Memorandum
DATE October 17, 2013
TO Boston Region Metropolitan Planning
FROM Karl H. Quackenbush
CTPS Executive Director
RE Work Program for: Long-Range Transportation Plan, Federal Fiscal Year 2014
Review and approval
That the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization vote to approve the work program for the Long-Range Transportation Plan presented in this memorandum.
Certification Requirements
10101
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
Principal: Pam Wolfe
Manager: Anne McGahan
MPO Planning Contract #78890
MPO §5303 Contract #78922
This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.
The federal government requires that metropolitan planning organizations conduct planning processes and prepare certain planning documents in accordance with federal regulations and guidelines. The purpose of this process is to guide and support MPO information gathering and decision making regarding policies and the programming of federal transportation funds. MPOs must conduct this process, known as the 3C process (defined below), in order to remain certified to receive these funds. The 3C activities conducted by the MPO staff to comply with these requirements and guidance are called certification activities.
While the Certification Activities Group of the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS), which is the staff of the MPO, has the primarily responsibility for conducting this work and preparing the necessary documents, staff from all of the groups at CTPS contribute to these activities.
The 3C process is so named because it must be a continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative transportation-planning process. To be “continuing” it must be underway all year long, not sporadically. To be “comprehensive” it must be aware of the activities of the many agencies and interested entities involved in transportation planning in the MPO region and it must consider these and the transportation needs identified by all interested parties in MPO decisions. Finally, MPOs must invite the public to participate and must conduct their planning and decision making with an open and cooperative approach.
This work scope focuses on the MPO’s activities related to its Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which is one of the three major certification documents required as part of the 3C process. Under the current federal funding legislation Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), a new LRTP must be produced every four years. Although the MPO adopted two amendments to its last LRTP (Paths to a Sustainable Region), in June 2012 and July 2013, the last full LRTP was approved in September 2011. The next LRTP must be adopted by the MPO by September 2015 to coincide with the regional transportation plan schedules of the state’s other MPOs.
The new LRTP will serve as the guiding document for the Boston Region MPO through the year 2040. The LRTP establishes the visions and policies for the region and is used by the MPO in making decisions for the future. It is developed in robust consultation with the public (funded through another work program). The objectives of this LRTP work program are to conduct a process and develop a document that:
The development of the new LRTP was begun in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2013. Work will continue over the next two federal fiscal years, and will be completed by September 2015. This work program outlines the tasks necessary to complete and adopt an LRTP in 2015: however, the budget associated with this work program covers only FFY 2014 activities. (The 2015 budget will be developed in April of 2014 during the development of the FFY 2015 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), after the MPO has become involved in the scenario-planning process.)
This work program will consist of eight tasks, which both interrelate and provide the building blocks for later tasks. Documenting and understanding existing conditions and needs, and gathering information from pertinent work conducted by others, builds a foundation for the LRTP. This work will be done through an update of the LRTP Needs Assessment, which was originally prepared as part of the current LRTP, Paths to a Sustainable Region. Performance measures will be developed and will be used to provide information to decision-makers when choosing projects and programs.
Other work includes: developing and analyzing future scenarios; modeling transportation networks; exploring possible investment strategies; articulating visions, policies, and goals; consulting with the public; and applying MPO project selection criteria. These activities will provide the MPO with the information needed to move toward the LRTP’s 2040 vision for the region and to choose a set of projects and programs to accomplish it. The LRTP will be informed by a public outreach process that will elicit input from municipal, state, and federal officials, interest groups, regional organizations, and the public, with special efforts made to reach those who may not usually take part in the metropolitan transportation-planning process.
There are several tasks and many subtasks required for successful completion of this work.
This task involves updating the Needs Assessment that was prepared as part of the current LRTP. It includes collecting current data, incorporating it into the tables and databases, and analyzing it to identify changes that have occurred since the earlier assessment and to understand trends in the region. A new Web-based edition of the Needs Assessment (partially developed in FFY 2013) will house the updated information.
The original Needs Assessment was a static, printed document outlining the needs of the region as a whole and by corridors. The Web-based edition will be interactive. There are important benefits to this approach. The MPO will continue to extract information from the Needs Assessment for use in choosing projects and programs for the LRTP; however, data management to support this process will be streamlined through the use of databases that are updated as new information becomes available, and will be displayed for use by the public.
The Web-based approach to reporting on regional needs will also allow the MPO to keep the document current. In addition, this work will provide the information needed to launch the tracking of performance measures and the MPO’s performance-based planning practices. Finally, the Web-based edition will allow any website visitor to select certain data from the foundation database for their own planning purposes.
Staff will identify newly available data from state- and CTPS-managed databases. This includes information from the Congestion Management Process (CMP) work (information provided in a separate work program) and other studies conducted for the MPO and other transportation agencies.
The data collected will be in several categories of use: information that will be used for tracking performance measures and targets; information identified as measures for understanding trends; and other information included in the original edition of the Needs Assessment for which updates will provide an improved understanding of needs in the region.
Travel-demand modeling work will be required as part of this task. A new base year (2012) will be established, using the MPO’s regional travel demand model set, which is currently being developed to incorporate information gathered from a statewide household survey (this work is being performed under a separate work program). Model runs will be required to establish no-build conditions for the 2040 forecast year of the LRTP. The previous Needs Assessment used a 2009 base year and a 2030 No-Build scenario.
These data will be used to establish the baseline for the MPO’s performance measurement process. Other information will be used to understand changes and trends.
The newly collected data will be reviewed by staff and the subsequent analyses will explore the extent of changes and their implications for the region’s transportation network and land use. Staff will use this information to discuss changes and trends with the MPO and the public. Using performance measures that will be established by the MPO (see Task 2), staff will be able to assess the progress toward reaching the MPO’s visions for the region.
New data will be incorporated into a Web-based edition of the Needs Assessment. This will involve developing introductory and summary text, tables, maps, and charts. It will also require the preparation of informational materials for the MPO and the public.
Under MAP-21, the MPO is required to develop and use performance measures in its planning process and decision making. Staff has this work well underway. This task will allow staff to continue this work and will produce an initial set of performance measures. Staff will also construct a framework for using the measures in evaluations of its investment program performance and in its planning for future investments, to attain a performance-based planning practice. This work will be informed by federal guidance when issued, and will be coordinated with MassDOT’s and the MBTA’s work on the development of performance measures.
The MPO adopted visions and policies that have guided the evaluation of projects and programs in past LRTPs, TIPs, and UPWPs, as well as other MPO work. They will again be used in the development of performance measures. Staff will be recommending performance measures that are focused on clear goals. To support this, staff are recommending simplifying the visions and policies to correspond with the streamlined nature of the performance measures.
Staff will continue its research and development of performance measures to correspond with the MPO’s LRTP vision and policy categories. It will reach consensus on its recommendations for which performance measures should be adopted and will prepare a memorandum explaining the process and reasoning behind the recommendations. The memorandum will also explain how the MPO will use the performance measures.
As part of this research, information will be gathered on the development of the state’s performance measures, and staff will incorporate it into its recommendations. The development of performance measures will be an ongoing process, with new information incorporated as it becomes available.
Throughout this process, staff will lead a series of discussions with the MPO on performance measures, the staff recommendations, and the process to be implemented in the MPO’s performance-based planning. Staff will ask for guidance and concurrence from the MPO as part of all discussions.
Staff will develop the vehicles and formats that will house, organize, manage, and present the performance measurement data. The formats used will be determined by the informational materials to be produced and the analysis needs of the performance-based planning work. Staff will then assemble the data.
Performance-based planning is an ongoing, systematic method that uses data to set targets for improvement and to measure performance against those targets. The planning process evaluates and tracks outcomes, and reports on the effectiveness of the MPO’s investments in reaching the national, state, and regional goals.
All tasks outlined below, as is the case for many of the tasks in this entire work program, will involve ongoing and often detailed consultation with the MPO with the goal of creating agreement and policy on the MPO performance-based planning practices.
Staff will review the current criteria used for project selection in the 3C (certification) documents and make recommendations for revisions to the criteria that are consistent with the performance measures identified in Tasks 1 and 2, as needed.
Staff will use the available data collected in Tasks 1 and 2 for each of the performance measure areas to document the existing conditions in the region’s transportation system. These will become the MPO’s baselines in each of the performance measurement areas.
Working from the baselines and applying the national and state goals and the MPO’s visions, staff will develop recommended targets in each of the performance measurement areas. Staff will consider the availability of data and will also account for the possibility that some information may be qualitative. Time frames for the targets will be established for each performance measure.
Staff will develop recommendations for strategies to reach these targets. Once adopted by the MPO, these will be used to guide MPO investments.
This will include using the tools and formats for assembling and managing data that were discussed in Subtask 2.2. Staff will begin gathering data and developing tools and formats for the assembly, analysis, and reporting of the data.
Staff will prepare memoranda explaining how the performance-based planning process will be implemented to guide MPO decision making on programming funding. These memoranda will build on a previously prepared memorandum that documented the development of the performance measures. The new memoranda will provide the national, state, and MPO goals and policy frameworks. They will discuss plans and schedules for monitoring the performance of the projects and/or system, the methods for evaluating progress, and the reporting of the data.
Based on work completed in Task 1, including documentation of the current transportation system, future projection of the system using a 2040 No-Build scenario, and identification of needs, the MPO will develop additional transportation networks for analysis. These networks will be informed and shaped by public input, the visions, policies, and goals of the MPO, information from data collected and summarized in Task 1, and projections of future transportation revenues.
Federal regulations require that the LRTP demonstrate that proposed transportation projects and programs have currently available sources of revenue. The starting point for projections will be the extrapolation of current revenue sources. In addition to these traditional revenue sources, staff will research and document possible nontraditional revenue streams. This information will be used to ensure that the LRTP is financially constrained to available resources.
The MPO will review the needs identified as part of the Needs Assessment in Task 1 and the Universe of Projects and Programs List compiled as part of the Paths to a Sustainable Region LRTP and its amendments. Staff will then add projects and programs that have been identified through the development of the Transportation Improvement Program, the MBTA’s Capital Investment Program, CMP analysis, the You Move Massachusetts and We Move Massachusetts processes, and special studies. This information will be reviewed with members of the public through the MPO’s public outreach program. It is from this list that the recommended list of projects and programs for the new LRTP will be chosen.
The MPO will define two transportation networks, each of which will be modeled and analyzed with two 2040 alternative land-use projections developed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) using the new land-use model. The selection of projects, programs, and strategies for inclusion in the transportation networks will be drawn from the Needs Assessment and the Universe of Projects and Programs List. They will be evaluated on how likely they are to meet performance targets to advance the MPO’s policies and visions using applicable criteria, including:
Transit projects will also be judged using the above criteria, plus:
Additional priorities will be reviewed, including:
Cost will also be considered.
Each network could advance a separate theme, seeking to maximize particular benefits. Examples of themes might be Addressing Climate Change, or Increasing Mobility, or System Preservation.
The networks will be financially constrained to projections of available revenue, as developed in Subtask 4.1. This work scope assumes that there will be two separate land use assumptions and two separate transportation networks. Modeling and analysis will be performed for each of the two networks for 2040 Build conditions with each of the two land use assumptions.
After reviewing the results of Subtask 4.3, the MPO will choose the preferred land use projections. These projections will be used in the selection of the recommended LRTP projects and programs, the environmental justice analysis, and air quality analysis performed in Subtasks 4.5, 4.6, 5.1, and 5.2.
An environmental justice analysis will be conducted on the 2040 No-Build and Build networks using the preferred land-use projections. Results using mobility, congestion, and accessibility performance measures for trips from target environmental justice areas to selected destinations will be estimated. The target communities will have been established in the MPO’s ongoing environmental justice (transportation equity) work (included in a separate work program).
A greenhouse gas analysis will be conducted on the 2040 No-Build and Build networks using the preferred land-use projections. Carbon dioxide emissions will be estimated and used in making project, program, and land use decisions.
The staff will review the results of the model runs with the MPO. Once approved, this information will be released for public review to solicit input before the recommended set of projects is selected. Public review will include meetings with the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, environmental justice advocates, MPO subregions, and the general public. Outreach will also be conducted through the MPO’s newsletter (TRANSreport), listserv, and website.
Comments from the public will be summarized for the MPO to help members select the recommended list of projects and programs using the criteria presented in Subtask 4.3, in addition to results from the regional travel model (including greenhouse gas analysis and environmental justice results) and comments from the public.
The Circulation Draft LRTP will incorporate previous work products and will include visions and policies for the region and a recommended list of projects and programs constrained to revenues outlined in the LRTP. The recommended list of projects, with their preferred land uses, will be analyzed using the MPO’s environmental justice and climate change criteria. The projects and programs will also be tested for air quality conformity. All documentation necessary for showing compliance with federal regulations will be provided to the appropriate agencies.
The recommended list of projects and programs chosen in Subtask 4.8 will be analyzed using the MPO’s environmental justice criteria. The draft recommended 2040 Build network will be compared to the 2040 No-Build network to ensure that the recommended projects provide comparable benefits to the target environmental justice areas and non-target areas in the MPO region.
An air quality conformity determination will be performed to ensure that the draft recommended list of projects and programs complies with all applicable air quality standards. The years 2020, 2030, and 2040 will be used for modeling various scenarios for the LRTP, with 2020 and 2030 as interim analysis years, and 2040 as the forecast year of the LRTP. Although not part of the conformity determination, an analysis of greenhouse gas emissions (for example carbon dioxide and methane.) will also be done to provide information for MassDOT’s GreenDOT Implementation Plan.
At the direction of the MPO, staff will prepare the Circulation Draft LRTP. This LRTP will contain the results of all previous work products, including changes made as a result of public input. This LRTP will include:
Staff will present the Circulation Draft LRTP to the MPO for review, modification, and approval for circulation to the general public. The public outreach for the Circulation Draft LRTP will be funded under another work program (3C Planning and MPO Support).
The Circulation Draft LRTP will be presented to the public via placement on the MPO website and distribution of materials in other formats upon request. An executive summary will be prepared and used for discussions with the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, environmental justice advocates, the MAPC subregions, and members of the general public. Notices will be sent to members of these entities. A notice will appear in the MPO’s newsletter, TRANSreport, and notices of the LRTP’s availability will be sent to newspapers and to recipients of the MPO’s email listserve.
Shortly after distribution of the circulation draft, public workshops will be held to solicit input from members of the public. These meetings will be attended by members of the MPO as well as by MPO staff.
All comments received, including those made at the public meetings, will be summarized for the MPO to help members in their deliberations prior to adopting an LRTP.
After the public review process for the Circulation Draft LRTP, the Boston Region MPO will endorse an LRTP for the years 2016 through 2040. This LRTP will serve as the source document for projects and work programs in future Transportation Improvement Programs and Unified Planning Work Programs.
An LRTP for the Boston Region MPO area with an Air Quality Conformity Determination and Environmental Justice Analysis
Throughout the course of the year, requests for information associated with the LRTP or for information that was developed during the LRTP process are received from MPO members, a variety of transportation and planning agencies’ staffs, and the public.
Responses to information requests.
The MPO staff is aware that there are constant innovations in planning practices and changes in federal guidance. The staff keeps current on best practices in LRTP planning and explores, discusses, and proposes options to bring into the MPO’s planning practice.
This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work program will be completed throughout the 24 months of FFY 2014 and 2015. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.
The total cost of this project for FFY 2014 is estimated to be $300,192. The budget for FFY 2015 will be developed in April of 2014 during the development of the FFY 2015 Unified Planning Work Program, after the MPO has become involved in the scenario-planning process for the LRTP. It is expected that during FFY 2014, work will be completed on Task 1 through Task 3 and work will be underway on Tasks 4 and 5. All work on Task 6 will occur during FFY 2015, and work on Tasks 7 and 8 will be ongoing throughout both years of the project. The FFY 2014 cost includes the cost of 108.6 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 97.42 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated FFY 2014 costs is presented in Exhibit 2.
KQ/AM/am
Task |
Month | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | |
|
1.
Update Needs Assessment |
From month 1 to 9.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
2.
Develop Performance Measures |
From month 1 to 17.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
3.
Incorporate Performance-Based Planning |
From month 1 to 17.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
4.
Develop Alternative Future Scenarios |
From month 9 to 14.
From month 17 to 21.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
5.
Develop and Circulate a Draft LRTP |
From month 9 to 22.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
6.
Adopt a Final LRTP |
From month 22 to 25.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
7.
Respond to Requests for Information |
From month 1 to 25.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
8.
Maintain Best Practices |
From month 1 to 25.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Deliverable , delivered by Month 1
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Task |
Person-Weeks | Direct Salary |
Overhead (97.42%) |
Total Cost |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | P-5 | P-4 | P-3 | P-2 | Temp | Total | ||||
|
1.
Update Needs Assessment
|
0.0 | 24.0 | 7.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 39.0 | $56,125 | $54,677 | $110,803 |
|
2.
Develop Performance Measures
|
2.0 | 13.5 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 28.5 | $38,415 | $37,423 | $75,838 |
|
3.
Incorporate Performance-Based Planning
|
3.0 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 18.0 | $24,369 | $23,741 | $48,110 |
|
4.
Develop Alternative Future Scenarios
|
2.0 | 9.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 20.0 | $29,100 | $28,349 | $57,449 |
|
5.
Develop and Circulate a Draft LRTP
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | $00 | $00 | $00 |
|
6.
Adopt a Final LRTP
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | $00 | $00 | $00 |
|
7.
Respond to Requests for Information
|
0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | $1,377 | $1,341 | $2,718 |
|
8.
Maintain Best Practices
|
0.2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.1 | $2,672 | $2,603 | $5,274 |
|
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | $00 | $00 | $00 |
|
Total
|
7.2 | 54.5 | 13.5 | 22.4 | 3.0 | 8.0 | 108.6 | $152,057 | $148,134 | $300,192 |