Contents

Executive Summary
Chapter 1: 3C Transportation Planning and the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
Chapter 2: About the Unified Planning Work Program
Chapter 3: MPO Support and 3C Planning
Chapter 4: Boston Region MPO Planning Studies and Technical Analyses
Chapter 5: Resource Management and Support Activities
Chapter 6: Metropolitan Area Planning Council Activities
Chapter 7: Boston Region MPO Budget and Operating Summaries

Appendices

Certification of the Boston Region MPO Transportation Planning Process

Abbreviations

Prepared by
The Central Transportation Planning Staff:
Staff to the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

Directed by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization,
which is composed of the

Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
MBTA Advisory Board
Massachusetts Port Authority
Regional Transportation Advisory Council
City of Boston
City of Beverly
City of Everett
City of Framingham
City of Newton
City of Somerville
Town of Arlington
Town of Acton
Town of Brookline
Town of Burlington
Town of Hull
Town of Medway
Town of Norwood
Federal Highway Administration (nonvoting)
Federal Transit Administration (nonvoting)

This document was funded in part through grants from the US Department of Transportation. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the US Department of Transportation.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS

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 US 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
Boston Region MPO
10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150
Boston, MA 02116
civilrights@ctps.org

By telephone:
857.702.3700 (voice)

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

Contact MPO staff:

By mail:

Srilekha Murthy
UPWP Manager, Central Transportation Planning Staff
10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150
Boston, MA 02116

By telephone:

857.702.3693 (voice)

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

By email:

smurthy@ctps.org

This document was funded in part through grants from the US Department of Transportation. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the US Department of Transportation.

Executive Summary

What is the boston Region MPO?

Metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) are responsible for providing forums for making decisions about how to allocate federal transportation funds for capital projects and planning studies in a metropolitan area. These decisions are guided by information and ideas collected from a broad group of people, including elected officials, municipal planners and engineers, transportation advocates, and interested residents. Each metropolitan area in the United States with a population of 50,000 or more—also known as an urbanized area—is required by federal legislation to establish an MPO for the area.

Boston Region MPO Jurisdiction and Membership

The Boston Region MPO’s planning area extends across 97 cities and towns from Boston north to Ipswich, south to Marshfield, and west to Interstate 495.

Figure ES-1 shows the map of the Boston Region MPO’s member municipalities.

Figure ES-1
Municipalities in the Boston Region

The MPO’s board has 22 voting members. Several state agencies, regional organizations, and the City of Boston are permanent voting members, while 12 municipalities are elected as voting members for three-year terms. Eight municipal members represent each of the eight subregions of the Boston region, and four represent at-large municipal seats. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) participate on the MPO board as advisory, or nonvoting, members. More details about the MPO’s permanent members can be found in Appendix F.

Figure ES-2 details MPO membership and the organization of the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS), which serves as staff to the MPO.

Figure ES-2
Boston Region MPO Organizational Chart

The Transportation Planning Process

The federal government regulates the funding, planning, and operation of the transportation system through the federal transportation program, which was enacted into law through Titles 23 and 49 of the United States Code. The Federal-Aid Highway Act and the Federal Transit Act require that urbanized areas conduct a transportation planning process to be eligible for federal funds, resulting in plans and programs consistent with the planning goals of the metropolitan area.

The most recent reauthorization of the transportation law is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which sets policies related to metropolitan transportation planning. The law requires all MPOs to carry out a continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative (3C) transportation planning process. As part of its 3C planning process, the Boston Region MPO annually produces the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). These documents, along with the quadrennial Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), are required for the MPO to be certified as meeting federal requirements. This certification is a prerequisite for receiving federal transportation funds. In addition to this requirement, the MPO must establish and conduct an inclusive public engagement process, as well as maintain travel models and data resources to support air quality conformity determinations, transportation equity analyses, and long- and short-range planning work and initiatives.

Appendix E explains the regulatory and legislative context in which the MPO operates in greater detail.

The 3C Planning Process

The 3C planning process is an approach for conducting meaningful transportation planning:

• Continuing: Transportation planning should plan for the short- and long-range horizons, emphasizing the evolving progression from systems planning to project planning, programming, and implementation. It should recognize the necessity for continuously reevaluating data and plans.
• Comprehensive: Transportation planning should integrate all stages and levels of the process and examine all modes to ensure a balanced planning and programming approach. The planning process should include analysis of related non-transportation elements such as land use, economics, environmental resources, and population.
• Cooperative: Transportation planning should be a process designed to encourage involvement by all users of the system, including community groups, environmental organizations, freight operators, businesses, and members of the public.

Chapter 1 explains the 3C process in greater detail.

What is the UPWP?

The UPWP is a one-year planning document and financial plan that explains how the Boston region’s federal transportation planning funds will be spent in a given federal fiscal year (FFY).

The development of the UPWP involves the prioritization of all potential transportation planning programs, studies, and technical analyses that could be undertaken to benefit the region in a given year. The scopes and budgets of the prioritized work are documented in the UPWP. The aim is to ensure that the work undertaken by the MPO supports the region’s transportation goals, as established through the 3C process.

The UPWP serves as a source for the following information:

• Information for government officials, municipal officials, and the public about transportation planning projects and programs expected to be conducted in the Boston region
• Budget information for federal and state officials about how the Boston Region MPO plans to spend federal metropolitan planning funds on programs and studies performed on behalf of the MPO

How does the UPWP relate to the goals of the Boston Region MPO?

The Boston Region MPO plans for the transportation future of the Boston region. The MPO is guided by a 20-year vision for a modern, safe, equitable, sustainable, and technologically advanced transportation system for the region. This vision is described in the MPO’s current LRTP, Destination 2040. The transportation planning work funded through the UPWP is an integral part of achieving this regional vision.

The transportation goals of the Boston region, as defined in Destination 2040, are as follows:

• Safety: Transportation by all modes will be safe.
• System Preservation: Maintain and modernize the transportation system and plan for its resiliency.
• Clean Air/Clean Communities: Create an environmentally friendly transportation system.
• Capacity Management/Mobility: Use existing facility capacity more efficiently and increase transportation options.
• Transportation Equity: Ensure that all people receive comparable benefits from, and are not disproportionately burdened by, MPO investments, regardless of race, color, national origin, age, income, ability, or sex.
• Economic Vitality: Ensure our transportation network provides a strong foundation for economic vitality.

The MPO is currently in the process of developing its next LRTP. The following paragraph is the MPO’s vision statement as approved in February 2023; this UPWP was developed to be consistent with this vision.

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization envisions an equitable, pollution-free, and modern regional transportation system that gets people to their destinations safely, easily, and reliably, and that supports an inclusive, resilient, healthy, and economically vibrant Boston region.

In addition to the LRTP and the UPWP, the MPO also produces the TIP for the Boston region. As the near-term capital investment plan of the MPO, the TIP describes and prioritizes transportation construction projects that are expected to be implemented during the upcoming five-year period. Figure ES-3 illustrates the relationship between the LRTP vision and goals; the planning foundation for the MPO’s work, the UPWP; the TIP; and the process for monitoring and evaluating progress towards achieving the region’s goals.

What are federal metropolitan planning funds?

The total federal funding programmed in this UPWP is $7,116,954. All federal funds programmed in the UPWP are allocated to the Boston Region MPO by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) as FHWA 3C Planning (PL) funds. All federal funds programmed in the UPWP are allocated to the Boston Region MPO by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) using its apportionment of the core federal formula funding source known as Metropolitan Planning Funds. There are two categories of funds. Federal funds originating from FHWA, known as FHWA 3C Planning funds, are distributed across MPO regions using a formula developed by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies. Federal funds originating from the FTA are known as FTA 3C Planning (Section 5303) funds. Both FHWA 3C Planning funds and FTA 3C Planning funds programmed in this UPWP include a state match. Since 2019, MassDOT has transferred Section 5303 funds from FTA to FHWA to be administered as a Consolidated Planning Grant. For more detailed information on funding sources and breakdowns, please see Chapter 2.

Is other work discussed in the UPWP?

In addition to MPO-funded work, CTPS performs planning analyses and studies funded by state transportation agencies, including MassDOT, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), and the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). More detail about these agency-funded studies can be found in Appendix A.

What PROGRAMS AND Studies are in tHE FFY 2024 UPWP?

The UPWP contains detailed information about work programs, studies, support activities, and technical analyses that are organized in the following categories:

• Certification requirements and administrative activities: The UPWP includes activities that the MPO must conduct to remain certified as an MPO by the federal government, to be eligible to receive and distribute federal transportation dollars, and to maintain its data resources and computer equipment properly. See Chapters 3 and Chapter 5 for more detail about these areas of work.
• Ongoing/continuing work programs: The MPO conducts technical analyses and planning studies for cities and towns in the region. See Chapter 4 for more detail on these studies and technical analyses.
• New studies: The UPWP funds discrete studies to enhance the staff’s knowledge of the practice, improve analytical methods, and evaluate strategies for policy implementation. See Chapter 4 for more detail on these new studies.
• Agency-funded studies, technical analyses, and regional planning work: CTPS conducts planning analyses and studies funded by state transportation agencies, including MassDOT, the MBTA, and Massport. These agency-funded studies are described in Appendix A. This appendix additionally outlines transportation planning work undertaken by other agencies or entities in the region, which may not be funded by the MPO.

Table ES-1 contains the budget allocated for the MPO’s 3C planning activities in FFY 2024. The table reflects the FHWA metropolitan PL funds and FTA Section 5303 funds, which CTPS and Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) expect to spend in FFY 2024. The table also reflects the work that CTPS will conduct with funds provided by other transportation agencies.

Chapters 3 through 5 provide detailed information about the transportation-planning activities that will be performed by CTPS during FFY 2024. The new studies chosen for funding in FFY 2024 are summarized below in Table ES-2 and described in more detail in Chapter 4.

Table ES-1
Unified Planning Work Program Budget for FFY 2024

Note: This budget includes salary, overhead, and direct support costs.
* Projects in this category are conducted on behalf of MassDOT but funded through the MPO 3C contract.

Table ES-2
New Discrete Funded Studies in FFY 2024

What is the process for creating the upwp and monitoring progress on studies?

Developing the UPWP

The annual process of creating the UPWP includes both generating and evaluating ideas for new studies, as well as updating the scopes and anticipated deliverables for ongoing programs, technical analysis activities, certification requirements, and administrative support activities.

Ideas for studies, technical analysis activities, and deliverables for ongoing programs come from a combination of the following resources:

• Input gathered through public engagement and meetings with MAPC’s eight subregional municipal planning groups
• Regional Transportation Advisory Council input gathered from meetings in which MPO staff discuss study ideas and the transportation priorities of Advisory Council’s members
• Input gathered from the MPO’s UPWP Committee, which oversees the development of the entire UPWP document and meets throughout the year
• Existing planning documents such as the MPO’s Congestion Management Process and LRTP Needs Assessment; the MBTA’s long-range capital plan; MetroCommon, MAPC’s long-range plan for smart growth in the Boston region; and other recent studies
• Guidance issued by FHWA and FTA on studies that address the federal transportation planning emphasis areas (for more information on the federal emphasis areas, see Appendix E and Table E-1)
• Study proposals that MPO staff receive during outreach events, through a public-facing survey, and during the public comment period for the UPWP and other staff-produced reports
• Consultations with MassDOT, the MBTA, and MAPC that occur during document development and throughout the year as new ideas for transportation planning needs arise
• MPO staff-identified needs that emerge from continual interactions between the MPO staff, state and local agencies, organizations, and community groups

Ideas for new studies are compiled into the Universe of Proposed Studies. Each proposal is evaluated based on how it would help the region accomplish the LRTP goals. In selecting the final list of studies, the UPWP Committee also considers the utility of the projected study results to MPO stakeholders; whether sufficient staff resources are available to execute the needed work; and whether the work to be carried out is coordinated, rather than redundant, with work being done in other agencies.

The MPO continually seeks to improve its process through inclusive and collaborative decision-making. For this reason, the MPO seeks to involve a broad and diverse range of stakeholders throughout the UPWP development process.

MPO staff will continue to seek public input for ideas for the Universe of Proposed New Studies and engage participants in discussing, evaluating, and eventually prioritizing studies for inclusion in the UPWP. Staff will also continue to monitor and enhance the MPO’s communication channels, such as those listed below:

• An engaging website, which serves as a resource for those seeking to influence transportation planning in the Boston region
• An active social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts (@BostonRegionMPO) covering transportation planning news and publicizing MPO events, and a YouTube channel featuring recordings of MPO meetings and virtual events
• A blog that publishes MPO research and data in an approachable format
• Targeted external outreach to advocacy and community groups, especially those representing populations that historically have been less involved in the MPO’s processes
• Public outreach events, hosted by MPO staff or the MPO’s partners, where staff present, facilitate activities, and listen to feedback and suggestions
• Open-house style events, where those seeking feedback and advice on TIP projects, UPWP proposals, or technical assistance applications can interact one-on-one with MPO staff

What is the public review process for the UPWP?

Toward the end of the document development process, the MPO votes to release for public review a draft UPWP. MPO staff posts the document on the MPO’s website (www.bostonmpo.org) and publicizes its release via an email distribution list that includes municipal contacts, interested members of the public, and other stakeholders in the region, and via social media. Email messages inform stakeholders about upcoming opportunities for public review and involvement in MPO decision-making. MPO staff also solicit public input during open houses, meetings with stakeholders, and at public events hosted by the MPO or its transportation partners (including MassDOT and the MBTA). MPO staff compile comments made during the public review period and present them to the MPO board. The public comment period for the FFY 2024 UPWP began on June 16th and ended on July 7th. Information about the public review process for the Draft FFY 2024 UPWP is provided in Appendix B.

How are progress and outcomes monitored?

The MPO monitors the progress of programs and studies funded through the UPWP by performing the following tasks:

• Approving detailed work programs and scopes
• Reviewing monthly progress reports
• Tracking program and study budgets and spending via quarterly reports
• Approving the release of deliverables based on whether the objectives stated in the work program or scope were met and whether the stated deliverables were produced

Overview of this document

This UPWP document is structured as follows:

• Chapter 1 provides background on the metropolitan transportation planning process and Boston Region MPO member agencies.
• Chapter 2 provides detailed background and information on the purpose of the UPWP, the process of developing and monitoring UPWP work, and how the UPWP helps the MPO achieve its regional transportation goals.
• Chapter 3 includes descriptions of the certification activities to be completed in FFY that: (1) support the core MPO planning and programming functions; (2) that support the 3C planning process; and (3) support the MPO board and committee operations and their decision-making process, and the current budgets assigned to each program and activity.
• Chapter 4 describes the following ongoing and discrete studies and technical analysis work:
• Summary tables of FFYs 2022−23 UPWP studies that have been completed or are projected to be completed by the end of September 2023, in addition to work products, including reports and technical memoranda
• MPO planning studies and technical analyses that will be carried over from FFY 2023 to FFY 2024, if any
• Descriptions of the new planning studies chosen for funding in FFY 2024
• Updated descriptions of the ongoing technical analysis and support work that the MPO staff conducts for municipalities and the region
• Chapter 5 provides detailed information and FFY 2023 budgets for the resource management and support activities conducted by the MPO staff.
• Chapter 6 provides details on MAPC programs funded through the UPWP, including administrative, support, liaison, and technical assistance, and study activities.
• Chapter 7 includes budget summary tables that present how federal metropolitan planning funds will be spent on the support activities, studies, and programs documented in this UPWP. This chapter provides federal and state officials with necessary information for approving the use of funds and for administering contracts.
• Appendix A includes descriptions of the agency-funded transportation planning studies and technical analyses that will be undertaken by CTPS in FFY 2023. These include recurring contracts such as the MassDOT Title VI Program and the MBTA’s National Transit Database: Data Collection and Analysis, and new contracts.
  
  Appendix A additionally presents descriptions of non-MPO transportation-planning projects and studies that are being (or will be) conducted in the Boston region during FFY 2024 and that are funded using federal planning dollars and/or are of regional significance. These projects have a separate review and approval process outside of the MPO’s purview. They are included in the UPWP to provide a comprehensive picture of plans and studies that are expected to take place in the Boston region and to ensure that MPO planning efforts are coordinated with other ongoing work.

• Appendix B describes the public participation process used for developing and reviewing the Draft UPWP. This appendix also includes written comments on the Draft UPWP that were received during the public review period.
• Appendix C includes the FFY 2024 Universe of Proposed New Studies and describes the evaluation process that was used by the UPWP Committee and the MPO as a guide for selecting new studies.
• Appendix D contains an updated analysis of the geographic distribution of location-specific studies programmed through the UPWP.
• Appendix E gives detailed information on the regulatory framework that guides the development of the UPWP, and the studies and activities programmed for funding, as well as the overall regulations and guidance that the MPO considers in all of its work.
• Appendix F documents the membership of the MPO in detail.

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Chapter 1: 3C Transportation Planning and the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

Decisions about how to allocate transportation funds in a metropolitan area are guided by information and ideas gathered from a broad group of people, including elected officials, municipal planners and engineers, transportation advocates, and interested residents. Metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) are the bodies responsible for providing a forum for this decision-making process. Each metropolitan area in the United States with a population of 50,000 or more, also known as an urbanized area, is required by federal legislation to establish an MPO, which decides how to spend federal transportation funds for capital projects and planning studies for the area.

THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROCESS

The federal government regulates the funding, planning, and operation of the surface transportation system through the federal transportation program, which was enacted into law through Titles 23 and 49 of the United States Code. Section 134 of Title 23 of the Federal Aid Highway Act, as amended, and Section 5303 of Title 49 of the Federal Transit Act, as amended, require that urbanized areas conduct a transportation planning process, resulting in plans and programs consistent with the planning objectives of the metropolitan area, in order to be eligible for federal funds.

The most recent reauthorization of the federal surface transportation law is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which has succeeded the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The BIL sets policies related to metropolitan transportation planning, and requires that all MPOs carry out a continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative (3C) transportation planning process.

3C Transportation Planning

The Boston Region MPO is responsible for carrying out the 3C planning process in the Boston region. The MPO has established the following objectives for the process:

• Identify transportation problems and develop possible solutions
• Ensure that decision-making balances short- and long-range considerations and adequately reflects the range of possible future scenarios, options, and consequences
• Represent both regional and local considerations, and both transportation and non-transportation objectives and impacts, in the analysis of project issues
• Assist implementing agencies in effecting timely policy and project decisions with adequate consideration of environmental, social, fiscal, and economic impacts, and with adequate opportunity for participation by other agencies, local governments, and the public
• Help implementing agencies prioritize transportation activities in a manner consistent with the region’s needs and resources
• Comply with the requirements of the BIL, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Clean Air Act of 1990, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 12898 (regarding environmental justice), Executive Order 13166 (regarding outreach to populations with limited English-language proficiency), and Executive Order 13330 (regarding the coordination of human-services transportation)

More information about the federal, state, and regional guidance governing the transportation planning process, and about the regulatory framework in which the MPO operates can be found in Appendix E.

THE BOSTON REGION MPO

The Boston Region MPO’s planning area extends across 97 cities and towns from Boston north to Ipswich, south to Marshfield, and west to Interstate 495.

Figure 1-1 shows the map of the Boston Region MPO’s member municipalities.

Figure 1-1
Municipalities in the Boston Region

The MPO’s board comprises 22 voting members. Several state agencies, regional organizations, and the City of Boston are permanent voting members, while 12 municipalities are elected as voting members for three-year terms. Eight municipal members represent each of the eight subregions of the Boston region, and there are four at-large municipal seats. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) participate on the MPO board as advisory (nonvoting) members. More details about the MPO’s permanent members can be found in Appendix F.

Figure 1-2 shows MPO membership and the organization of the Central Transportation Planning Staff, which serves as staff to the MPO.

Figure 1-2
Boston Region MPO Organizational Chart

MPO Central Vision Statement

The following paragraph is the MPO’s central vision statement, as adopted in Destination 2040, the MPO’s current Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which was adopted in August 2019.

The Boston Region MPO envisions a modern, well-maintained transportation system that supports a sustainable, healthy, livable, and economically vibrant region. To achieve this vision, the transportation system must be safe and resilient; incorporate emerging technologies; and provide equitable access, excellent mobility, and varied transportation options.

This vision statement takes into consideration the significant public input received during the drafting of the Needs Assessment for Destination 2040. This statement also reflects the MPO’s desire to emphasize the maintenance and resilience of the transportation system while supporting the MPO’s six core goals: Safety, System Preservation and Modernization, Capacity Management and Mobility, Clean Air and Sustainable Communities, Transportation Equity, and Economic Vitality. More information on the MPO’s vision, goals, and objectives for the transportation system is available in Figure 1-3.

The Boston Region MPO is in the process of developing Destination 2050, its next LRTP, which is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023. The updated vision, goals, and objectives created as part of Destination 2050 will not only guide the recommendations included in that plan, but also the development of future MPO Transportation Improvement Programs (TIP) and LRTPs. It was also considered when developing this UPWP. The following paragraph is the MPO’s vision statement as approved in February 2023.

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization envisions an equitable, pollution-free, and modern regional transportation system that gets people to their destinations safely, easily, and reliably, and that supports an inclusive, resilient, healthy, and economically vibrant Boston region.

Certification Documents

As part of its 3C process, the Boston Region MPO annually produces the TIP and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). These documents, along with the quadrennial LRTP, are referred to as certification documents and are required for the federal government to certify the MPO’s planning process. This federal certification is a prerequisite for the MPO to receive federal transportation funds. In addition to the requirement to produce the LRTP, TIP, and UPWP, the MPO must establish and conduct an inclusive public participation process, and maintain transportation models and data resources to support air quality conformity determinations and long- and short-range planning work and initiatives.

The following is a summary of each of the certification documents.

• The LRTP guides decision-making on investments that will be made in the Boston region’s transportation system over the next two decades. It defines an overarching vision of the future of transportation in the region, establishes goals and objectives that will lead to achieving that vision, and allocates projected revenue to transportation projects and programs consistent with established goals and objectives. The Boston Region MPO produces an LRTP every four years. Destination 2040, the current LRTP at the time this UPWP was drafted, was endorsed by the MPO board in August 2019 and went into effect on October 1, 2019. Figure 1-3 shows the MPO’s goals and objectives as adopted by the MPO board in Destination 2040. As previously mentioned, the MPO is developing its next LRTP, Destination 2050. The new plan is expected to be endorsed by the MPO in summer 2023 and to go into effect October 1, 2023.
• The TIP is a multiyear, multimodal program of transportation improvements that is consistent with the LRTP. It describes and prioritizes transportation projects that are expected to be implemented during a five-year period. The types of transportation projects funded include major highway reconstruction and maintenance, arterial and intersection improvements, public transit expansion and maintenance, bicycle paths and facilities, improvements for pedestrians, and first- and last-mile connections to transit or other key destinations. The TIP contains a financial plan that shows the revenue sources, current or proposed, for each project. The TIP serves as the implementation arm of the MPO’s LRTP, and the Boston Region MPO updates the TIP annually. An MPO-endorsed TIP is incorporated into the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for submission to the FHWA, FTA, United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for approval. The Capital Investment Plan is a Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) document that reflects all capital expenditures over a five-year period, provides state matching funds for nearly all STIP investments, and includes STIP, and, by extension, TIP investments.
• The UPWP contains information about transportation planning studies that will be conducted by MPO staff during the course of a federal fiscal year, which runs from October 1 through September 30. The UPWP describes all of the supportive planning activities undertaken by the MPO staff, including data resources management, preparation of the federally required certification documents, and ongoing regional transportation planning assistance. The UPWP, produced annually, is often a means to study transportation projects and alternatives before advancing to further design, construction, and possible future programming through the TIP. The studies and work products programmed for funding through the UPWP are integrally related to other planning initiatives conducted by the Boston Region MPO, MassDOT, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the Massachusetts Port Authority, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and municipalities in the Boston region.

Figure 1-3
LRTP Goals and Objectives

Vision Statement

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization envisions an equitable, pollution-free, and modern regional transportation system that gets people to their destinations safely, easily, and reliably, and that supports an inclusive, resilient, healthy, and economically vibrant Boston region.

Figure 1-4 depicts the relationship between the three certification documents and the MPO’s performance-based planning and programming process, which is a means to monitor progress towards the MPO’s goals and to evaluate the MPO’s approach to achieving those goals.

Figure 1-4
Relationship between the LRTP, TIP, UPWP,
and Performance-Based Planning Process

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Chapter 2: About the Unified Planning Work Program

Background

This chapter explains the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) and its connection to the overall regional transportation vision developed in the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). As outlined in Chapter 1, the UPWP plays an integral part of achieving the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) vision and mandate by documenting the federal funding that will be spent on surface transportation studies and work programs in the Boston region during a given federal fiscal year (FFY). This plan also serves as the basis for financing the ongoing work of the staff to the Boston Region MPO.

What Does the UPWP Do?

The UPWP is a planning document with preliminary scopes of work and budgets that the MPO produces annually in compliance with the federally mandated continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive (3C) metropolitan planning process described in Chapter 1.

As the basis for transportation planning at the Boston Region MPO, the UPWP prioritizes federal funding for transportation planning work that will be implemented in the 97-municipality area of the Boston region. The Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) or the staff of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) conduct this work (CTPS is the staff of the MPO and MAPC is the Boston region’s regional planning agency). This work primarily consists of the following four parts.

Certification Requirements and Other MPO Support Activities. The UPWP includes activities that the federal government requires the MPO to conduct to remain certified as an MPO and be eligible to receive and distribute federal transportation dollars. Work in this category includes preparing federally required plans such as the LRTP and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The LRTP, which is updated every four years, allocates funding for transportation construction projects and programs over a 20-year period. The TIP, which is updated annually, allocates funding for the implementation of projects during the next five years. This section of the UPWP also includes air quality conformity and transportation equity-related compliance and other planning activities associated with the LRTP and TIP. In addition, the UPWP programs the MPO’s public participation activities, including support to the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (Advisory Council) and support to meetings of the MPO and its committees.

The UPWP also funds other activities that support MPO planning and certification requirements, including graphics and editing support; managing data and computer resources; and maintaining the MPO’s regional travel demand model, which is used to forecast the potential impacts that changes to the transportation system will have on traffic congestion and transit ridership. See Chapters 3 and 5 for more detail about these areas of work.

Ongoing/Continuing Work Programs. Ongoing and continuing work programs support technical analyses and planning studies for cities and towns in the region. Examples of these programs include Bicycle and Pedestrian Support Activities, Regional Transit Service Planning Technical Support, and Community Transportation Technical Assistance. See Chapter 4 for more detail about these programs.

New Studies. Every year, funds are available for the MPO staff to perform new studies. CTPS conducts these activities to enhance staff’s and the MPO’s knowledge of transportation planning practices, augment analytical methods, and evaluate transportation planning strategies. Examples of these studies in the FFY 2024 UPWP include Parking in Bike Lanes: Strategies for Safety and Prevention, and the Lab and Municipal Parking Phase II study. See Chapter 4 for more detail about these new studies.

Agency Studies and Technical Analyses. CTPS conducts planning analyses and studies funded by state transportation agencies, including the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), and the Massachusetts Port Authority. CTPS also occasionally conducts planning analyses and studies funded by municipalities. See Appendix A for more details on these agency-funded studies.

The Process of Creating and Monitoring the UPWP

MPO staff produces the UPWP each year under the supervision and guidance of the MPO’s UPWP Committee. The UPWP Committee, comprised of a subset of MPO board members and supported by MPO staff, convened six meetings in FFY 2023 to consider and provide input on the FFY 2024 UPWP development process. Discussion included the following topics:

• proposed budgets for ongoing and continuing activities
• new study ideas and how to prioritize them
• improvements to the UPWP outreach and development process

These meetings resulted in the committee’s recommendation for the Draft FFY 2024 UPWP. The MPO approved the UPWP Committee’s recommendations for public review of the Draft FFY 2024 UPWP on June 15, 2023.

Below are details about the process for selecting studies and programs for the FFY 2024 UPWP.

Developing the New FFY UPWP

To develop new planning studies for the FFY 2024 UPWP, the MPO drew from the following sources to generate a listing known as the Universe of Proposed New Studies (see Appendix C) for evaluation by MPO staff and the MPO’s UPWP Committee.

1. Public outreach: Staff held meetings to gain input from subregional planning groups and other stakeholders. Subregional groups—organized by MAPC—include municipal representatives who are focused on regional planning topics (Figure 1-1). Staff also visited meetings of community-based organizations and transportation advocacy groups during the fall outreach period, and provided opportunities for input at UPWP committee meetings. Furthermore, staff distributed a survey for members of the public to share study ideas and proposals.
2. Advisory Council: MPO staff met several times with the Advisory Council to present preliminary drafts of the FFY 2024 Universe of Proposed New Studies and gain ideas and input on transportation planning priorities. The Advisory Council is an independent body that brings public viewpoints and advice on transportation planning to the MPO.
3. UPWP Committee: MPO staff met with the UPWP Committee of the MPO throughout development of the UPWP. The committee oversaw the entire document development process and contributed to generating, analyzing, and prioritizing new study ideas.
4. Existing planning documents: Various plans and programs developed and conducted by the MPO and state agencies document transportation issues that require further study. These include the regional Congestion Management Process, which monitors the transportation network to identify locations and sources of congestion; Focus40, the MBTA’s long-range capital plan; the MPO’s long-range planning documents, including the current LRTP Destination 2040 (a new LRTP, Destination 2050, is in development and is expected to be endorsed by the MPO during FFY 2023); MetroCommon, MAPC’s long-range plan for the region; MassDOT’s statewide modal plans; MassDOT’s Statewide Long- Range Transportation Plan, Beyond Mobility (currently under development); and other recent studies.
5. Past guidance: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and MassDOT issue guidance on addressing the planning emphasis areas.
6. FFY 2024 UPWP public comment letters and study proposals: MPO staff received numerous emails and letters from the public regarding potential study ideas, which were integrated into the Universe of Proposed Studies.
7. Consultations with MassDOT, the MBTA, and MAPC: MPO staff consulted with its partner agencies to identify study ideas.
8. MPO staff-identified needs: MPO staff shared a survey with other CTPS staff to encourage discussion and sharing of study concepts.

MPO staff works continuously to enhance public participation in the UPWP and other MPO activities, and strives to achieve continued improvements in the volume, diversity, and quality of public input. More information about the MPO’s public outreach process is available in Chapter 3, and at https://www.bostonmpo.org/public-engagement.

Evaluating and Selecting New Studies

MPO staff evaluated each new proposal in the Universe of Proposed New Studies based on how it helps the region accomplish the MPO’s goals as laid out in the LRTP; whether staff has the capacity to carry it out; and a variety of other factors.

In addition to conducting the study evaluation process, MPO staff defined general scopes and estimated costs for proposed planning studies and considered potentially feasible issues to study. Staff considered these factors with input from the public, MPO members, and partner agencies, along with the availability of funds for new studies, when identifying a recommended set of new proposed planning studies for review by the UPWP committee.

In the occasion that a proposed study was beyond the scope of a discrete study, but relevant to one of the MPO’s ongoing programs (e.g. the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, or the Multimodal Mobility and Infrastructure Program) staff ensured that information regarding that study and its proponent were communicated to relevant program managers.

Table 2-1 shows the studies in the FFY 2024 universe that were selected for funding in FFY 2024. Chapter 4 provides detailed descriptions of these studies.

Table 2-1
FFY 2024 New Discrete Funded Studies

Updates to Ongoing and Continuing Activities

In addition to the process of selecting new discrete transportation planning studies, the MPO reviews activities for ongoing programs and work. MPO staff identifies and develops budgets for these continuing programs that will be carried out in the upcoming FFY. Staff proposes changes to the budget of any program resulting from revisions to planned activities.

Examples of ongoing and continuing activities comprise work that is required of the MPO, including certification requirements (see Chapter 3), ongoing technical assistance to municipalities (see Chapter 4), and resource management and support activities (see Chapter 5).

The annual study program review and budget development process defines the amount of 3C funding (from federal grants that support the 3C process) that is available for new studies in the UPWP. After accounting for 3C-funded continuing and ongoing programs, the remaining funding is available for new studies.

Public Review of the Draft UPWP

MPO staff incorporates into the draft UPWP descriptive and financial information about ongoing and new UPWP studies, information about the UPWP development process, and other major transportation planning studies that will occur in the region during the relevant federal fiscal year. Appendix D provides an analysis of the distribution of UPWP-funded work products by subregion and municipality. Once the MPO votes to release the draft for public review, MPO staff posts the document to the MPO website (www.bostonmpo.org) and provides notice of its availability through various communication outlets.

As previously noted, public outreach forms a major part of the input to the UPWP each FFY. After the MPO approves the draft UPWP, there is a public comment period. During this time, MPO staff members solicit public input via the MPO email list, the MPO website, and social media outlets. Staff compiles all public comments received during this period and presents them to the MPO.

Information about the public review process for the Draft FFY 2024 UPWP is available in Appendix B.

Other Regionally Significant Transportation Planning Studies

The UPWP also includes a list (Appendix A) of other federally funded and/or regionally significant transportation planning activities active in the region during the relevant FFY. These activities are not funded with the MPO’s planning funds, but may be funded and implemented by individual transportation agencies, municipalities, or academic institutions. Often, these efforts make use of the expertise and tools that CTPS is uniquely able to provide.

Monitoring Progress of UPWP Studies

The MPO approved the following procedures for monitoring the studies in the FFY 2024 UPWP:

• Work programs for tasks that are not permanent (ongoing) MPO programs but are supported by federal 3C planning funds must be approved by the MPO prior to execution of work.
• CTPS work supported by other funding sources (for example, other governmental entities) should be approved by the MPO with the assurance that the new work will not interfere with other MPO-funded work.
• Monthly progress reports on all active studies and work programs must be submitted to the respective funding agency (FHWA or FTA) by the agency conducting the work (CTPS and/or MAPC). The reports must include the following information for each study or work program:
• brief narrative describing the work accomplished
• key personnel attendance at meeting(s) held during the reporting month
• objectives and planned activities for the next month
• percent of work completed
• some measure of actual resources (for example, hours and funds) charged to the contract over the past month
• comparison of actual cumulative resources expended compared to the contract budget
• MPO approval for release of a 3C-funded study’s work products is based on whether the objectives stated in the work program were met and whether the stated deliverables were produced.

Amendments and Administrative Modifications to the UPWP

If necessary, MPO staff can make amendments and administrative modifications to the UPWP throughout the year. All 3C documents endorsed by MPOs, such as the TIP, LRTP, and the UPWP, must follow standardized procedures regarding amendments and/or administrative modifications. If an amendment is under consideration, MPO staff notifies the Advisory Council and other interested parties, including any affected communities. The MPO follows the procedures specified in the MPO’s Public Engagement Plan.

The following are the guidelines regarding the conditions that constitute an amendment to the UPWP, as received from FHWA by MassDOT and the MPO in FFY 2024 for future UPWPs.

Amendments to the UPWP, defined as significant changes to the overall UPWP that require federal approval, include the following:

• addition or deletion of a UPWP task or sub-task
• major changes to UPWP task descriptions, activities, and other information
• funding increase above the originally approved UPWP overall budget
• funding transfers between tasks equal to or greater than 25 percent of the UPWP task budget
• funding increase or decrease equal to or greater than 25 percent of the UPWP task budget

Administrative modifications to the UPWP, defined as minor adjustments to the overall UPWP that do not require federal approval, include the following:

• minor changes to UPWP task descriptions, activities, and other information
• funding transfers between UPWP tasks less than 25 percent of the UPWP task budget
• funding increase or decrease less than 25 percent of the UPWP task budget

Staff must present all proposed amendments and administrative modifications to the MPO for consultation prior to endorsement. The UPWP Committee will review both amendments and administrative modifications before forwarding them to the MPO. MPO members must vote to approve both amendments and administrative modifications. For amendments, the MPO will vote to either release the amendment for a 21-day public comment period or waive said comment period (upon recommendation from the UPWP Committee) prior to an endorsement vote. Members of the public may attend and provide comments at UPWP committee meetings and MPO meetings at which amendments and administrative modifications are discussed.

The MPO may make administrative modifications without a public review period at the MPO’s discretion, although information will be shared with MassDOT’s Office of Transportation Planning (OTP). When submitting the standard Budget Reallocation Request form to OTP, staff must fill out all fields with clear indication that the MPO was consulted prior to submission. Staff must submit back-up documentation, including the UPWP description of task(s) affected, original budget, revised budget, and justification for the request. Amendments will go into effect after approval by FHWA. These procedures are additionally documented in the MPO's Public Engagement Plan.

Funding the UPWP

The total federal funding programmed in this UPWP is $7,116,954. All federal funds programmed in the UPWP are allocated to the Boston Region MPO by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) as FHWA 3C Planning (PL) funds. However, these federal funds initially come from two sources: the FHWA and the FTA. The federal funds, which are supplemented by a local match provided by MassDOT, include the following initial sources:

• FHWA 3C Planning (PL): FHWA planning funds are distributed to the OTP, according to an allocation formula established by federal legislation, to carry out the 3C planning process. OTP distributes these funds to Massachusetts MPOs according to a formula that is primarily based on the region’s road mileage and population. The formula was developed by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA) and is known as the MARPA formula. The FFY 2024 3C PL funding allocation for the Boston region, including state matching funds, is $4,599,322. The total Boston region 3C PL allocation is split between CTPS, which receives $3,725,451, and MAPC, which receives $873,871.
• FTA 3C Planning (Section 5303): FTA provides 3C planning funds for transit projects to MPOs and Departments of Transportation under Section 5303 of the Federal Transit Act. These funds require a non-federal match and are distributed according to an allocation formula. In Massachusetts, these funds are administered by MassDOT, which transfers them from FTA to FHWA to be administered as a Consolidated Planning Grant before distribution. The FFY 2024 FTA allocation for the Boston region, including a total local match, is $2,517,632. This amount is split into two categories:
• MPO and MassDOT FTA 3C Planning (Section 5303): The total amount of FTA funds, including a local match, programmed in this UPWP as PL for work conducted by the MPO staff is $2,076,561.
• MAPC FTA 3C Planning (Section 5303): A portion of the Boston region’s FTA allocation is provided to MAPC. MAPC uses these funds to conduct its transit-planning studies programmed through the UPWP. The total amount of FTA-derived funds, including a local match, allocated to MAPC as PL funds for FFY 2024 is $441,071.

Contract Work

In addition to MPO-funded work, CTPS performs planning analyses and studies funded by state transportation agencies, including MassDOT, the MBTA, and the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). More detail about these agency-funded studies can be found in Appendix A.

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Chapter 3: MPO Support and 3C Planning

Introduction

The activities described in this chapter broadly cover work that the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) completes to fulfill the continuous, comprehensive, and cooperative (3C) process and to maintain its certification by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Activities are grouped into three areas: (1) those that support the core MPO planning and programming functions, (2) those that support the 3C planning process, and (3) those that support the MPO board and committee operations and their decision-making processes.

Table 3-1 presents the funding in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2023 and FFY 2024 for each of these activities and includes a brief description of their work, progress, and products. Although many generally comprise the same tasks from year to year, often there are variations in budgets that reflect greater or lesser emphasis in certain tasks. For example, MPO staff may undertake new analyses under specific line items; expand or change the form of public engagement; fold tasks undertaken in one year into an ongoing activity in a subsequent year; take on a new initiative of the MPO; or experience fluctuations in staffing levels that account for budget changes. Where appropriate, the table and individual descriptions explain these differences.

The budget tables that accompany each activity description include the associated salary and overhead costs. Direct costs associated with the activities are found in Chapter 5.

Table 3-1
FFYs 2023–24 MPO Support and 3C Planning

 *Indicates that program fulfills Federal Highway Administration Complete Streets requirement

Core MPO functions

The programs and activities included in this section include the core products required by the MPO’s federal partners and related activities for carrying out the MPO’s 3C planning and programming functions. Programs supporting the 3C planning process, such as the Data Program and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, can be found in the following section, Programs Supporting the 3C Process.

• Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
• Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
• Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
• Public Engagement Program (which includes Public Engagement Plan)
• Performance-Based Planning and Programming (PBPP)
• Transportation Equity Program (TE)
• Air Quality Conformity Determinations and Support
• Congestion Management Process (CMP)

Long-Range Transportation Plan

Purpose

The LRTP guides transportation investments for the Boston region for at least the next 20 years and must be updated every four years per federal regulations. It serves as the MPO’s guiding document: it establishes regional transportation goals, objectives, and investment approaches that the MPO operates under. The MPO adopted the current LRTP, Destination 2040, in August 2019, and expects to adopt the next LRTP, Destination 2050, in the summer of 2023, which will go into effect October 1, 2023.

Approach

LRTP Needs Assessment

The Needs Assessment provides a holistic view of the transportation needs of the Boston region through data analysis and public engagement. It guides the development of the LRTP and informs project investment decisions in the TIP and study selection in the UPWP. It also shapes the development of MPO programs, such as in the selection of corridor study locations. In FFY 2024, staff will build on resources created as part of the Destination 2050 Needs Assessment, with a focus on expanding the availability of data and findings to the public. This may involve integrating Needs Assessment information into other MPO applications and data resources. Staff will also develop a process for maintaining and updating the Needs Assessment over time.

Implement Destination 2050 and Managing Amendments

Staff will begin implementing Destination 2050 in FFY 2024 through the development of the TIP and UPWP (see these respective program descriptions). This will include supporting initiatives to develop guidelines for MPO investment programs and updating TIP project selection criteria, where applicable. MPO staff will also support public engagement about the adopted Destination 2050 plan and its implementation, as needed.

If changes are made to the projects funded in the FFYs 2024–28 TIP that meet criteria for being included in the LRTP, an amendment to Destination 2050 may be required. Staff will prepare the informational materials for MPO decision-making and follow MPO procedures for informing and engaging the public.

Scenario Planning

In FFY 2022, MPO staff began exploratory scenario planning work to help the MPO envision multiple possible futures for the Boston region and assess how to best prepare for uncertainties while pursuing an overarching vision for the transportation network. Some findings from this process were incorporated into activities to develop Destination 2050. During FFY 2024, MPO staff will continue exploratory scenario work in partnership with Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) staff. This work is expected to make use of alternative socioeconomic and land use scenarios provided by MAPC, as well as tools such as the MPO’s travel demand model. Staff will develop and analyze scenarios of interest to MPO members, staff, and Urban Sim and other stakeholders; develop materials to effectively communicate results; and engage MPO members and others in the process. This work will support MPO decision-making and lay the groundwork for future long-range transportation plans.

Monitoring Planning Best Practices

The LRTP program plays an important role in keeping the MPO abreast of current state-of-the-practice communications methods, transportation issue areas, and planning tools. This information also supports work in other MPO programs. In collaboration with MAPC, staff will continue to explore effective ways to assess and address the Boston region’s needs, analyze transportation and land-use options, and apply best practices in long-range transportation planning.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Work Products

• Continue to develop Needs Assessment data and information resources and make them publicly available
• Support activities related to Destination 2050 implementation
• Support public engagement activities related to the adopted Destination 2050 plan, as needed
• Continue the MPO’s exploratory scenario planning work, including analyzing scenarios, presenting results, and engaging stakeholders
• Continue to explore state-of-the-practice methods for long-range transportation planning

Transportation Improvement Program

Purpose

The Boston Region MPO’s TIP is a five-year, financially constrained program of planned investments in the metropolitan area’s transportation system. Although federal regulations require that the TIP be updated every four years, Massachusetts MPOs produce annual updates.

Approach

Municipal Engagement and Compilation of the Universe of Projects

Staff communicate with the MPO region’s municipalities through online TIP informational sessions and workshops, MAPC subregional meetings, and correspondence with municipal TIP contacts, MassDOT staff, and elected officials to gather information on existing and new TIP project-funding requests. Staff then compile the projects into a Universe of Projects list for consideration by the MPO.

Project Evaluation

The MPO uses TIP project evaluation criteria to identify projects that help the region attain the vision, goals, and objectives established by the LRTP. The criteria support decision-making for the programming of transportation projects in the region by establishing a transparent, inclusive, and data-driven process through which funds are allocated.

When the next LRTP, Destination 2050, is endorsed in the summer of 2023, staff will review current criteria and make revisions as needed to reflect updated LRTP goals and objectives and changes to MPO investment programs. Staff expect that revisions will be targeted, rather than an overhaul of existing criteria.

Staff Recommendation

Staff develop a recommendation that proposes how to prioritize the MPO’s Regional Target funding. Staff prepares a list of projects containing the evaluation scores and project-readiness information, then develops programming recommendations that include a selection of these projects taking into consideration the project scores, geographic distribution of investments across the region, project design status, LRTP-identified needs, and cost. Staff present the programming recommendations and work with board members to define the final program.

In addition to preparing the recommendation, staff prepare and present MassDOT state-prioritized projects and the capital programs for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Cape Ann Transportation Authority, and the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority for the MPO’s consideration.

TIP Document Preparation and Endorsement

Staff prepare a draft TIP that maintains compliance with federal regulations and requirements for a public review and comment period. During the public comment period, staff compile and summarize comments on the draft TIP and relay the comments to the MPO for consideration before endorsing the final TIP document.

Implementing Performance-Based Planning

The TIP document reports on the MPO’s implementation of its performance-based planning program. It highlights the results of monitoring trends in the region and notes any progress made toward established performance targets.

Amendments and Administrative Modifications

In a typical year, various projects experience cost or schedule changes that require an amendment or administrative modification to the TIP. Staff prepare for the possibility of several amendments and/or administrative modifications to the FFYs 2024–28 TIP and manage public review processes as needed, including posting TIP materials on the MPO website.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Develop the FFYs 2025–29 TIP, amendments, and make administrative modifications to the FFYs 2024–28 TIP
• Explore enhancements to the TIP interactive database and other web-based TIP resources
• Document progress made on performance measures through the programming of TIP projects
• Refine and implement the MPO’s new investment programs as described in Destination 2050
• Continue to implement the MPO’s new project programming and cost-change policies, which were endorsed by the MPO in November 2021 and for which implementation began in FFY 2022
• Conduct additional analysis of the distribution of TIP funding and alignment with LRTP-identified needs to help pinpoint areas for targeted outreach to municipalities
• Use the equity analyses completed for the TIP to identify adjustments needed for the equity-related project evaluation criteria and any areas of focus for the TE program
• Make adjustments, as needed, to the project selection criteria to reflect the investment programs, goals, and objectives in Destination 2050

Unified Planning Work Program

Purpose

The UPWP, a federally required document that supports the 3C transportation planning process, has two main purposes:

• provide budget information to federal and state officials about the expenditure of federal funds for transportation planning projects being carried out by the Boston Region MPO, and
• provide information to government officials, local communities, and the general public about surface transportation planning projects expected to take place in the Boston Region MPO area.

The UPWP document includes descriptions and budgets for work that MPO staff will conduct during the upcoming federal fiscal year, including 3C-funded work conducted by Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) for the MPO; work conducted by CTPS and funded by state agencies or other entities; and 3C-funded work executed by MAPC, which receives approximately one-third of the Boston region’s allotment of 3C funding. Appendix A provides supplementary information about transportation studies happening in the Boston region that are regionally significant, and work conducted by CTPS and funded by state agencies or other entities.

Approach

Work on the UPWP is ongoing throughout the year, with the twin goals of developing the coming year’s UPWP and supporting staff, the MPO, and its UPWP Committee in monitoring implementation of the current UPWP. Staff coordinates and prepares materials for all phases of development of the upcoming UPWP, including

• coordinating public participation in the UPWP process, such as
• engaging state transportation agencies, municipalities, and the public, in conjunction with the MPO’s Public Engagement Plan;
• soliciting, evaluating, and recommending ideas for planning studies and technical assistance programs;
• conducting background research into planning needs;
• preparing budgets and project and program descriptions;
• coordinating document development with the MPO’s UPWP Committee;
• responding to federal and state Department of Transportation guidance; and
• preparing, coordinating public review of, and distributing draft and final documents.

In support of the implementation of the current year’s UPWP, staff

• support meetings of the MPO’s UPWP Committee;
• prepare quarterly reports on the implementation of the UPWP; and
• make adjustments, administrative modifications, and amendments as needed, according to federal regulations and guidance.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Engage the public in development of the FFY 2025 UPWP
• Implement planned changes to the UPWP document and process
• Plan for and support meetings of the MPO’s UPWP committee
• Report quarterly on FFY 2024 UPWP implementation
• Complete amendments and administrative modifications to the FFY 2024 UPWP, as necessary
• Work to establish a database and interactive online interface documenting transportation planning studies active around the Boston region
• Provide other informational materials as needed

Public Engagement Program

Purpose

Public engagement is one of the core functions of an MPO. Engaging the public in the transportation planning process improves decision-making by helping to illuminate the social, economic, and environmental impacts of transportation planning decisions. Continuous engagement supports a communication loop that allows the MPO to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, including advocates, community leaders, and members of the public. The MPO’s vision for public engagement in the region is to hear, value, and consider, throughout all planning work the needs and views of the full spectrum of the public and incorporate this input into decision-making.

Staff coordinates public engagement efforts with the MPO’s TE Program to ensure that all members of the public—including populations that have been traditionally underserved by the transportation system and have historically lacked access to the decision-making process—have meaningful opportunities to participate in the transportation planning process that shapes the Boston region. Staff additionally provide operations support to this body and its subcommittees.

Approach

Implementing the Public Engagement Program

Staff implement the MPO’s Public Engagement Program according to the MPO’s Public Engagement Plan by coordinating and implementing the MPO’s public engagement activities via external communication and proactive engagement efforts. This process provides information to individuals, organizations, and community representatives and creates avenues for providing input in the MPO’s planning and decision-making. Staff continually evaluate the Public Engagement Plan to ensure that it reflects current best practices and the MPO’s engagement goals.

Methods

Staff provide convenient, timely, and meaningful opportunities for members of the public to participate in the MPO’s transportation planning process. These opportunities include the following:

• MPO-organized in-person and virtual open houses, workshops, and forums
• Electronic surveys and solicitation of comments and input via email campaigns, social media, and website content
• Public comment periods for certification documents
• Regular meetings with organizations representing TE and other underrepresented populations to strengthen community relationships and provide opportunities to influence the MPO’s planning decisions
• In-person and virtual events in partnership with other organizations
• Regional Transportation Advisory Council meetings
• MAPC subregional municipal group meetings

To ensure that opportunities to participate in the transportation planning process are accessible and transparent, staff create content and disseminate information that is concise, current, and accessible regardless of ability.

Program Administration

Staff continually evaluate and refine the Public Engagement Program to increase public understanding of the MPO’s work and improve its efforts to break down barriers to participation. In consultation with the TE program, staff provide accommodations for people with disabilities at MPO-sponsored meetings as requested and all materials—both digital and paper—in accessible formats.

Staff provide language access (both interpreter and translation services) at MPO-sponsored meetings and engagement events, as requested. Staff also provide translations of engagement documents, surveys, emails, the MPO website, and other materials that allow for participation that is comparable to those with English language fluency. (These accommodations are funded as direct costs; see Chapter 6.)

Regional Transportation Advisory Council

In collaboration with the Regional Transportation Advisory Council chair and vice-chair, staff plan and facilitate monthly meetings. This includes handling meeting logistics, scheduling speakers, and preparing and distributing agendas, meeting notices, materials, and minutes. Staff also regularly provide information, updates, and briefings on MPO activities at meetings. Staff also manage the administration of the Regional Transportation Advisory Council by soliciting new members, implementing and updating bylaws, coordinating Regional Transportation Advisory Council elections, and maintaining contact and attendance lists. During public comment periods on MPO documents, staff also request and coordinate comments and work with the Regional Transportation Advisory Council and its committees as they conduct and submit their reviews.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Conduct engagement activities such as meetings, surveys, and public comment periods
• Build and expand relationships and partnerships with stakeholders, with a focus on organizations representing TE communities and populations with limited-English proficiency (LEP)
• Employ innovative strategies to expand and deepen engagement with stakeholders and the public
• Analyze the reach and effectiveness of engagement activities
• Update the Public Engagement Plan and Guidebook to incorporate best practices and new federal and state guidance
• Develop communication and engagement materials
• Increase understanding of and engagement with the MPO’s work via communication campaigns
• Provide support and advice to MPO staff to improve engagement in all MPO processes
• Host approximately 12 Regional Transportation Advisory Council meetings and several subcommittee meetings and provide support for the associated tasks and pre- and post-meeting logistics
• Solicit and onboard new members with diverse perspectives
• Create meaningful opportunities for the Regional Transportation Advisory Council to provide input on the MPO’s planning processes
• Collaborate with the Regional Transportation Advisory Council to update the Public Engagement Plan and implement public engagement initiatives

Performance-Based Planning and Programming

Purpose

PBPP applies data to inform decisions aimed at helping to achieve desired outcomes for the region’s transportation system. Federal legislation directs states, public transportation providers, and MPOs to use this performance-driven, outcome-based approach in their transportation planning processes. The Boston Region MPO can also use PBPP practices to help achieve its goals for improving the region’s transportation system.

Approach

Develop Targets for Federally Required Performance Measures

Staff provides information and recommendations to MPO members as they set, revisit, or update targets for federally required performance measures. This includes annual updates to targets pertaining to roadway safety, transit asset management, and transit safety, as well as targets that have two-year or four-year time horizons, including those related to National Highway System infrastructure condition, travel time reliability, congestion, and transportation-related emissions. MPO staff review and respond to federal regulations and guidance; gather and analyze data; develop performance baselines; and explore ways to improve target-setting methodologies. Staff coordinate with MassDOT, federal agencies, other MPOs and states, the region’s public transportation providers, and other stakeholders as part of this work.

Continue to Integrate PBPP Elements into MPO Planning

Building upon prior work to integrate PBPP into the TIP and LRTP, MPO staff examine the links between capital projects that the MPO funds and potential improvements in various performance areas. Activities include

• analyzing how MPO investments and other factors may influence changes in performance outcomes and what strategies could help the MPO achieve established targets;
• exploring ways to conduct ongoing evaluation of the impacts of MPO-funded TIP projects;
• identifying ways to refine project and program selection criteria and working with program managers to make desired changes in future LRTP and TIP development cycles;
• researching metrics that can be incorporated into the next LRTP;
• managing data to support performance analysis in MPO programs;
• coordinating performance-based planning and programming work with the MPO’s CMP; and
• coordinating with the TE program in the development of equity performance measures that assess the MPO’s progress in improving transportation outcomes for equity populations.

Monitor and Report on Performance 

The MPO reports on performance in Destination 2040 and TIP documents, through the CMP, and on its web-based Performance Dashboard. To do so, staff

• provide a performance report for the Transportation Improvement Program;
• develop Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality performance plans and reports, and other federally required reports, as needed;
• continue to update the MPO website with new PBPP targets; and
• explore new methods for sharing performance data via the web.

Staff enhance these existing reports and tools by adding and/or updating baseline and trend data and may create additional reports or tools. When developing these resources, staff incorporate information on performance targets and, to the extent practicable, describe the effect that MPO investments may have on performance.

Enhance the MPO’s PBPP Practice

The MPO’s PBPP practice can expand beyond meeting federal requirements to address other aspects of the MPO’s goals and objectives. These efforts include

• exploring the PBPP practices and measures used by other planning agencies and institutions, including attending conferences and participating in working groups;
• creating materials to describe the MPO’s PBPP framework and to help guide the MPO board through its PBPP decision-making processes;
• exploring new tools available to analyze performance data and set targets; and
• supporting the MPO in setting additional performance targets, as desired.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Support the MPO in setting targets for federally required measures and other measures, as desired
• Enhance activities to integrate performance management into MPO project and program evaluations, to manage data, and to anticipate and monitor the outcomes of MPO investments
• Produce or update performance reports, such as those required for the TIP
• Develop and or update MPO applications that include performance data
• Explore other measures and methods that the MPO could incorporate into its PBPP process, as well as tools the MPO can apply to PBPP work
• Develop or update materials to explain PBPP concepts and activities, including the MPO’s PBPP web page
• Coordinate with MPO program managers, MPO board members, MassDOT, and public transportation providers to research measures, identify investment strategies, set targets, and implement PBPP practices
• Work with MPO staff, the MPO, and other stakeholders to link MPO investment decision-making processes more closely to performance outcomes and produce memoranda and presentations describing recommendations

Transportation Equity Program

Purpose

The TE program ensures that the transportation needs of populations underserved by the transportation system and underrepresented in the planning process are addressed throughout all of the MPO’s activities. These populations—referred to as TE populations—include minority populations, low-income populations, people with LEP, older adults, youth, and people with disabilities. These populations are covered by the federal mandates below:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin, including people with LEP, in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.
• Executive Order 12898 “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-income Populations,” which directs recipients of federal financial assistance to identify and address disproportionate burdens on low-income and minority populations.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities by recipients of federal financial assistance.
• United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) nondiscrimination regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex and age under other federal authorities.

In addition to these mandates, work in the TE Program also aligns with federal approaches to equity. This includes Justice40—which directs the federal government to work toward the goal for at least 40 percent of the benefits flow to disadvantaged communities. Under Justice40, USDOT has developed a definition of transportation disadvantaged Census tracts that can support the activities under the TE Program. The USDOT has also developed an Equity Action Plan that guides its equity priorities; again, activities in the TE Program align with the Action Plan where feasible.

The goal of the program is to not only ensure that the MPO complies with federal regulations, but also goes beyond compliance by supporting the development of a more equitable transportation system that serves all people, regardless of their background and disability status, while working toward eliminating harmful disparities in transportation impacts and access.

Approach

Implementing MPO Title VI Program

Through the TE program, staff implements the MPO’s Title VI program and responds to MassDOT requests regarding program updates and submission of a Title VI report as requested. The report documents the MPO’s compliance with FTA and FHWA’s Title VI, EJ, and other nondiscrimination requirements, as well as MPO areas of focus of import to MassDOT.

Providing Meaningful Opportunities for TE Populations to Participate in the Transportation Planning Process

In collaboration with the MPO’s Public Engagement Program, staff ensure that TE populations remain central to the MPO’s public engagement process. This includes a focus on expanding meaningful opportunities to people with LEP to participate in the MPO’s processes. Staff continue to expand capacity for translating written and digital materials, engaging with organizations and individuals with LEP, and developing non-technical materials that are accessible and easily digestible. These engagement activities are described in more detail in the Public Engagement Program in this chapter.

Develop and Refine Equity-Related Analytical Techniques

To improve the effectiveness of the analyses that evaluate the impacts of the MPO’s investments on TE populations, staff refine current analysis methods and develop new ones to further the MPO’s TE goal. This includes analyses undertaken for the LRTP, TIP, and UPWP, although the actual analyses are funded under their respective programs. Anticipated work funded under the TE program includes but is not limited to

• analyses of new demographic data for MPO TE populations;
• development of new and refinement of existing analyses to support MPO programs, which could include updates to the metrics analyzed in the equity (disparate impact and disproportionate burden) analyses for the TIP and LRTP, approaches to identifying disparities in these plans, and updates to project evaluation criteria in the TIP;
• coordination with the Data Management Program to ensure demographic data analysis processes are consistent and well-documented, and to support consistent use of demographic data across CTPS; and
• Supporting staff across CTPS to address transportation equity in their projects, studies, and programs.

Equity Baseline Indicator Metrics Dashboard

Building off the FFY 2022 MPO study Identifying Transportation Inequities in the Boston Region, staff will develop a dashboard that tracks existing disparities in transportation outcomes among TE populations in the Boston region. The goal of the dashboard is to establish a baseline for outcomes and track progress over time to help the MPO prioritize investment decisions that address disparities as described in the LRTP TE goal. Metrics will initially focus on destination access metrics, and as resources allow, other metrics will be added, such as those related to air quality, travel time, climate change, and safety. Staff will coordinate with the FFY 2024 study Applying Conveyal to TIP Project Scoring to ensure consistency in the MPO’s approach to conducting and reporting on destination access analyses. The dashboard will be developed in collaboration with the Data Management Program and support efforts to bring a streamlined, consistent approach to managing public-facing data dashboards to CTPS.

Project Support

Staff regularly coordinate with CTPS staff who conduct EJ analyses for client work to ensure consistency between those conducted for client projects and those conducted for the LRTP. In doing so, staff coordinate with CTPS’s regional travel demand modeling staff in any metric or analysis updates needed to successfully conduct EJ analyses.

Coordinating with and Supporting Other Agencies

Staff coordinate with MassDOT’s Office of Diversity and Civil Rights to ensure consistency of MPO Title VI-related processes, procedures, and activities with MassDOT’s own practices. Staff also continue to support the MassDOT Rail and Transit Division in its evaluation of applications for funding from the Community Transit Grant Program.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Submit a Title VI report to MassDOT
• Gather and analyze data related to equity from the United States Census Bureau and other sources, and explore new sources of data that support this program and inform the MPO’s planning and programming decision-making
• Develop new metrics for the equity analyses in the TIP and an approach for identifying disparities
• Develop an online dashboard that documents existing inequities for TE populations in the Boston region
• Monitor developments at USDOT regarding civil rights, Title VI, and EJ; participate in workshops, conferences, and seminars, as appropriate; and use this knowledge to inform MPO activities
• Support MassDOT’s evaluations of funding applications for the Community Transit Grant Program

Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities

Purpose

This program ensures that the MPO’s plans, programs, and projects comply with the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990 to secure federal funding for the Boston Region MPO’s transportation system. It also provides ongoing support for the MPO regarding air quality matters and maintains technical expertise in air quality and climate change matters, including conformance with federal air quality requirements and the state’s climate change policies.

Approach

Air Quality Conformity Determinations

Staff demonstrate that the MPO meets air quality conformity requirements for the TIP and for the LRTP (if an amendment is needed that includes the addition of a regionally significant project) for pollutants for which the MPO is not in attainment. Under the CAAA, states must monitor emissions from transportation vehicles and other sources to determine whether ambient emissions levels exceed allowable levels of air pollutants. Areas in which emissions exceed these levels are designated as nonattainment areas. For nonattainment areas, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) 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. MPOs with nonattainment areas must complete air quality conformity determinations to demonstrate the conformity of transportation plans, programs, and projects with the Massachusetts SIP. Even if the MPO is in attainment, it must still show that it is complying with transportation control measure requirements outlined in the SIP.

The Boston MPO area had been classified as a nonattainment area for ozone, but it was reclassified as an attainment area under the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2008 ozone standard. As an attainment area, the MPO has since not been required to demonstrate that the LRTP and TIP conform to national standards for the two pollutants that form ozone: volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. However, in 2023 a new ozone standard was proposed by the EPA, and the MPO region might again be classified as a nonattainment area if this standard is approved. If the MPO area is reclassified as a nonattainment area, conformity determinations for ozone would be required.

Other Air Quality Support

Staff also provide expertise in air quality and climate change matters so that the MPO can respond to changing requirements for air quality in its planning, analysis, and reporting. This includes initiatives known today, as well as the ability to participate in issues that might emerge during the year. Staff also support the implementation of air quality-related transportation programs and projects, and provide consultation, research, and coordination between the MPO and federal, state, local, and private entities.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Prepare a systemwide conformity determination if there are changes to regionally significant projects in the LRTP (if needed) and the TIP
• Conduct a detailed project-level analysis for each project to receive Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program funding in the TIP and for any projects that will help meet the requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008 (GWSA)
• Support MassDOT and Massport, as requested, in the analysis of transportation-control measures, park-and-ride facilities, and proposed high-occupancy-vehicle projects throughout the Boston Region MPO area, as well as evaluation of emerging and innovative highway and transit clean-air activities
• Integrate climate change concerns and opportunities for emissions reduction into the MPO’s planning process
• Comply with the DEP’s GWSA requirements
• Contribute as needed to the development of the Massachusetts SIP by supporting the development of MOVES3 emissions factors, among other activities

Congestion Management Process

Purpose

The MPO’s CMP is a federally mandated requirement to monitor congestion, mobility, and safety needs of the Boston region’s transportation network. Within the program, staff recommend strategies for reducing congestion while accounting for equity, uncertainty, and resiliency of the MPO’s multimodal transportation network. The CMP is developed in an integrated manner along with the MPO’s certification documents (LRTP, TIP, and UPWP) to ensure cohesive strategy evaluation and implementation.

Approach

In the Boston Region MPO area, the CMP follows federal guidelines and recommendations from the MPO’s CMP Committee to fulfill the following activities:

• set goals, objectives, and performance measures
• identify congested locations on the multimodal transportation network
• determine the causes of congestion
• develop alternative strategies to mitigate congestion
• evaluate the strategies’ potential for efficacy
• recommend the strategies that best address the causes and impacts of congestion
• coordinate with and support development of the LRTP, TIP, and UPWP
• identify needs and priorities for planning studies

The current members of the CMP Committee are

• City of Everett (Chair)
• City of Boston
• Three Rivers Interlocal Council
• MBTA Advisory Board
• Regional Transportation Advisory Council
• MassDOT Highway
• Massport

Depending upon CMP Committee recommendations, staff monitor and analyze data for highways, arterial roads, transit, park-and-ride lots, freight movements, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. CMP activities include using electronic travel-time and speed data to monitor roadways and transit, identify existing conditions, and recommend appropriate improvements in accordance with federal guidelines.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

CMP activities include monitoring performance, assessing needs, and recommending strategies for multimodal facilities and services, including the following tasks:

• monitor the performance of MPO-region arterial roadways and freeways using electronic travel-time and speed data
• map and tabulate electronic data for analysis and performance evaluation
• coordinate with the MPO’s certification activities (including the LRTP, TIP, PBPP, and UPWP programs and documents) to ensure that the MPO’s transportation system is safe, equitable, resilient, and prepared for uncertainty
• support the CMP Committee of the MPO

Programs Supporting the 3C Process

These programs are designed to supplement and enhance the MPO’s core 3C planning and programming activities. The programs in this section include the following:

• Climate Resilience Program
• Freight Planning Program
• Regional Model Enhancement Program
• Data Program
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Program
• Multimodal Mobility Infrastructure Program

Climate Resilience Program

Purpose

Resilience describes an entity’s, such as a transportation system, ability to anticipate extreme events under uncertainty, absorb impacts, recover in a timely and efficient manner, and adapt to better withstand future disturbances. The Climate Resilience Program assesses vulnerability and coordinates resilience improvements in the face of climate change and increasing risk to transportation assets in the Boston region posed by flooding, sea level rise, and rising temperatures. Investments in resilience can reinforce equity and safety goals by prioritizing improvements in disadvantaged areas and supporting a more reliable, safe system for transportation users.

The Climate Resilience Program was established in FFY 2022. Climate resilience will for the first time be one of the MPO’s six goals for the Boston region’s transportation system as part of the next LRTP, Destination 2050, indicating the increasing importance of ensuring the Boston region and its people are able to withstand the impacts of climate change.

Approach

Staff perform work to strengthen the MPO’s consideration of climate resilience in the transportation planning process, including

• inventorying climate resilience activities and concerns in the municipalities in the MPO region participating in the Commonwealth’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program;
• participating in the Commonwealth’s Resilient Massachusetts Action Team committee to coordinate and collaborate on climate resilience activities at the state, local, and regional level;
• coordinating with state (including MassDOT, MBTA, and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs) and regional agencies (including MAPC and its subregions and Resilient Mystic Collaborative) on climate resilience activities;
• presenting the MPO’s work at local and national events;
• analyzing coastal flood risk data and other climate hazard data to assess the vulnerability of transportation assets in the Boston region;
• updating the climate hazard data and locations of transportation assets in the interactive, web-based All-Hazards Planning Application; and
• conducting monthly internal Climate Resilience Committee meetings.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Coordinate and inventory climate resilience activities in the municipalities in the MPO region
• Collaborate on resilience activities at the state, local, and regional levels
• Pursue educational opportunities to gain subject-matter expertise
• Host monthly internal Climate Resilience Committee meetings
• Expand engagement with environmental agencies at the local, municipality, state, and federal level
• Maintain existing and add new climate resilience resources on the MPO’s website
• Analyze and identify vulnerabilities in the Boston region’s transportation system
• Increase consideration of safety, equity, and uncertainty themes as they relate to climate resilience
• Coordinate with municipalities on resilience needs and identify potential projects for TIP funding

Freight Planning Support

Purpose

Planning for the policies and infrastructure that enable the movement of freight and goods by road, rail, water, and air is a mandatory part of the federal 3C planning process. The goals for MPO freight planning are to

• fulfill the Boston Region MPO’s freight-planning needs;
• complement state and other official planning efforts;
• study specific freight-related issues;
• fulfill analysis requirements of federal surface transportation legislation; and
• address the lack of freight data for the MPO region, including developing enhanced technical capabilities for MPO staff to use in estimating freight demand.

Approach

The MPO’s freight planning activities are guided by the 2013 Freight Planning Action Plan and its 2019 update and is also conducted in coordination with the 2017 Massachusetts State Freight Plan with a planned update in 2023. CTPS will leverage the data and stakeholder input from the updated statewide plan in its regional freight planning efforts. The MPO’s freight planning and analysis is ongoing and conducted on a multiyear basis. Typical activities include

• freight-specific studies,
• data collection,
• advising MPO staff and partner agencies on freight-related elements of other studies,
• participation in working groups and coordination efforts,
• research on new and evolving elements of freight planning practice, and
• advising on model development efforts relating to freight.

The freight program supports the MPO’s freight planning needs. Freight planning at the MPO focuses on freight movement between metropolitan areas and, increasingly, with regional and local distribution of goods and packages (first- and last-mile delivery). Freight planning frequently includes investigation, analysis, and classification of truck movement, including commercial and service vehicles.

Specific study topics are chosen in consultation with MPO members and other stakeholders. The choice of topic sometimes hinges on complex regulatory and land use issues outside the direct scope of MPO activities, and freight planning activities often support planning efforts underway through other entities.

Public engagement and MPO support activities will continue as opportunities and needs are identified. Freight model development activities, generally funded under the Regional Model Enhancement task, take advantage of ongoing freight program findings and data.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Anticipated FFY 2024 efforts may include

• prepare Freight Planning Work Program in coordination with Destination 2050 that reflects input gathered from MPO stakeholders during FFY 2023 and implications of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law;
• develop a program to coordinate freight and land use in the Boston MPO region;
• develop truck-counting and data-sharing protocols to extend the freight program’s data-gathering reach;
• develop a dashboard with freight infrastructure in the region;
• serve on interagency working groups; and
• provide data and analysis in support of advanced travel demand model implementation.

Regional Model Enhancement

Purpose

The long-term goal of the travel demand modeling practice at CTPS is to have a reliable, robust set of well-documented travel demand tools, data, and procedures that address a diverse set of needs for transportation planning in the Boston region and statewide with engaged and informed stakeholders and a coordinated team of modelers who have the skills, knowledge, and experience to effectively

• maintain the set of tools, data, and procedures;
• develop new components in the tool platforms;
• apply the tools and data appropriately on projects; and
• communicate all things related to travel demand modeling.

Through the Regional Model Enhancement Program, CTPS supports the research, maintenance and development aspects of the long-term goal. This has been realized through the development and maintenance of a regional travel demand model (TDM23) and support of other tools for assessing the area’s transportation needs and evaluating alternatives to improve the transportation system.

The regional travel demand model estimates the millions of individual decisions that generate travel throughout the region and simulates the impact of those decisions on an abstracted representation of the region’s roadway and transit networks. Through variations of the inputs and assumptions, the regional travel demand model provides planners with insights to current and future travel activity and conditions. Metrics produced by the model aid in developing policy, performing technical and equity analyses, and meeting federal reporting requirements, including the MPO’s certification requirements. Regional travel demand models are also used by the MPO and state and regional agencies to support planning and policy analysis.

Approach

Model enhancement work is balanced across research of new model components, approaches, and data; development of new tools to enhance and complement the regional model; and maintenance of the regional model for MPO and application needs.

Moreover, FFY 2024 will see the development of a modeling roadmap. The first step of the roadmap is delivery and support of the newly developed travel demand model (TDM23). Input to the roadmap will be gathered from the current model steering committee, which is composed of stakeholders internal and external to the agency, as well as a broader group of stakeholders including other public agencies, researchers, and consultants.

Research

The TDM23 development process began with the identification of planning needs for model support. Not all of the identified needs will be met by TDM23 because of time and resource constraints as well as the limitations intrinsic in the model structure. CTPS will work to address those needs through complementary tools and data and endeavor to maintain a suite of next generation practices and tools that will serve regional transportation planning needs. The suite will define practice areas, procedures, and tools for common activities. The potential tools and data to be included in this suite include

• dynamic traffic assignment models that can provide a more detailed representation of the roadway and transit networks;
• activity-based models that can provide a more detailed representation of travel behavior;
• model platforms such as the Simplified Trips-on-Project Software model, developed by the FTA, and FHWA’s VisionEval that can provide insight into specific aspects of travel behavior with less effort than a full regional travel demand model;
• big data products and platforms providing origin-destination tables, trip patterns, and travel times that can inform our understanding of the existing transportation system to improve the accuracy of the models and could directly support some near-term applications;
• focused sketch and post-processor tools that leverage the regional model outputs into more useful products; and
• cloud computing pipeline capable of transforming massive model outputs into a set of accessible, explorable deliverables, facilitating engagement with a wider range of stakeholders and model users.

CTPS Staff will also work to advance exploratory model applications, leveraging the integration of TMIP-EMAT with TDM23 to support testing scenarios across a range of potential inputs and evaluating programs in a robust manner.

Development

Development activities will include refinements and enhancements to TDM23 as identified through the development and calibration process and by stakeholders.

Some of the potential enhancements to TDM23 are

• roadway network classification and line work updates,
• enhancements to travel behavior related to universities, and
• enhancements to truck (freight and service) travel behavior.

To support the initial delivery and roadmap development, CTPS staff will develop reports and accessible presentations of TDM23 outputs as well as a portfolio of test applications.

Maintenance

The major maintenance activity will be to define, document, and release versions of TDM23 on a regular basis. Versions will include bug fixes, network updates, and enhancements.

As part of maintenance, CTPS staff will also continue to develop model documentation and training materials.

A potential maintenance activity will be to develop a post-pandemic model base year to complement the 2019 pre-pandemic calibration year. A post-pandemic model base year would be useful for growth rate calculations and project applications.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes 

Staff will develop accessible materials to communicate the TDM23 capabilities to various stakeholders and develop a model roadmap for future enhancements and complementary model tools. Documented versions of TDM23 will be released throughout the year to deploy the latest enhancements, bug fixes, and new inputs. Staff will continue work to develop and define exploratory modeling approaches to enhance the MPO’s ability to provide state-of-the-practice support for MPO staff, member agencies, and partner organizations.

Data Program

Purpose

The Data Program is a set of consolidated efforts to improve how data are used, developed, and shared at the agency. The purpose of the program is to support the data needs of the MPO and its stakeholders. There are four main areas of focus for this program:

• Data planning—identifying data needs and updating CTPS’s data vision, strategy, and roadmap;
• Data pipeline—providing structural support for data practices including how CTPS obtains, manages, uses, and shares data, and documenting processes and procedures;
• Data exploration—exploring leading-edge data and analytical techniques and assessing their application and usefulness for the MPO; and
• Data partnerships—collaborating internally with staff, the MPO, partner agencies, and other stakeholders on data-related topics.

This program allows MPO staff to effectively

• maintain existing data, infrastructure, and documentation;
• explore new data and consider how they apply to our work;
• develop best practices around the management and use of data; and
• apply data in a comprehensive and strategic way that will benefit the MPO, regional stakeholders, and partner agencies.

Approach

Data Vision, Strategy, and Roadmap

Staff review the program’s data vision, strategy, and roadmap for CTPS and assess where changes are needed. These guiding documents are updated each year to ensure the Data Program meets the current needs of the MPO and its stakeholders and keeps up with the evolution of data and analysis in the industry.

Manage and Respond to Data Requests

Data requests are one of the services CTPS provides to municipalities, peer agencies, private sector consultants, research institutions, and the broader public. While CTPS has made more data publicly available, there is still a need to respond to ad hoc, quick-response data gathering, processing, and analysis requests throughout the year. Staff continue to review its established policies and structures in this area.

Data Exploration

The goal of this ongoing effort is to conduct coordinated, strategic assessments of continuously evolving data sources and analytical techniques to address current and future needs. These assessments inform CTPS’s long-term investments in the staff skills that are required to meet the evolving needs of the MPO and its stakeholders. This work allows MPO staff to explore new data and analysis methods, consider how they apply to MPO work, document findings, and develop best practices around the management and use of these data.

Data Management, Coordination, and Support

Staff conduct foundational work that supports data users across CTPS. Consolidating this effort under this program ensures that staff is making decisions about key datasets in a thoughtful, collaborative manner. Datasets and work activities managed under this program include the following:

• Socioeconomic Data and Products—support for staff members to maintain foundational work associated with the US Census Bureau’s Decennial Census and American Community Survey, and products derived from these sources.
• Geographic Information System/Database Management System (GIS/DBMS)—develop, curate, and enhance stores of spatial and tabular reference data, along with associated tools.
• Requirements for Processes, Services, and Platforms—review CTPS’s processes, services, and platforms to determine whether they serve the ongoing needs of the organization. Staff create requirements, investigate alternatives, and evaluate whether and how the platforms should be adopted.
• Collaboration with Partners and Other Agencies—work with CTPS partner agencies to share ideas, datasets, and techniques.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Update CTPS’s guiding vision for data and related processes
• Update CTPS’s data strategy plan to attain progress towards the vision
• Update CTPS’s Data Roadmap

• Update CTPS process and guidelines for serving data requests
• Respond to requests for data and small-scale data processing studies
• Assess existing and emerging datasets and analytical techniques
• Create a framework for selecting, assessing, and documenting findings from new analytical techniques and data sets
• Recommend data for planning application
• Continue foundational work on socioeconomic datasets
• Maintain, curate, and enhance spatial and tabular reference data, tools, and distribution channels
• Create design requirement specifications for new processes, services, and platforms
• Finalize and adopt documentation platforms along with standards and procedures for use
• Finalize and adopt a data publication platform and data publication standards
• Identify data infrastructure needs to streamline data access and use
  

Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Program

Purpose

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Program works to improve safety and comfort for people walking and bicycling in the Boston MPO region through a variety of efforts. MPO staff supports the MPO’s and the region’s need for bicycle and pedestrian planning through ongoing data collection, analysis, and technical assistance in this program.

Approach

In FFY 2024, the program will officially establish the Boston Region MPO’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and convene the first full year of committee meetings. The membership of this committee will be determined in FFY 2024. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee will help MPO staff determine how the Bicycle and Pedestrian Support Activities program will focus its future efforts. These endeavors might include bicycle and pedestrian studies and larger regional analyses related to walking and bicycle travel.

While the direction of future bicycle and pedestrian work will be influenced by conversations with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, MPO staff plans to complete the following work as part of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Support Activities program during FFY 2024:

• Coordinate with state agencies, MAPC, other MPOs, MassDOT’s Safe Routes to School Program, WalkBoston, MassBike, LivableStreets, municipalities, and other groups regarding bicycle and pedestrian planning for the region.
• Collect data on bicycle and pedestrian volumes at on-road and off-road facilities in the Boston region, and post collected count data to the Boston Region MPO’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Count Database for public use.
• Provide ongoing technical support to communities for current tools and practices regarding bicycle and pedestrian issues, with a particular focus on promoting safety.
• Begin developing a regional bicycle and pedestrian plan for the Boston MPO region that combines the vision and goals of the Boston MPO with the priorities outlined in the Massachusetts Bicycle and Pedestrian Statewide Transportation Plans.
• Maintain the Pedestrian Report Card Assessment Interactive Database.
• Redefine the MPO area’s bicycle network gaps and update the locations where bicycle facilities are needed in the Boston region.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Anticipated outcomes include

• technical assistance, data collection, analysis, review of materials, and attendance at state, regional, and local forums and committee meetings;
• analysis of regional bicycle and pedestrian counts;
• update of how gaps are identified in the Boston region bicycle network;
• evaluation of regional intersections and roadways using the Pedestrian Report Card Assessment and Bicycle Report Card tools;
• research, engagement, and strategy for the Boston Region MPO’s bicycle and pedestrian plan development; and
• coordination with municipalities to identify bicycle and pedestrian project candidates that could be eligible for TIP funding.

Multimodal Mobility Infrastructure Program

Purpose

The purpose of this program is to conduct studies that will address both regional and community multimodal transportation needs. During MPO engagement, communities often identify transportation problems and issues relating to safety, congestion, bottlenecks, and lack of access to multimodal transportation facilities in their areas. A major focus of this program will be on the development of conceptual design recommendations that address regional multimodal transportation needs with an emphasis on the most vulnerable roadway users.

Approach

For study selection, MPO staff will reach out to MAPC subregions, municipalities, and other groups to identify corridors, intersections, curbs, and other areas of interest. MPO staff will refer to the LRTP Needs Assessment, the CMP, MassDOT’s IMPACT portal, transit and freight data and other tools to identify further candidates. Study locations will be screened by staff using criteria consistent with the TIP selection criteria with emphasis on safety and equity considerations. Final study selections will be made in cooperation with the MPO’s UPWP Committee. In addition to Complete Streets, operational, and safety considerations, analysis will concentrate on transit services, nonmotorized modes of transportation, curb usage, and truck activity along roadway segments.

The improvement recommendations and strategies will help develop a guide for designing and implementing a Complete Streets corridor, improved intersection, curb management, and other multimodal infrastructure projects. This guide will be provided to communities and implementing agencies, which may choose to fund improvements through various federal, state, and local sources, either separately or in combination.

The studies will provide communities with the opportunity to review the requirements of a specific study area, starting at the conceptual level, before committing design and engineering funds to a project. If the project qualifies for federal funds for construction of the recommended upgrades, the study’s documentation will be useful to MassDOT and the community.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes 

• Multimodal mobility infrastructure program roadmap
• Recommendations for selected corridor improvements
• Recommendations for selected intersection improvements
• Curb management data collection, analysis, and strategies
• Transit service, access, and priority assessments
• Freight activity evaluations and recommendations
• Guidebook(s) to support multimodal infrastructure studies

Support to the MPO and its 3C Process

The activities described in this section support core MPO programs as well as those supporting the 3C planning process in general, collaboration with other agencies, and compliance with federal requirements. These activities include technical and administrative support to the MPO and its committees, as well as the development of materials supporting all MPO work.

• Support to the MPO and its Committees
• General Graphics
• General Editorial
• Transit Working Group (TWG) Support

Purpose

Under this program, staff implement MPO policies, plan and coordinate the delivery of information for MPO decision-making, and support the operation of the MPO and its committees. It also involves providing support for MPO meeting management and agenda planning.

Approach

Support to the MPO and its Committees

MPO staff perform the following tasks related to MPO board and committee meetings.

• Develop meeting agendas
• Prepare and distribute informational materials via email and the MPO’s website
• Conduct in-person meeting site selection and logistics planning if needed
• Set up digital arrangements for virtual meetings and audio/visual equipment for in-person meetings
• Attend and record meetings
• Complete meeting follow-up activities, such as maintaining the information flow for members of the MPO and the public, processing approved work scopes, preparing audio-recording files, and documenting meeting minutes

Technical and process support is provided to the MPO’s UPWP Committee, Administration and Finance (A&F) Committee, CMP Committee, and other ad hoc committees. These committees conduct their work as follows:

• The UPWP Committee meets as needed to develop a UPWP for the upcoming FFY and to monitor expenditures and the progress of studies and programs in the current fiscal year.
• The A&F Committee meets periodically to make recommendations to the MPO on the staff’s operating budget, legal matters, and other administrative functions.
• The CMP Committee meets as needed to discuss the federally required CMP. Activities include developing and reviewing its TIP Intersection Improvement Program and making recommendations to the MPO.

Staff also provide administrative activities that ensure the MPO’s compliance with federal requirements. This includes researching, analyzing, and reporting information on 3C planning topics and responding to federal recommendations from the MPO’s Certification Review, among others. Staff also implement federal and state legislation, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law requirements (see Chapter 2 and Appendix E).

This work also includes collaboration with other agencies involved in 3C planning activities, other Massachusetts MPOs (particularly those in the Boston region urbanized area), and MAPC subregional municipal groups. To support this collaboration, staff support updates to governing Memoranda of Understanding between the Boston MPO and partner agencies when necessary.

Other activities include overseeing 3C program-related activities, collecting and fielding comments and inquiries, and responding to requests for information and support.

General Graphics

The MPO conducts its transportation planning activities and public engagement process in accordance with federal regulations governing accessibility standards. Staff produce materials that adhere to these regulations as appropriate to ensure all people have access to MPO materials and therefore can meaningfully engage with the transportation planning process, regardless of background or ability.

To do so, staff produce written and electronic materials in accessible formats and maintain a library of document templates that incorporate accessibility guidelines and standards. To ensure web access for people with low or no vision who use screen readers, all documents are posted to the MPO website and meeting calendar in both PDF and HTML formats. In addition, staff make every effort to make data presented in tables fully navigable by a screen reader and provide alternative text to describe tables, figures, and images that cannot be read by a screen reader.

General Editorial

This work includes reviewing and editing reports, memoranda, guidebooks, presentations, and other public-facing materials, as well as documents internal to CTPS. The editorial process focuses on ensuring content is clear and understandable, making improvements to document structure, correcting grammar, ensuring proper word usage, and adhering to accessibility requirements.

Transit Working Group Support

The TWG meets quarterly, in addition to holding informal “coffee chats” and cosponsoring or supporting other one-off events on occasion. MPO staff support includes the following activities:

• planning programs and meetings,
• scheduling speakers and developing presentations,
• preparing and distributing agendas, meeting notices, informational packets, and meeting summaries,
• facilitating and presenting at meetings,
• soliciting new members and maintaining contact lists,
• implementing and updating transit working group procedures, as necessary,
• gathering feedback from the TWG participants to inform MPO activities and decision-making,
• assessing the success and direction of transit working group activities, and
• updating the MPO on TWG activities.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Host approximately 24 MPO meetings and 10 MPO subcommittee meetings, and perform the associated tasks and pre- and post-meeting logistics
• Coordinate 3C planning and programming activities and programs
• Coordinate with state and federal partners
• Coordinate with neighboring MPOs, including attendance at monthly Transportation Managers’ Group meetings
• Produce maps, charts, illustrations, report covers, brochures, slides, StoryMaps, guidebooks, presentations, photographs, and other products that enhance the communication of MPO work to the public
• Produce materials in accessible formats for public meetings and website postings
• Maintain accessible document templates
• Maintain and update accessibility guidelines and standards for MPO products as needed
• Provide quality control for written materials
• Maintain standards for accessibility in written materials
• Maintain editorial guidelines and update as necessary
• Host quarterly TWG meetings and manage pre- and post-meeting logistics
• Host “coffee chats” on transit-related topics
• Develop resources to support working group meetings and activities
• Update the MPO about the TWG activities
• Support communication for and about the group using email, social media, and the MPO website
• Prepare documentation for the MPO about TWG meetings, activities, participant feedback, and recommendations for the TWG
• Explore the possibility of the TWG acting as a problem-solving forum for specific complex transit coordination issues

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Chapter 4: Boston Region MPO Planning Studies and Technical Analyses

Introduction

As described in Chapter 1, each federal fiscal year (FFY), the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) receives federal transportation planning funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Combined with the local Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) matching amount, these funds form the budget that allows the MPO staff—Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS)—to accomplish the certification requirement activities described in Chapter 3; the planning studies and technical analyses described in this chapter; and the administrative tasks and data management described in Chapter 5.

To prepare each Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) accurately, the Boston Region MPO must understand the status of the previous year’s studies and work activities. In general, throughout the UPWP’s development, the MPO tracks a study’s progress according to the four categories cited below.

• Completed Studies: Completed studies are either already complete or expected to be completed by October 1, 2023, when the FFY 2024 UPWP document goes into effect. Table 4-1 (MPO-funded studies) provides a summary of these studies, their funding sources and amounts, and their work products or activities.
• Ongoing Programs, Studies, and Activities: Ongoing programs support the transportation planning process from year to year, and often serve to provide technical assistance to communities or transportation agencies throughout the region. These programs include those that directly support the MPO and the 3C planning process (Chapter 3), planning studies and technical analyses (Chapter 4), agency-funded contracts (Appendix A), and administration, resource management, and support activities (Chapter 5). Tables containing summaries of the funding and progress for these ongoing programs, studies, and activities are included at the beginning of the relevant chapters. Table 4-2 summarizes the salary and overhead costs in FFY 2023 and FFY 2024, as well as the completed and planned work products, for ongoing MPO technical assistance and transportation planning support work to municipalities throughout the region (also see Technical Analysis and Support section).
• New Discrete Studies: New discrete studies are selected through the MPO’s UPWP committee and public outreach process for funding as one-time studies in a given FFY. Table 4-3 contains a summary of the new discrete studies for FFY 2024.

In addition, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), an MPO member agency, conducts planning studies and technical assistance throughout the region (see Chapter 6, Metropolitan Area Planning Council Activities).

The project descriptions throughout this chapter describe new transportation planning studies chosen for funding in FFY 2024. They also provide detailed updates for the FFY 2024 funding and work products for the MPO’s and MAPC’s ongoing programs.

Some titles of these products and activities may change as they are finalized. All certification documents and many other work products are, or will be, available for download from the MPO website (www.bostonmpo.org). Work products not found on the MPO website may be requested by contacting CTPS at 857.702.3700 (voice), 711 (MassRelay), or ctps@ctps.org (email).

Table 4-1
Completed MPO Funded Transportation Planning Studies, FFYs 2022–23

Table 4-2
Discrete Boston Region MPO Planning Studies and Technical Analyses Continued into FFY 2024

*This program is shared between MAPC and CTPS. The description for this work can be found in Chapter 4, while the funding amount shown here reflects the combined funding from MAPC and CTPS.

Table 4-3
Ongoing Boston Region MPO Technical Analyses, FFY 2023–24

Planning Studies

The project descriptions in this section describe the new studies chosen by the MPO for funding in FFY 2024. As described in Chapter 2 and Appendix B, CTPS gathers new study ideas each year and classifies them into the following categories: active transportation; land use, environment, and economy; multimodal mobility; transit; other technical work; resiliency; and transportation equity. Each of the project descriptions on the following pages begins with a funding table that shows the project identification number, category, funding sources, and total budget.

Lab and Municipal Parking Phase II

Purpose

The first phase of this study (funded originally in the FFY 2023 UPWP) aimed to develop a methodology to assess parking utilization at lab and life science facilities. Phase II will employ that methodology to support data collection at facilities across the Boston region to better understand travel behavior. The goal of this study is to provide rigorous research to help guide parking regulation at lab and life science facilities. This research will support municipal planners and developers in their approach to parking provision at these sites.

Approach

This research will proceed from the basis of MAPC’s Perfect Fit Parking research (https://perfectfitparking.mapc.org), which assessed regional parking demand and use at multifamily housing developments. The study will pilot data collection at two to three sites to evaluate the proposed methodology. CTPS will then make any necessary adjustments and complete data collection at lab and life science facilities in municipalities throughout the region. The selected sites will vary in terms of scale, accessibility via different modes of transportation, and parking regulations. The study will calculate parking demand at each site and model how facility characteristics, parking characteristics, and the built environment influence this demand.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

The study will produce a database and a model of parking supply and demand at lab and life science facilities.

Parking in Bike Lanes: Strategies for Safety and Prevention

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to address the issue of vehicles parking in bike lanes in the Boston region. This behavior poses a safety hazard for cyclists and forces people traveling by bicycle to switch lanes. This study will research successful strategies and practices employed in other municipalities to prevent vehicles from parking in bike lanes and recommend strategies that can be implemented in the Boston region to reduce the number of vehicles parked in bike lanes.

Approach

This study will research approaches to prevent vehicles from parking in bike lanes adopted by cities outside of the Boston region. The research will include a review of existing policies and programs and may feature interviews with peers to better understand their techniques and challenges. MPO staff may also engage with municipalities in the Boston region to understand the existing policies they have in place to reduce incidences of vehicles parked in bike lanes.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

The anticipated outcome of the study is a report that summarizes the research findings, which would ideally include successful strategies employed by cities to prevent vehicles from parking in bike lanes. The report will also ideally feature recommendations for potential techniques that could be piloted in the Boston region to reduce the incidence of vehicles parked in bike lanes.

Strategies for Environmental Outreach and Engagement

Purpose

The MPO is well-positioned to connect regional stakeholders around shared interests and facilitate collaboration on the environmental aspects of transportation planning, including the key goal areas of climate resilience and equity. To improve representation of environmental, resilience, and environmental justice voices in MPO work, it is important to understand the range of efforts and interests currently operating in this space, and to build relationships with environmental practitioners in the Boston region. This study seeks to establish connections with environmental groups, understand how other MPOs approach environmental engagement, and determine the most effective engagement strategies for the MPO to pursue in order to better understand and meaningfully contribute to environmental and climate action in the region.

Approach

This study will employ outreach strategies to connect with environmental advocacy groups, environmental justice groups, and municipal-level environmental departments, and will conduct a survey to gather information on how these groups would like to be engaged in MPO work. Staff will use research and interview methodology to evaluate environmental engagement strategies employed by other MPOs in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Environmental stakeholders will be invited to existing MPO events such as Regional Transportation Advisory Council or Transit Working Group Meetings to assess their responses to different engagement platforms. Equitable engagement approaches such as compensation will be considered in order to reach a more diverse range of stakeholders.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Staff will prepare a report summarizing lessons learned from conversations, research, and survey results. These findings will provide a foundation for more meaningful, intentional engagement with environmental practitioners and will provide a better understanding of the MPO’s role in regional environmental action.

Applying Conveyal to TIP Project Scoring

Purpose

This study aims to develop a process that can be used to score Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) projects using the Conveyal destination access analysis application.

Approach

Staff will build on experiences using Conveyal for the study funded in the FFY 2022 UPWP, “Identifying Transportation Inequities in the Boston Region,” while exploring new ways to use this tool, particularly to represent projects and how they might affect the ability for people to access destinations across the region. Throughout the study, staff will coordinate with staff at the MassDOT Office of Transportation Planning to gain guidance and direction on the use of Conveyal in the context of this study, as well as ideas from other MPO regions. Staff will set up a Conveyal deployment that reflects assumptions about the roadway and transit network for a specific timeframe (for example, a five-year TIP period). Next, staff will explore ways to reflect projects of various types (such as Complete Streets, intersection improvements, and Community Connections shuttle pilots) in Conveyal and run analyses to show how destination access outcomes would change if a project or a group of projects were implemented. Destinations could include but are not limited to

• affordable housing,
• jobs,
• healthcare,
• education, and
• essential places.

Staff will document approaches for representing projects in Conveyal and identify destination access metrics and parameters that could be helpful to incorporate into updates to the MPO’s TIP project evaluation criteria and scoring processes. Staff will also develop methodology adapted from the Identifying Transportation Inequities in the Boston Region study that will allow access to be analyzed for different demographic groups.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Outcomes will include the following:

• Illustrative results from Conveyal analyses that reflect representative TIP projects
• A methodology to analyze proposed TIP projects in Conveyal
• Documentation of opportunities, issues, and recommendations for using Conveyal as part of TIP project scoring
  

Technical Analysis and Support

The project descriptions in this section consist of ongoing MPO programs that provide technical planning assistance, support, and analyses to cities, towns, and other entities throughout the region. The major areas of technical analyses include data provision and analysis, bicycle and pedestrian support, transit service planning, and community-level transportation planning and technical assistance.

Roadway Safety Audits

Purpose

This program supports CTPS participation in roadway safety audits (RSA).

Approach

An RSA, as defined by FHWA, is a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent audit team. MassDOT guidelines require an RSA to be conducted where Highway Safety Improvement Program-eligible crash clusters are present. The program has expanded to cover additional high-crash locations and individual crash types, such as pedestrian and bicycle hot spots. The RSA examines the location to develop both short- and long-term recommendations to improve safety for vehicles, for people walking and for people biking. These recommendations help communities identify safety improvements that can be implemented in the short term, and determine if more substantial improvements are needed as part of a larger, long-term improvement process.

Audit teams include MassDOT headquarters and district office staff, MassDOT consultants, municipal planners and engineers, local and state police, local emergency response personnel, and CTPS personnel, as requested. In the RSA process, the audit team (1) reviews available crash data; (2) meets and communicates with local officials, planners, engineers, and other stakeholders; (3) visits the site to observe traffic operations and identify safety issues; and (4) develops and documents recommendations.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Anticipated outcomes include the following:

• Participate in RSAs as requested by MassDOT
• Document RSA recommendations

Community Transportation Technical Assistance Program

Purpose

Through this ongoing program, MPO staff and MAPC staff provide technical advice to municipalities throughout the region on local transportation issues of concern.

Approach

In this program, a team of CTPS and MAPC engineers and planners will meet with community officials to learn more about the transportation problems that the community identified, such as those related to parking, traffic calming, walking, bicycling, and transit locations.

Technical assistance activities may include the following:

• A site visit with local officials to understand the potential problem, review existing data, and make suggestions for additional data that may be needed
• Analysis of the problem and identification of potential solutions including conceptual designs for some project locations
• Support with the various planning processes at MassDOT, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the MPO, and MAPC, as well as guidance on how communities can get involved.

The number of technical assistance cases will depend on the funding amount and the complexity of the specific technical assistance requests from municipalities. MAPC and CTPS will coordinate and collaborate on a case-by-case basis.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

MPO staff will provide technical assistance to municipalities as described above and will document the work, recommendations, and outcomes of these consultations in the form of technical memoranda.

Regional Transit Service Planning Technical Support

Purpose

Through this ongoing program, the MPO provides technical support to regional transit authorities, municipalities, MAPC subregions, and transportation management associations. This work is focused on improving or expanding transit service and reducing single-occupancy-vehicle (SOV) travel in the region.

Approach

The MPO’s policy is to support transit services and reduce SOV travel in the region. As such, MPO staff provide technical support to regional transit authorities (RTA) to promote best practices and address issues of ridership, cost-effectiveness, route planning, first- and last-mile strategies, and other service characteristics. The MPO also extends support to transportation management associations (TMA), MAPC subregions, and municipalities seeking to improve the transit services that they operate or fund. Past technical assistance work has resulted in memoranda such as Bicycle and Pedestrian Connections to West Concord Station (FFY 2018) and Bus Priority Feasibility near Alewife Station (FFY 2020).

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

MPO staff will provide technical assistance to RTAs, municipalities, MAPC subregions, and TMAs as described above and will document the work, recommendations, and outcomes of these consultations in the form of technical memoranda.

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Chapter 5: Resource Management and Support Activities

Introduction

To support core Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) activities and studies, staff conduct various ongoing computer and other support activities.

For each activity described in this chapter, we cite the purpose of the work, describe how the work is accomplished, and provide a summary of the anticipated federal fiscal year (FFY) 2024 work products. The budget tables at the head of each project description give salary and overhead costs associated with the projects. Any direct costs associated with the projects are included in the Direct Support section below. 

Table 5-1 summarizes the funding assigned to each of the activities in this chapter that were also assigned in FFY 2023, a summary of the work products and/or progress made in FFY 2023, the funding proposed for each of these activities in FFY 2024, and the anticipated work products and/or progress in FFY 2024.

Although many of the activities in this chapter generally comprise similar tasks from year to year, often there are variations in budgets that reflect greater or lesser emphasis on certain efforts. For example, MPO staff may undertake new or additional work under specific line items; the tasks undertaken as part of one line item in one year might be folded into an ongoing activity in a subsequent year; or there simply could be fluctuations in staffing levels. Where appropriate, these differences are explained in Table 5-1.

Table 5-1
CTPS Ongoing Resource Management and Support Activities, FFY 2024

CTPS Activities

The following sections contain details on the administration, resource management, and support activities undertaken by Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) each FFY.

Computer Resource Management

Purpose

In order to fulfill the Boston Region MPO functions, CTPS maintains state-of-the-practice computer resources.

Approach

CTPS performs the following subtasks as part of computer resource management.

6024 Computer Resource Management

01 System Administration and Server Room Management

This subtask includes managing and maintaining hardware and software for all CTPS computer systems to ensure that staff has maximum access to the computing resources required for its work, including an intranet site; continuing to ensure the security and integrity of all hardware, software, and data resources; and planning, monitoring, and maintaining CTPS IT infrastructure.

02 Staff Assistance and Training

This subtask includes assisting staff in using computer resources, and, where appropriate, providing written and online user guides for particular resources. It also includes attending various application-specific training and various cybersecurity training opportunities.

03 IT Related Purchasing and Maintenance

Computer Resources staff purchase and maintain CTPS’s IT resources. These include internal assets such as servers, desktop and laptop computers, tablets, mass-storage devices, networking and communications hardware, printers and plotters, system and application software, and consumable supplies. These also include cloud resources, such as software and hardware purchased as a service, cloud-based storage, and other cloud-based computing resources. Computer Resources staff also purchase and maintain various cyber security applications and hardware.

04 Computer Resource Planning

This subtask includes updating the CTPS short- and long-term plans for the agency’s IT infrastructure in conjunction with developing the CTPS state fiscal year operating budget.

05 Website Development and Maintenance

CTPS will continue to maintain and update the existing MPO website and external data catalog while alternatives for a new web platform are being evaluated. Other distribution channels for information delivery may also be considered as part of this task.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Work on these tasks will continue as described above.

Professional Development

Purpose and Approach

MPO staff maintains its technical expertise in part by participating in courses, programs, and workshops offered by the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Transportation Research Board, the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO), the Institute of Transportation Engineers, and other public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Previous professional development endeavors have been related to topics such as performance-based planning, traffic engineering issues and applications, regional modeling, bicycle/pedestrian issues, transit planning, public involvement, environmental justice, air quality, computer operations and maintenance, database applications, and other areas related to the provision of technical support services.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Staff will attend conferences, peer exchanges, trainings, and other enrichment and professional advancement opportunities.

Direct Support

Purpose

Through this activity, CTPS provides integral direct support for all CTPS projects and functions.

Approach

Computer Equipment

CTPS computer needs are programmed in the CTPS Five-Year Plan for Computer Resource Development, as amended.

Consultants

Consultants are hired periodically to perform specialized, time-specific tasks as project work demands.

Membership Dues

Annual dues are paid to some organizations of which the MPO is a member. These organizations provide coordination opportunities with other MPOs and transportation planning resources.

Printing

Project-specific printing costs, such as those for surveys, maps, reports, presentation boards, and other informational materials, are included in this budget.

Travel

Periodically, the US Department of Transportation and other organizations sponsor courses and seminars that enhance staff’s ability to do project work; the costs of registration, travel, and lodging associated with attending such programs are direct-support expenditures. Mileage, tolls, and parking expenses associated with project work are also charged as direct-support expenditures.

Translation and Interpretation Services

To meet the needs of people with limited-English proficiency, the MPO translates vital documents into the six most widely spoken non-English languages in the MPO region, currently Chinese (both traditional and simplified), Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Translation expenses are considered a direct cost. The MPO also provides real-time interpretation of meetings and events upon request with one week of advance notice, which is also considered a direct cost.

Other

Various other expenditures may become necessary during the term of this Unified Planning Work Program, such as postage for return mail or services for preparing and processing data for specific projects. Other nonrecurring costs, such as software for specific project work, equipment for conducting passenger surveys, or traffic-counting equipment, also may be funded through this line item.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Direct costs include computer and general office equipment, AMPO membership dues, in-state project-related travel, out-of-state travel associated with staff attendance at professional and training conferences, and other costs deemed appropriate.

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Chapter 6: Metropolitan Area Planning Council Activities

INTRODUCTION

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) receives approximately 20 percent of the Boston region’s annual combined 3C PL and §5303 funding. With this funding, MAPC staff conduct various studies, technical analyses, and outreach and support activities to help fulfill the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) functions as a regional planning body. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) provides the match to both the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration funds described in this chapter.

Table 6-1
UPWP-Funded MAPC Activities, FFY 2024

*This section will be described in Chapter 4.                                                    

MAPC PLANNING STUDIES AND TECHNICAL ANALYSES

MAPC conducts transportation planning studies through four ongoing programs: Corridor/Subarea Planning Studies, Alternative Mode Planning and Coordination, MetroCommon 2050 Implementation, and Land Use Development Project Reviews. MAPC and Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) also collaborate on the Community Transportation Technical Assistance Program (MAPC5), which is described in Chapter 4.

Corridor/Subarea Planning Studies

Purpose

These studies include funding to support MAPC’s work on several corridor and subarea studies in the region. Some of these projects will be funded jointly through the UPWP and other funding that MAPC receives through its assessment on municipalities, state contracts, and other planning grants.

Approach

This task is accomplished through the following subtasks.

Local Parking Management Plans in Selected Communities ($55,000)

The goal is to address the challenges that municipalities face from not managing their parking supply in commercial and mixed-used areas, and to identify whether space that is currently dedicated for parked cars could be used more efficiently for other transportation or land use purposes. MAPC will work with selected municipalities to develop local parking management plans to provide optimal parking supply to stimulate local economic prosperity, reduce congestion caused by circling vehicles, help municipalities plan for greater land use density by decreasing parking requirements, and encourage mode shift away from single-occupant vehicle trips. This work will involve on- and off-street parking, as well as understanding trade-offs associated with repurposing on-street parking for dedicated bus lanes, bike lanes, or wider sidewalks. This work would benefit local air quality and congestion by managing parking supply and demand and creating places where people can park once and then walk to multiple destinations. In locations where parking requirements can be reduced, the number of households with one or more vehicles could decline, which could result in higher percentages of walking, biking, and transit ridership.

Supporting MBTA Bus Network Redesign Implementation ($55,000) 

MAPC will support the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s (MBTA) Bus Network Redesign, a multifaceted planning effort to improve the bus system through bus priority infrastructure, a redesigned bus network with changed and new routes, an increase in bus vehicles through planning for fleets and facilities, and improved bus stops with better shelters, street furniture, and electronic information signs. MAPC will help convene municipal officials and other stakeholders to coordinate planning. MAPC will provide technical assistance at the corridor level to understand the trade-off of repurposing parking or travel lanes for more dedicated bus space. MAPC will support community engagement and related planning at the corridor level. 

Corridor/Subarea Multimodal Transportation Planning ($75,000)

MAPC will work in a selected subregion or roadway corridor to coordinate multimodal transportation planning, safety improvements, and transit service operations to be implemented by MassDOT, MBTA, Regional Transit Authorities, Transportation Management Agencies, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), employers, and/or municipalities with local land use planning to achieve livability and smart growth goals. This work will also include identification of areas in the region that face “transportation insecurity” with low auto ownership rates, lack of convenient public transit, poor pedestrian infrastructure. The goal is to provide more mobility options for a variety of different users and trip types, as well as safer conditions for all users.

Coordinated Housing and Transportation Planning ($75,000)

MAPC will work with selected municipalities to help them comply with the new state requirement to allow for multifamily residential development near MBTA transit stations. MAPC will support zoning, transportation planning, transportation demand management, and other activities to establish transit-oriented housing as required by Section 3A of M.G.L. Chapter 40A. MAPC will also conduct regional research on topics related to this new state law to support more cities and towns to comply with the requirement.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Activities and expected work products related to Local Parking Management Plans include parking use data collection, analysis of data, and recommendations to municipalities in the form of a report with pricing and parking management solutions, or recommendations to repurpose on-street parking for other uses.
• Activities and expected work products related to Supporting MBTA Bus Network Redesign include coordination meetings, corridor level data collection and technical memos, community engagement meetings, survey information, and data visualization. 
• Activities and expected work products related to Corridor/Subarea Multimodal Transportation Planning include identifying mobility solutions, conceptual designs, pilot projects, data and analysis to inform recommendations, and a technical report summarizing findings.
• Activities and expected work products related to Coordinated Housing and Transportation Planning include new zoning and transportation plans that enable transit-oriented housing.

Active and Carbon-Free Planning and Coordination

Purpose

MAPC provides alternative-mode transportation-planning support to the Boston Region MPO and municipalities that focuses on non-single-occupancy vehicle modes and promoting zero emission vehicles (ZEV). This work benefits bicycle and pedestrian transportation, encourages transit in areas that currently are underserved by existing regional transit authorities, improves the region’s understanding of transportation network companies, advances ZEVs, and identifies and supports transportation demand management strategies.

Approach

This area of work is accomplished through the following subtasks.

Zero Emission Vehicle Support ($75,000)

MAPC will support municipalities in planning for ZEVs, such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, transitioning or retrofitting municipal fleets, advancing electric school buses, electric cargo bikes, promoting zero emission car sharing and ride-hailing, and other initiatives. This work will increase the number of ZEVs in the region, thereby helping the state meet greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning ($30,000)

MAPC will work with municipalities to identify local bicycle and pedestrian improvements with a focus on closing sidewalk gaps, implementing separated bicycle facilities, supporting bike and pedestrian safety plans, complete streets prioritization plans, and other improvements at the local level. This work will lead to safer infrastructure, increase the rate of cycling and walking in the region, and decrease bicycle and pedestrian injuries.

Regional Bike Share Planning ($40,000)

MAPC will continue to support municipalities in the region to plan for the implementation and expansion of the Bluebikes bicycle sharing program. This work will include analyzing trip data, supporting station siting, coordinating funding opportunities, planning for electric bikes, and supporting the next procurement process for a system operator.

Regional Greenway Planning and Mapping ($100,000)

MAPC will continue to work with MassDOT, CTPS, DCR, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, municipalities, and trail organizations to plan, map, design, and implement portions of a regional bicycle and pedestrian network of off-road and on-road connections (a greenway) that form a contiguous system around greater Boston. In 2015, MAPC worked with the above-cited partners to develop the branding of this system named the LandLine. The trails consist of shared-use paths along former railroad rights-of-way, hiking trails through conservation land, and historic corridors that connect points of interest. The binding theme of the proposed and completed corridors is creating attractive places to walk, bike, or otherwise travel through low-traffic or no-traffic green areas.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

• Planning to support deployment of ZEVs and related infrastructure.
• Data collection, research, and analysis to support completed bicycle and pedestrian plans in selected municipalities.
• Technical support for bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
• Support for regional trail and greenway development.
• Support, technical analysis, coordination, and research in support of the Bluebikes bikeshare system.

MetroCommon 2050: Greater Boston’s Next Regional Vision 

Purpose

This task continues to support the ongoing coordination and implementation of the new regional plan, MetroCommon 2050, the Boston region’s 30-year comprehensive plan (through the year 2050) for sustainable, equitable growth and development. The new plan establishes goals for topics including mobility, climate mitigation, and resiliency, as well as actionable recommendations needed to accomplish these goals. The agency is aligning its annual workplan and technical assistance priorities to implement the recommendations of MetroCommon.

Approach

This work is accomplished through the following subtasks.

MetroCommon 2050 Implementation and Education ($40,000)

Changing demographics and location preferences, planned investments in public transportation, and emerging transportation technologies will have a profound influence on the Boston region in the decades ahead. The regional plan includes recommendations for improving mobility, reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector, and expanding the access, capacity, and affordability of public and active transportation. This task will include outreach and education to municipal leaders about the mobility-focused recommendations, seeking commitments to work towards implementing specific action items. It will also include tracking implementation progress across the region.

Building Constituencies for Local, Regional, and State Decisions that Enable Livable Communities and Sustainable Transportation ($40,000)

MAPC will continue to work with municipal and state officials and residents to seek changes in land use that will support livable communities and sustainable transportation. This will include engaging the public in planning and dialogue that enhances equitable transit-oriented development planning, and influences other decision-making to improve development outcomes, transportation opportunities, and reduction of GHG emissions. As part of the plan update, MAPC will hold regional discussions regarding challenges and opportunities in making long-term improvements to the Boston region’s transportation system, including restoring and expanding service to equitable transit-oriented development locations. This is especially critical with the new state law that requires cities and towns to zone for multifamily districts around transit stations. Task outputs are expected to include engaging at least 500 people with a focus on diverse and underserved communities and partnering with organizations that serve those communities. Outputs also include hosting at least 10 different events or activities as part of the engagement.

Research and Evaluation that Support Livable Communities and Sustainable Transportation ($40,000)

Incorporation of best practices and evaluation is important to improving MAPC’s work and for advancing implementation at the local and state levels. Transportation and integrated land use planning practices will be evaluated to determine if improvements can be made to our practices, with a particular emphasis on evaluating the equity outcomes and processes of these plans. Best practices from other regions will also be evaluated for their applicability in Greater Boston.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Anticipated outcomes include a stronger constituency for sustainable land use and transportation investments and programs; case studies or best practices for regional and local mobility; and local commitments to implement the regional plan’s recommendations.

Land Use Development Project Reviews

Purpose

This task supports MAPC’s review of potential development projects in the region. In particular, MAPC will review projects for consistency with its sustainable land use and transportation goals, impacts on the transportation network and projects identified in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), and consistency with the MPO’s Economic Vitality goals.

Approach

MAPC tracks all projects reviewed in the region under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and provides a regional-planning analysis to MassDOT and the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs for all developments considered to have significant impact. Special attention is given to mitigation and planning requirements that serve to reduce auto travel by encouraging carpooling, transit, parking regulations, and other travel demand management techniques. MAPC coordinates these reviews with MassDOT and the municipalities, and works with MassDOT to identify updated requirements to be included in the transportation impact assessments that must be conducted by developers.

MAPC also reviews notices of offered railroad property from MassDOT, consults with municipalities as necessary, and provides appropriate input. Often, these notices involve rail trails, but they also may involve other types of proposed developments.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Anticipated outcomes include analyses and reports of MEPA reviews, development of mitigation recommendations, coordination with municipalities and transportation agencies, maintenance and updates of MAPC’s development database, and input into the project evaluations for the TIP and LRTP. In addition, MAPC will continue to review and respond to notices of offered railroad property.

MAPC ADMINISTRATION AND SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

The following section contains details on the administration, resource management, and support activities undertaken by MAPC every federal fiscal year.

MPO/MAPC Liaison and Support Activities

Purpose

This task includes working with MPO members and staff to establish work priorities and meeting agendas. It also includes implementing the continuous, comprehensive, and cooperative (3C) transportation planning process and engagement in regional transportation planning led by MassDOT, the MBTA, or municipalities in the region. It also includes reporting to the MAPC executive committee, MAPC council members, MAPC subregions, and MAPC staff on MPO activities to ensure strong coordination of land use and transportation planning across the region.

Approach

Statewide and Regional Planning Committees and Processes ($100,000)

In addition to participating in the Boston MPO process, MAPC actively participates in and attends statewide and regional planning committees, task forces, working groups, and commissions to represent the interests of the region, with a particular focus on the critical links between land use and transportation. These committees include the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies; Regional Coordinating Councils; MassDOT and MBTA board meetings; and various MassDOT, MBTA, or municipally led transportation working groups or study advisory committees. MAPC will also be actively involved in regional transportation plans and programs related to land use and transportation. Advisory committees may change from year to year as studies are started or completed, but participation in various advisory committees is an ongoing task.

Support the Public Participation Process for Metropolitan Planning Documents ($10,000)

MAPC provides education and outreach for a wide variety of transportation-related and land use-related topics in the region, with emphasis on outreach through the subregions to municipal officials. MAPC also supports CTPS in its outreach to environmental justice communities, older adults, and people with disabilities.

MPO Elections ($10,000)

Working with the MBTA Advisory Board, MAPC will coordinate and implement annual elections for municipal representatives in the MPO.

Performance-Based Planning and Programming (PBPP) ($10,000)

MAPC will review PBPP targets and follow progress toward meeting targets and objectives, with a focus on coordinating state, local, and regional safety planning and goal setting.

TIP Evaluation and Criteria ($35,000)

MAPC will work with CTPS to update the TIP scoring criteria as necessary and to advise CTPS about the land use and economic-development aspects of the TIP evaluations. MAPC will provide updated TIP criteria and help implement the comprehensive regional growth plan, MetroCommon. MAPC will evaluate TIP projects and work with municipalities to advance TIP projects.

MPO Agenda Setting, Meetings, and Coordination ($25,000)

MAPC will work with CTPS and MassDOT to develop MPO meeting agendas and presentations and participate in MPO processes.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Outcomes of this program will result in interagency coordination; work scopes and agendas; participation in advisory and corridor committees; public participation and outreach; reports to the MAPC executive committee, MAPC Council members, MAPC subregions, and MAPC staff; MPO elections; PBPP targets and data; LRTP scenarios; TIP criteria update and project evaluations; and attendance at relevant meetings.

UPWP Support

Purpose

This task supports MAPC’s management and oversight of UPWP-funded planning studies, projects, and programs, including preparing updates and budget information in monthly reports to MassDOT.

Approach

MAPC assists with the annual development of the UPWP and coordinates with MassDOT and CTPS to support development of UPWP project ideas and specific work scopes. Through community liaison and subregional support activities, MAPC staff also help communities identify and develop studies for inclusion in the UPWP.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

MAPC staff will prepare UPWP project listings and monthly reports on UPWP activities. MAPC will assist with annual development of the UPWP and support development of specific project proposals and work scopes. MAPC staff will also assist communities in identifying and developing studies to be included in the UPWP through community liaison and subregional support activities.

Land Use Data and Forecasts for Transportation Modeling

Purpose

This task allows MAPC to support the MPO’s planning and decision-making by providing CTPS with detailed population, household, employment, and land use data (current conditions and scenarios of future growth) for transportation modeling and project evaluation.

Approach

MAPC will continue to investigate, acquire, and improve additional sources of employment and built environment data to inform land use allocation modeling. MAPC will continue to refine and improve Zoning Atlas data and corresponding development capacity estimates that serve as key inputs to the land use allocation model. A major focus this year will be on collecting information about new zoning districts adopted pursuant to the MBTA Communities Multifamily mandate.

MAPC will continue to monitor development projects that are being planned across the region and will maintain an up-to-date development database in an online portal at www.massbuilds.com. MAPC will support CTPS and MassDOT in applying these data for project evaluation or updates to the regional travel demand model.

MAPC will maintain the UrbanSim land use allocation model and will make incremental improvements as necessary. MAPC develops methods to prepare updated land use forecasts on an as-needed basis for transportation project analysis, environmental permitting (MEPA modeling), or scenario modeling.

MAPC will continue frequent and regular communication and coordination with the CTPS modeling staff to support travel model improvements and integration of the land use allocation and travel demand models. MAPC will also help to plan and participate in webinars and other peer exchange opportunities involving other regional agencies to improve our understanding of the state of the practice regarding demographic and land use forecasting.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Anticipated outcomes include new data sources; an improved land use allocation model; multiple demographic and land use scenarios for transportation modeling; updated development data and analysis; documentation; and mapping products to support advanced transportation modeling.

Subregional Support Activities (MAPC)

Purpose

The Boston MPO region consists of 97 cities and towns. The region is subdivided into eight geographic areas that are represented by subregional councils comprising municipal officials, business leaders, community-based organizations, and other local participants. MAPC staff planners are assigned as coordinators to each of the subregional groups to help members develop an understanding of subregional and regional transportation and land use issues. This project supports community involvement in the development of transportation planning documents.

Approach

Subregions jointly identify and review the transportation priorities in their areas and recommend subregional projects and priorities for the TIP, LRTP, UPWP, and the MassDOT and MBTA capital investment plans.

Subregional coordinators and MAPC transportation staff report to the MPO through formal and informal communications. MAPC subregional groups will continue to participate in local corridor advisory committees whenever these committees are appropriate vehicles for working on projects in their areas. The subregions will continue to identify priority transportation needs, plan for first- and last-mile connections to transit, identify regional trail connections, pilot new technology to support increased mobility, and support planning for transit-oriented housing around MBTA stations.

MAPC staff ensures timely discussions of transportation-related issues by placing the topics on meeting agendas, leading and participating in the discussions, and distributing appropriate documents and notices relating to region and statewide transportation meetings.

FFY 2024 Anticipated Outcomes

Outcomes of this program include preparing monthly meeting agendas for transportation topics at subregional meetings; coordinating with transportation agencies; reviewing transportation studies in subregions; supporting subregional and corridor advisory committee meetings; generating public input on MPO processes and certification documents; and helping to set subregional transportation priorities.

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Chapter 7: Boston Region MPO Budget and Operating Summaries

This chapter contains overall budget information for the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) federal fiscal year (FFY) 2024 activities. The information is organized according to the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) categories described in Chapters 3 through 6. Recipient agencies and funding sources are indicated.

The funding for the projects, programs, and activities listed in Chapters 3 through 6 comes from the following sources, which are described in Chapter 2.

The nine tables on the following pages summarize the funding information presented in the preceding chapters. There is one table for each UPWP category of work conducted by Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS), and one for each UPWP category of work conducted by Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).

The total federal funding programmed in this UPWP is $7,116,954. All federal funds programmed in the UPWP are allocated to the Boston Region MPO by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) as Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 3C Planning (PL) funds. However, these federal funds initially come from two sources: the FHWA and the Federal Transportation Authority (FTA). The federal funds, which are supplemented by a non-federal match provided by MassDOT, include the following initial sources:

• FHWA 3C PL: FHWA planning funds are distributed to the MassDOT Office of Transportation Planning (OTP), according to an allocation formula established by federal legislation, to carry out the 3C planning process. OTP distributes these funds to Massachusetts MPOs according to a formula that is primarily based on the region’s road mileage and population. The formula was developed by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA) and is known as the MARPA formula. The FFY 2023 3C PL funding allocation for the Boston region, including state matching funds, is $4,599,322. The total Boston region 3C PL allocation is split between CTPS, which receives $3,725,451, and MAPC, which receives $873,871. 
• FTA 3C Planning (§5303): FTA provides 3C planning funds for transit projects to MPOs and state departments of transportation under Section 5303 of the Federal Transit Act. These funds require a state match, are distributed according to an allocation formula, and are administered by MassDOT. These funds are converted to PL planning funds by MassDOT before distribution. The FFY 2023 FTA allocation for the Boston region, including a total local match, is $2,517,632 and, like the 3C PL funds, is split into two categories:
• MPO and MassDOT FTA 3C Planning (§5303): The total amount of FTA funds, including a local match, programmed in this UPWP as PL for work conducted by the MPO staff is $2,076,561.
• MAPC FTA 3C Planning (§5303): A portion of the Boston region’s FTA allocation also goes to MAPC. MAPC uses these funds to conduct its transit-planning studies programmed through the UPWP. The total amount of FTA-derived funds, including a local match, allocated to MAPC as PL for FFY 2023 is $441,071.

This budget also reflects projects funded with Statewide Planning and Research and other funds from MassDOT; projects funded with Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority funds; and projects funded from other sources. These projects are listed in Table 7-4.

Project status and financial data reported in the following tables are subject to change.

Table 7-1
UPWP Budget—MPO Support and 3C Planning for FFY 2024 

Table 7-2
UPWP Budget—Ongoing Technical Analyses for FFY 2024

Table 7-3
UPWP Budget—MPO New Discrete Studies for FFY 2024 

Table 7-4
UPWP Budget—Resource Management and Support Activities for FFY 2024

*Does not include Direct Support.

Table 7-5
UPWP Budget—MAPC Planning Studies and Technical Analyses for FFY 2024

* This project is shared with MAPC.

Table 7-6
UPWP Budget—MAPC Resource Management and Support Activities
for FFY 2024 

Table 7-7
UPWP Budget—Summary of FFY 2024 Budgets for CTPS

Note: Budget figures include salary, overhead, and direct support.

* This project is conducted on behalf of MassDOT but funded through the MPO 3C contract.

Table 7-8
UPWP Budget—Summary of FFY 2024 Budgets for MAPC

Table 7-9

UPWP Budget—3C Budget and Overall Budget for FFY

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Appendices