FFY 2014 Unified Planning Work Program
Descriptions of New Projects Proposed for Funding with FHWA Metropolitan Planning (PL) Dollars
This project aims to develop quantitative information to help guide the MPO in its efforts to plan and program in ways that most effectively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and thereby enhance sustainability. The technical work will be designed to analyze various actions and strategies for their GHG reduction potential and their likely costs. Examples of actions or strategies that support GHG reduction include programming projects that improve traffic flow or travelers shifting from inducing mode shift from single-occupancy vehicles to biking, walking, or taking transit. A variety of the MPO staff’s tools, such as the regional travel model and the EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) model, will be employed. Costs associated with these actions and strategies will be estimated based on the MPO’s project programming experience, as well as from the experiences of MassDOT, the MBTA, and other agencies, as necessary. This information will be used to derive a cost-effectiveness range for the types of actions that the MPO would typically program and that Massachusetts transportation agencies would normally fund or operate. This work is consistent with the MPO’s goals in the area of environmental sustainability and MassDOT’s GreenDOT initiative.
FFY 2014 Activities and Expected Work Products: The specific tasks and work products associated with this project will be presented to the MPO in a work scope for approval to proceed.
A Roadway Safety Audit (RSA), as defined by the Federal Highway Administration, is a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent audit team. Additionally, MassDOT guidelines require a RSA to be conducted where Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)-eligible crash clusters are present. The RSA examines the location to develop both short-term and long-term recommendations to improve safety for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. These recommendations help communities identify safety improvements that can be implemented in the short-term and also helps them determine if more substantial improvements are also needed as part of a larger, long-term improvement process. Audit teams include MassDOT headquarters and district office staff, MassDOT consultants, and CTPS staff, 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 identifies safety issues; and 4) develops and documents recommendations.
FFY 2014 Activities and Expected Work Products: Participation in audit teams as requested by MassDOT.