair, representing Jamey Tesler, Secretary of Transportation and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) Committee agreed to the following:
Materials for this meeting included the following:
1. Summary of the August 19, 2021, meeting
2. Technical Memorandum on the draft Amendment One to the FFY 2021 UPWP
3. Updated FFY 2021 UPWP reflecting Amendment One, pending approval of the MPO board
4. Comment letter on Amendment One from the Conservation Law Foundation
D. Shooster introduced the meeting, read the guidelines and accessibility statement, and called the roll.
There were none.
A motion to approve the summary of the August 19 UPWP Committee meeting was made by Steve Olanoff (Three Rivers Interlocal Council) and seconded by Eric Bourassa (Metropolitan Area Planning Council [MAPC]). The motion carried.
S. Johnston stated that the UPWP Committee must vote to recommend that the MPO board endorse Amendment One to the FFY 2021 UPWP, emphasizing that the amendment does not affect the FFY 2022 UPWP. The committee recommended that the MPO release Amendment One for 21-day public comment on August 5, 2021. During the public comment period, MPO staff received a comment from the Conversation Law Foundation (CLF). CLF noted that the amendment reallocates funds away from the transportation equity program because MPO staff have not had the opportunity to expend these funds, and CLF expressed disappointment at this reallocation due to remaining needs related to equity in the Boston region.
S. Johnston provided an overview of Amendment One, stating that it contains changes to the FFY 2021 UPWP requested by MPO staff to reflect changing budgetary needs in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, as well as minor content changes for MAPC’s budget line items. He noted that additional details can be found in the Recommended Revisions to Certain 3C Budgets (FFY 2021) technical memorandum.
Pending approval from the MPO board, the amendment will be sent to the Federal Highway Administration for review.
Daniel Amstutz (Town of Arlington) asked where the proposed changes in Amendment One would be reflected in the UPWP document. He expressed that the while the technical memorandum provides a concise overview of changes to the document, it is difficult to see those changes in the larger context of the full UPWP. S. Johnston stated that in the past, MPO staff produced a redlined version of the UPWP to reflect proposed changes. MPO staff, along with MassDOT, declined to produce this version for Amendment One. He stated that MPO staff can produce this version of the document for future amendments, should the UPWP Committee desire. The version of the document posted for the meeting reflects how the document will look following an endorsement from the MPO. He suggested searching the UPWP by the project IDs listed in the memorandum.
S. Olanoff stated that CLF should be informed that the amendment addresses only the thirty days remaining in FFY 2021, the period covered by the UPWP being amended.
Lenard Diggins (Regional Transportation Advisory Council) asked if CLF received a response to their comment. S. Johnson stated that CLF did receive a response. Jonathan Church stated that MPO staff will retain their commitment to the equity program, and no equity work will be sacrificed.
A motion to approve the amendment was made by D. Amstutz and seconded by E. Bourassa. The motion passed unanimously.
The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote.
E. Bourassa reminded members that MPO staff will attend MAPC subregional meetings in the coming months to discuss development of the FFY 2023 UPWP. He asked if meeting dates could be sent to UPWP Committee members. S. Johnston stated that committee members will be informed of meeting dates, noting the committee members have provided valuable input in previous subregional meetings.
S. Johnston stated that there is not an immediate need to schedule a future UPWP Committee meeting. He suggested that MPO staff return to the committee to address scoping of FFY 2022 UPWP studies and work on congestion pricing, which is not formally addressed in the FFY 2022 UPWP. He added that future meetings could also be based on requests from UPWP Committee members.
A motion to adjourn was made by E. Bourassa and seconded by Tom Bent (Inner Core Committee). The motion carried.
|
Members |
Representatives
and
Alternates |
|
Massachusetts Department of Transportation Office of Transportation
Planning (MassDOT OTP) |
Derek Shooster |
|
Metropolitan Area Planning Council |
Eric Bourassa |
|
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
Lenard Diggins |
|
At-Large City (City of Newton) |
Nicole Freedman |
|
At-Large Town (Town of Arlington) |
Daniel Amstutz |
|
City of Boston (Boston Transportation
Department) |
Bill Conroy |
|
Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville) |
Tom Bent |
|
Three Rivers Interlocal Council (Town of Westwood) |
Steve Olanoff |
|
City of Framingham (Metrowest Regional Collaborative) |
Erika Oliver Jerram |
|
|
|
|
Other
Attendees |
Affiliation |
|
Derek Krevat |
MassDOT OTP |
|
Wesley Lickus |
MassDOT |
|
Benjamin Muller |
MassDOT |
|
Gus Norrbom |
MassDOT |
|
Cassie Ostrander |
Federal Highway Administration |
|
Amira Patterson |
MBTA Advisory Board |
|
MPO
Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|
Tegin Teich, Executive Director |
|
Annette Demchur, Director of Policy and Planning |
|
Mark Abbott, Traffic Analysis and Design Group Manager Matt Archer, Transportation Planner Jonathan Church, Certification Activities Manager Hiral Gandhi, Director of Finance and Operations Betsy Harvey, Transportation Equity Manager |
|
Sandy Johnston, UPWP Manager |
|
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO) operates its programs, services, and activities in compliance with
federal nondiscrimination laws including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964 (Title VI), the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related
statutes and regulations. Title VI prohibits discrimination in federally
assisted programs and requires that no person in the United States of America
shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin (including limited
English proficiency), be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits
of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity
that receives federal assistance. Related federal nondiscrimination laws
administered by the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration,
or both, prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex, and disability.
The Boston Region MPO considers these protected populations in its Title VI
Programs, consistent with federal interpretation and administration. In
addition, the Boston Region MPO provides meaningful access to its programs,
services, and activities to individuals with limited English proficiency, in
compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation policy and guidance on
federal Executive Order 13166. The Boston Region MPO also complies with the
Massachusetts Public Accommodation Law, M.G.L. c 272 sections 92a, 98, 98a,
which prohibits making any distinction, discrimination, or restriction in
admission to, or treatment in a place of public accommodation based on race,
color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability,
or ancestry. Likewise, the Boston Region MPO complies with the Governor's
Executive Order 526, section 4, which requires that all programs, activities,
and services provided, performed, licensed, chartered, funded, regulated, or
contracted for by the state shall be conducted without unlawful
discrimination based on race, color, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, ancestry,
national origin, disability, veteran's status (including Vietnam-era
veterans), or background. A complaint form and additional information
can be obtained by contacting the MPO or at http://www.bostonmpo.org/mpo_non_discrimination. To request this
information in a different language or in an accessible format, please
contact Title VI Specialist By Telephone: For people with hearing or speaking difficulties,
connect through the state MassRelay service: ·
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