Draft Memorandum for the Record
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
Unified Planning Work Program Committee Meeting Summary
February 16, 2023, Meeting
1:00 PM‒1:30 PM, Zoom Video Conferencing Platform
Derek Krevat, Chair, representing Gina Fiandaca, 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. August 18, 2022, meeting summary
2. September 15, 2022, meeting summary
3. November 3, 2022, meeting summary
4. FFY 2024 UPWP Development Timeline
See page 4 for attendance.
There were none.
A motion to approve the summary was made by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Eric Bourassa) and seconded by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Advisory Board (Amira Patterson). The motion carried.
A motion to approve the summary was made by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Eric Bourassa) and seconded by the MBTA Advisory Board (Amira Patterson). The motion carried.
A motion to approve the summary was made by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Eric Bourassa) and seconded by the MBTA Advisory Board (Amira Patterson). The motion carried.
S. Murthy (MPO Staff) opened by outlining the process of developing this timeline, which included conversations with MassDOT and establishing an anticipated date of endorsement. S. Murthy discussed a new initiative aimed at framing the MPO’s work programs and studies through the lenses of four themes: Equity, Resiliency, Safety, and Uncertainty. These concepts are intended to guide the MPO’s work over the next few years, and it is the goal of MPO staff to reflect these themes in program descriptions, work scopes, and in the selection of discrete studies.
S. Murthy then took members through the timeline, beginning with the public facing survey soliciting discrete study ideas closing on February 15 through to anticipated endorsement in July 2023. For the full timeline, please refer to the meeting calendar.
Discussion
Len Diggins (Regional Transportation Advisory Council) asked
whether it would be possible to move meeting times to a different day or time,
especially when other committees of the MPO are meeting on the same day. E.
Bourassa agreed that moving the meeting time or day would be preferable, and
asked staff to send around a list of discrete studies funded in FFY 2023.
S. Murthy asked how many more meetings of the Administration and Finance (A&F) Committee are expected to take place over the coming months. Jonathan Church (MPO Staff) responded that the A&F Committee is expected to hold two to three more meetings to discuss the final topic relating to the Operations Plan, and then move to discuss the first draft. Tegin Teich (MPO Staff) stated that meetings will be regular through the end of April.
D. Krevat raised the question of the frequency of committee meetings. L. Diggins responded that he would prefer to block out dates as far in advance as possible.
D. Krevat asked S. Murthy what staff are anticipating in terms of meetings. S. Murthy responded that holding meetings every two weeks may be necessary due to the amount of study proposals submitted. D. Krevat offered that it may be preferable to have meetings on the calendar and then cancel them if not needed, rather than schedule them last minute.
Tom Bent (Inner Core Committee/City of Somerville) stated that a few weeks’ notice ahead of meetings would be preferable for scheduling purposes, and requested that materials be posted as soon as possible to the meeting calendar.
Vote
A motion to approve the FFY 2024 UPWP Development Timeline was made by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Eric Bourassa) and seconded by the Three Rivers Interlocal Council/Town of Norwood/Neponset River Chamber of Commerce (Tom O’Rourke). The motion carried.
The next meeting date will be announced following the results of a survey sent to members regarding preferred meeting dates and times.
A motion to adjourn was made by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Eric Bourassa) and seconded by the Inner Core Committee/City of Somerville (Tom Bent). The motion carried.
|
Members |
Representatives
and
Alternates |
|
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Office of Transportation
Planning) |
Derek Krevat |
|
Metropolitan Area Planning Council |
Eric Bourassa |
|
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
Lenard Diggins |
|
At-Large City (City of Newton) |
|
|
At-Large Town (Town of Arlington) |
|
|
City of Boston (Boston Transportation
Department) |
|
|
Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville) |
Tom Bent |
|
Three Rivers Interlocal Council (Town of
Norwood/Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce) |
Tom O’Rourke |
|
Three Rivers Interlocal Council alternate
(Town of Westwood) |
Steven Olanoff |
|
City of Framingham (MetroWest Regional Collaborative) |
|
|
Other
Attendees |
Affiliation |
|
Amira Patterson |
MBTA Advisory Board |
|
Andrew Jennings |
|
|
Bill Kuttner |
|
|
Jon Seward |
|
|
MPO
Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|
Tegin Teich, Executive Director |
|
Annette Demchur, Director of Policy and Planning |
|
Hiral Gandhi, Director of Finance and Operations |
|
Jonathan Church, Manager of MPO Activities |
|
Srilekha Murthy, UPWP Manager |
|
Sam Taylor, Performance-Based Planning and Programming Manager |
|
Silva Ayvazyan, Project Accountant |
|
Erin Maguire, Administrative Coordinator |
|
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: · Relay Using TTY or Hearing Carry-over: 800.439.2370 · Relay Using Voice Carry-over: 866.887.6619 · Relay Using Text to Speech: 866.645.9870 For more information, including numbers for Spanish
speakers, visit https://www.mass.gov/massrelay. |