TransReport

For the most recent information on the following public meetings and others that may have been scheduled after TRANSReport went to press, go to www.bostonmpo.org or call (617) 973-7119. A photo ID is required to access most meeting sites.

Urban Ring Public-Review Period Underway

Comments accepted through February 9; Public hearing on January 6

Throughout the month of January, the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works (EOTPW) and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) will continue to accept public comments on the Urban Ring Phase 2 Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIR/ DEIS), which was released for public review in November.

The document details the proposed plan for a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that would provide circumferential transit service connecting locations in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Medford, and Somerville, and improve connections between points on the existing rapid transit and commuter rail systems.

As proposed, the project would include dedicated roadways for 60-foot articulated buses, including a 1.5-mile busway tunnel through the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, and new transit stations. High- frequency service would be provided at peak travel periods (ranging from every 10 minutes, to every 3 minutes in sections of the corridor with heavy demand), and advanced communications systems would be used to reduce delay for BRT vehicles and provide real-time traveler information.
The recommendations included in the RDEIR/DEIS may be refined based upon ongoing public and stakeholder involvement. EOTPW will host a public hearing on January 6 at the Saltonstall Building in Boston (see calendar section for details). Members of the public may voice comments at that hearing or provide comments in writing, addressed to EOEEA Secretary Ian A. Bowles, by February 9, to the following address:

Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; Attn: MEPA Office, EOEEA #12565; Richard Bourre, Assistant Director; 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900; Boston, MA 02114; fax: (617) 626-1181; e-mail: Richard.Bourre@state.ma.us

Copies may be sent to:
Ned Codd, Director of Program Development; EOTPW; 10 Park Plaza, Room 4150; Boston, MA 02116
The RDEIR/DEIS is available at www.theurban ring.com, at public libraries in the affected communities, and by contacting Regan Checchio at (617) 357-5772, extension 14, or rchecchio@ reginavilla.com.
For more information, contact Ned Codd at (617) 973-7473.

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Arborway Bus Study Released

In December the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) released the MBTA Transit Signal Priority Study: Arborway Corridor, which assessed options for improving MBTA bus travel time and schedule reliability along the Arborway corridor. The study focused on a two-mile segment of the corridor from Forest Hills Station to Huntington Avenue, which is served primarily by the MBTA’s Route 39 bus. Boston Region MPO staff used computer modeling to evaluate the benefits of employing traffic-system management measures — such as improvements to signal timing and geometric configuration in intersections — as well as traffic signal coordination and transit signal priority (TSP). TSP is a strategy for moving transit vehicles through signalized intersections quickly by equipping them with detectors that can trigger an early green light or lengthen the amount of time a light stays green.

The study addressed the applicability of implementing TSP with present bus stop locations and with bus stops consolidated, as well as alternatives such as adding curb extensions (to eliminate the need for buses to pull to the side of the street for stops) and upgrading signal coordination and signal equipment. The study results and recommendations may be found on the Boston Region MPO’s website, www.bostonmpo.org.

In light of the recommendations, the MBTA, the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works, and the City of Boston have assembled a Citizens Working Group and are holding meetings to discuss opportunities for transit improvements along the corridor. The next meeting of the Working Group will be held in February.

The MPO-funded study was initiated based on findings from the MPO’s Mobility Management System (MMS), which monitors the perfor-mance of transportation facilities in the MPO region. The study was also advanced to address concerns stemming from the removal of the Green Line Arborway Restoration project, which would have added a new light rail line along the Arborway, from the original group of State Implemen-tation Plan (SIP) transit projects (those projects the Commonwealth is committed to building as mitigation for the Central Artery/Tunnel project). The U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency approved changes to the SIP projects last summer. (See the August 2008 issue of TRANSREPORT for more information.)

The City of Boston Trans-portation Department, the Executive Office of Trans-portation and Public Works, and the MBTA participated in the study, which was conducted by MPO staff.

Boston Region MPO Activities; Boston Region MPO Action Items

The Transportation Planning and Programming Committee approved the MBTA Transit Signal Priority Study: Arborway Corridor at its December 4 meeting (see the article on page 1 for details). Also at that meeting, the Committee heard a presentation on the findings of the Massachusetts Transportation Finance Commission, which identified a $14-19 million shortfall in available funding for the maintenance of the commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure. The Committee discussed these findings in relation to the upcoming amendment to the regional transportation plan, JOURNEY TO 2030.

Regional Transportation Advisory Council Update
At the December meeting, the Advisory Council heard two timely presentations: one by Lucy Garliauskas, Division Administrator of the Federal Highway Ad-ministration, and another by Brian Kane, of the MBTA Advisory Board. Both focused on transportation funding and fiscal forecasts. Ms. Garliauskas discussed the upcoming reauthorization of the federal transportation legislation. A new bill, to be developed over the upcoming months, will establish national transportation policy, set priorities for investment in infrastructure, and provide funding. Con-gress is also considering an economic stimulus bill that would support transportation projects that could be constructed within six months of enactment. Congress is expected to take action on the stimulus bill following the presidential inauguration in January. Mr. Kane detailed the crisis-level fiscal condition of the MBTA. To maintain service levels and fares into fiscal year 2010, the MBTA will need legislative assistance. Without such assistance, the MBTA might need to resort to service cuts, increased fares, and layoffs, he explained. The Advisory Council has established an ad hoc committee to further consider and develop comments on these findings.

Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA (AACT) Update
The MBTA’s Department of Systemwide Accessibility (SWA) reported that the MBTA has formed a committee to develop specifications for accessibility-related features on new Orange and Red Line subway cars. The committee is comprised of representatives from SWA, AACT, the Boston Center for Independent Living, THE RIDE Advocacy Project, the MBTA Rider Oversight Committee, and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. The MBTA also began the first phase of a project to reduce gaps between subway cars and platforms. MBTA staff members have been visiting senior centers and other locations in the region to issue Senior, Transportation Access Pass (TAP), and Blind Access CharlieCards to eligible MBTA customers. (See the calendar section on page 2 for this month’s outreach sites.)

Bridge Program Underway

Significant progress is being made on the Patrick Administration’s $3 billion Accelerated Bridge Program (ABP). The goal of the program, which was approved by the legislature in August 2008, is to reverse a trend that, left unchecked, would increase the number of structurally deficient bridges in Massachusetts from 543 (as of May 2008) to nearly 700 over the course of the next eight years. Since October, when initial funds for the program were made available, work began on 41 projects totaling more than $175 million, the hiring of engineers and other necessary staff got underway, and 14 design consulting contracts were procured.

In addition to improving the condition of the Common-wealth’s bridges, the ABP is expected to stimulate economic development and job creation and save money by allowing projects to be completed sooner. (The Federal Highway Administration estimates that road and bridge construction costs increase from 9 to 15 percent per year due to inflation.) The ABP will employ innovative techniques such as offering bonuses to contractors who deliver projects ahead of schedule, imposing penalties for late delivery, streamlined environmental permitting, project bundling, and single-phase construction.

The 20092011 bridge list developed by MassHighway and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), in coordination with the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works, identifies preliminary estimates totaling $975.7 million for 54 bridge projects located in the Boston Region MPO area. It includes the BostonCambridge Longfellow Bridge, which is estimated at $267.5 million and slated for advertising in the spring of 2011, and $242.6 million for the QuincyWeymouth Fore River Bridge, which is also scheduled for advertising in the spring of 2011. The complete list of bridge projects, which also includes dates for design completion and end of construction, is available at www.mass.gov/accelerated bridges.

Wireless Internet Service Expanding to All Commuter Rail Lines

Riders on the Framingham/ Worcester commuter rail line have been enjoying free wireless technology service on their commutes since last spring, when the MBTA launched its Wi-Fi Com-muter Rail Connect Pilot Project. The project was such a success on that line that the MBTA is expanding the service to all commuter rail lines. The service enables riders to access the Internet using laptop computers, cell phones, and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices while enroute.

“The positive feedback we’ve received from commuters who are using Wi-Fi on the trains has been fantastic,” said Lt. Governor Timothy Murray, who worked with the MBTA to advance this service when he was the mayor of Worcester. “It became clear early on in the pilot that this service should be expanded to all commuter rail trains.” The MBTA plans to equip more than half of its 410 commuter rail coaches for wireless Internet connection. Approximately 30 coaches per month will be retrofitted, and will be moved into service as they come online. By spring of 2009, all commuter rail lines will have at least two Wi-Fi-equipped coaches per train. Riders will be able to identify those coaches by the Wi-Fi sign on the outside of the coach.

The MBTA is partnering with technology providers AT&T, WAAV, and Terminial Exchange Systems to provide this service.

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What’s Your Transportation Savvy?

The following is a new feature of Transreport that we hope our readers will enjoy. See below for answers to these questions:

1. What is the percentage of people living within the city limits of the 60 largest cities in the United States who drive alone to work?

2. Can you name the five U.S. cities in each of the following categories?
a) The highest percentage of people who drive alone to work
b) The highest percentage of transit users
c) The highest percentage of people who walk to work
d) The highest percentage of people who bike to work
e) The highest percentage of people who have no cars .

(2a) Drive alone: Wichita, Kansas (84%), Indianapolis, Indiana (82%), Arlington, Texas (82.5%), Jacksonville, Florida (82.2%), Toledo/Columbus, Ohio [tie] (81.6%).

(2b) Transit users: New York (54.6%), Washington, DC (36.4%), Boston (34%), San Francisco (33%), Chicago (26.7%).

(2c) Walk to work: Boston (13.3%, Pittsburgh (12%), Washington DC (11.1%) New York (10.3%), San Francisco (9.7%).

(2d) Bike to work: Portland, Oregon (3.9%), Minneapolis (3.8%), San Francisco (2.5%), Seattle (2.3%), Tucson (1.9%).

(2e) No cars: New York (44%), Boston/Washington, DC [tie] (24.4%), San Francisco (19.4%), Philadelphia (18.1%).