Draft Memorandum for the Record
Regional Transportation Advisory Council Meeting
November 8, 2023, Meeting Minutes
2:30 PM–4:15 PM, Zoom
Lenard Diggins, Chair, representing the MBTA Ridership Oversight Committee (ROC)
Meeting Agenda
1. Introductions
Lenard Diggins called the meeting to order at 2:30 PM. (For attendance list, see page 5.)
2. Chair’s Report—Lenard Diggins, Chair
L. Diggins highlighted a new committee of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) board: the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Process, Engagement, and Readiness Committee. L. Diggins encouraged the council to review the slide deck from the first meeting to provide questions and feedback. Ethan Lapointe, MPO staff, stated that these meetings are public, and people are encouraged to attend.
3. Approval of Meeting Minutes
A motion to approve the updated minutes of the July 12, 2023, meeting was made by Acton resident (Franny Osman) and seconded by WalkMassachusetts (John McQueen). The minutes were approved.
4. MPO Freight Program—Shravanthi Gopalan Narayanan, Freight Program Manager, MPO Staff
S. Narayanan presented an overview of the MPO’s Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024 Freight Program. S. Narayanan discussed two MPO freight-related studies:
· Integrating Transit and Truck Priority
· Sustainability and Decarbonization in the Freight and Logistics Sector in the North Suffolk Area
S. Narayanan stated the goals of the Freight Program were designed to align with the MPO’s goals, which include safety, climate resilience, equity, and dealing with uncertainty. In FFY 2024, the Freight Program will focus on five key areas:
· Data infrastructure
· Safety and decarbonization of freight
· Continued freight-related MPO activities
· Other freight-related activities
After the presentation, S. Narayanan facilitated discussion about future studies using Mentimeter, an interactive presentation platform. The discussion revolved around three main questions:
· What are high-priority topics for freight-related research?
· What are your concerns about delivery vehicles or trucks in general?
· How would you like to continue to be engaged or involved in the Freight Program?
Discussion
Ana Cristina Fragoso, Boston Society of Civil Engineers, stated she would be interested in a study about the impact of delivery trucks. S. Narayanan responded that the City of Boston is conducting a similar study in their E-Cargo Bike Delivery Pilot Program and the MPO will likely use their findings and recommendations to develop further studies.
L. Diggins asked for the definition of a freight truck and if it is related to the size of a vehicle.
A.C. Fragoso discussed that while she thinks the City’s e-cargo bike program is a good idea, it does not serve as a replacement for heavy-load deliveries. S. Narayanan responded in agreement and mentioned Freight Mobility Hubs as a possible solution.
On the Menimeter platform, there were responses related to the first question about reducing freight congestion, safety, sharing local streets, and regional freight travel patterns.
A.C. Fragoso asked if there is a possibility to study the effect of dedicated freight routes to reduce vehicular and pedestrian traffic. S. Narayanan responded that the state enforces standards and restrictions for trucks on Critical Freight Corridors and these rules are regularly updated on MassDOT’s website.
L. Diggins and S. Narayanan discussed the need to understand the business community's perspectives about freight issues.
On the Menimeter platform, there were responses related to the second question about congestion concerns, tradeoffs between availability for deliveries, loading and parking, and other uses of roadways.
L. Diggins asked how often the staff working on the Freight Program would be engaged in seeking feedback from the Advisory Council. S. Narayanan responded that she would stay involved by attending meetings quarterly and conducting check-ins.
Franny Osman, Acton resident, asked how the freight-related work of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the MPO, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) overlap or differ. S. Narayanan discussed the specific responsibilities of each agency while highlighting collaboration across various transportation agencies on freight and general transportation topics.
Travis Pollack, MAPC, emphasized the importance of cross-agency coordination and collaboration on programs and studies.
L. Diggins and T. Pollack discussed autonomous freight vehicles.
5. Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) Development—Srilekha Murthy, UPWP Program Manager, MPO Staff
S. Murthy opened her presentation with an icebreaker activity where participants pinned safety and resilience concerns on an online map of the Boston region using Miro, an interactive platform.
Following the mapping activity, S. Murthy provided an overview of the development of the FFY 2025 UPWP and opened the floor for discussion. S. Murthy noted differences in the UPWP development process this year with an emphasis on the MPO’s work programs. The MPO’s core programs are the UPWP, Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The MPO’s support programs are as follows:
· Climate Resilience
· Transportation Equity
· Performance-Based Planning and Programming
· Congestion Management Process
· Bicycle and Pedestrian Support
· Freight
· Public Engagement
· Multimodal Mobility Infrastructure
· Regional Model Development
S. Murthy stated that priority will be given to funding work on topics that can be studied within a program and to ideas that can inform the MPO’s work in the future with a preference for smaller scale studies. This allows MPO staff to plan for work over the span of a few years and to assess progress on a continuous basis. Study topics that do not fit neatly into categories may be considered for independent research.
Discussion
A.C. Fragoso discussed her concern about the vulnerability of the Longwood Medical area to flooding and asked how that would be studied. A.C. Fragoso noted Boston’s general vulnerability to flooding.
Stella Jordan, MPO staff, highlighted one of the notes from Miro which stated the importance of studying urban heat island effects in inner core communities and strategies to provide relief from heat.
A.C. Fragoso and Andrew Reker, City of Cambridge, discussed the overlap between resilience and safety as issues.
A.C. Fragoso asked if there would be a matrix provided similar to past years used to help the Advisory Council provide feedback on the prioritization of proposed projects. S. Murthy responded that it will be presented in March–April 2024.
A. Reker asked if there would be an opportunity to study hazard mitigation planning as it relates to transportation planning.
F. Osman asked who generally applies for UPWP studies and if outreach is conducted to ensure a broad representation of applicants. S. Murthy responded that applicants are typically individuals and outreach was conducted at MAPC’s subregional group meetings and other venues.
A. Reker asked if there are any indications about current UPWP projects that may be studied further.
A.C. Fragoso discussed that she would like to see the results of the studies from past UPWP projects. L. Diggins responded that he could report back on the presentation of results from MPO board meetings or invite staff to present their findings to the Advisory Council.
A.C. Fragoso stated that she would like to see more cohesion with other agencies with similar projects and goals. S. Jordan responded that the Boston Region MPO coordinates with other Massachusetts MPOs and planning agencies through regular meetings.
6. Old Business, New Business, and Member Announcements
F. Osman highlighted a Boston Globe article announcing that Amtrak was awarded $10 billion for 12 North-East Corridor projects. F. Osman encouraged members to support funding for the North–South rail link.
7. Adjourn
A motion to adjourn was made by the Boston Society of Civil Engineers (Ana Cristina Fragoso) and seconded by the City of Cambridge (Andy Reker). The motion carried.
Attendees
|
Member Municipalities |
Representatives and Alternates |
|
Cambridge |
Andy Reker |
|
Weymouth |
Owen MacDonald |
|
Citizen Advocacy Groups |
Attendees |
|
American Council of Engineering Companies |
Fred Moseley |
|
Boston Society of Civil Engineers (BSCES) |
Ana Cristina Fragoso |
|
MBTA Ridership Oversight Committee (ROC) |
Lenard Diggins |
|
MoveMassachusetts |
Jon Seward |
|
WalkMassachusetts |
John McQueen |
|
National Rural Transit Assistance Program |
Scott Zadakis |
|
Resident (Acton) |
Franny Osman |
|
Agencies (Non-Voting) |
Attendees |
|
MBTA Advisory Board |
Amira Patterson |
|
MAPC |
Travis Pollack |
|
MAPC |
Alison Felix |
|
Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) |
Sarah Lee |
|
Massport |
Barry Fradkin |
|
Massport |
Max Wigglesworth |
|
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) |
Tyler Terrasi |
|
Other Attendees |
Affiliation |
|
Abby Swaine |
Brookline resident |
|
Susan Barret |
Town of Lexington |
|
Steve Magoon |
City of Watertown |
|
Tom Ready |
|
|
MPO Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|
Stella Jordan |
|
Jia Huang |
|
Dave Hong |
|
Ethan Lapointe |
|
Srilekha Murthy |
|
Sam Taylor |
|
Shravanthi Gopalan Narayanan |
|
Abby Cutrumbes |
|
Sarah Philbrick |
|
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) operates its programs, services, and activities in compliance with federal nondiscrimination laws including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related statutes and regulations. Title VI prohibits discrimination in federally assisted programs and requires that no person in the United States of America shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency), be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives federal assistance. Related federal nondiscrimination laws administered by the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, or both, prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex, and disability. The Boston Region MPO considers these protected populations in its Title VI Programs, consistent with federal interpretation and administration. In addition, the Boston Region MPO provides meaningful access to its programs, services, and activities to individuals with limited English proficiency, in compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation policy and guidance on federal Executive Order 13166. The Boston Region MPO also complies with the Massachusetts Public Accommodation Law, M.G.L. c 272 sections 92a, 98, 98a, which prohibits making any distinction, discrimination, or restriction in admission to, or treatment in a place of public accommodation based on race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or ancestry. Likewise, the Boston Region MPO complies with the Governor's Executive Order 526, section 4, which requires that all programs, activities, and services provided, performed, licensed, chartered, funded, regulated, or contracted for by the state shall be conducted without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, disability, veteran's status (including Vietnam-era veterans), or background. A complaint form and additional information can be obtained by contacting the MPO or at http://www.bostonmpo.org/mpo_non_discrimination. To request this information in a different language or in an accessible format, please contact Title VI Specialist By Telephone: For people with hearing or speaking difficulties, connect through the state MassRelay service: · Relay Using TTY or Hearing Carry-over: 800.439.2370 · Relay Using Voice Carry-over: 866.887.6619 · Relay Using Text to Speech: 866.645.9870 For more information, including numbers for Spanish speakers, visit https://www.mass.gov/massrelay. |