Technical Memorandum

DATE:     December 18, 2014]

TO:         Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM:    Karl Quackenbush, Executive Director, MPO Staff

RE:          Work Plans for: Federal Fiscal Year 2015 Certification Activities 

            Background

The federal government requires that each Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) conduct a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation-planning process (3C process) to be eligible for federal funds. To be continuing, the process must be underway all year long, not sporadically. To be comprehensive, it must consider the activities of the many agencies and entities involved in transportation planning in the MPO region, as well as the transportation needs identified by all parties interested in MPO decisions. Finally, to be cooperative, the process must invite public participation, and conduct planning and decision making with an open, collaborative approach.

 

The purpose of the 3C process is to guide and support MPO information gathering and decision making related to the policies and programming of federal transportation funds. Because the MPOs must conduct 3C work to remain certified to receive these funds, activities conducted by the MPO staff to comply with 3C requirements and guidance are called “certification activities.”

 

Primary among the 3C requirements is the production of three major certification documents:

• Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) - Guides investment across all transportation modes at least 20 years into the future; is updated every four years.
• Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) - Identifies transportation projects that will be funded during the next four years; is updated annually.
• Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) - Describes the transportation planning projects that will be conducted in the region during a given federal fiscal year; is updated annually.

 

In addition, MPO staff complete a number of other activities in the 3C process that support production of the certification documents and the general operation of the MPO, including:

• 3C Planning and MPO Support
  • Support to the MPO and its Committees
  • Planning Topics
  • Subregional Outreach - General
  • Regional Transportation Advisory Committee Support
  • TRANSreport
  • Public Participation Process
  • Professional Development
  • General Graphics
• Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities
• Boston Region MPO Title VI Reporting
• Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support

            Objectives

In a continuing effort to improve project management, increase transparency and accountability, and more fully describe work that will be undertaken to meet the MPO’s goals, staff have prepared work plans for all of the activities listed above for federal fiscal year 2015.

 

In developing these work plans, staff have been careful to include tasks that are required in order to comply with the current federal surface transportation funding authorization, MAP-21 (the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act), and other federal and state regulations and guidance. The work plans also include activities that the MPO has directed staff to conduct in the past or that reflect MPO priorities and preferences.

 

The MPO will review and provide direction to staff throughout the year on many of the elements of the 3C program; and staff will update and report results to the MPO, and seek its concurrence on these ongoing programs.

 

This document is a cover memorandum to accompany concurrent transmittal of the above-cited work plans (with the exception of the LRTP) to the MPO. A two-year work program for the LRTP was approved by the MPO on October 17, 2013. Although this program described the tasks to be completed during both FFY 2014 and FFY 2015, the schedule and cost exhibits only covered FFY 2014. Therefore, the FFY 2015 LRTP schedule and cost exhibits also are transmitted under this cover. The already-approved LRTP work program is included for your information.

 

            KQ/PDW/pdw

            Encl.

Memorandum

Date       December 18, 2014

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM      Karl H. Quackenbush
CTPS Executive Director

RE            Work Plan for: Transportation Improvement Program: FFY 2015

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

10103

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Pam Wolfe

Manager: Sean Pfalzer

Funding

MPO Planning Contract #84053

MPO §5303 Contracts #78922 and #84080

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

The 3C process requires many activities that are necessary for the MPO to maintain its certification. Primary among these are production of the three major certification documents:

• Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which guides investment across all transportation modes at least 20 years into the future, updated every four years
• Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which identifies the transportation projects that will be funded during the next four years, updated annually
• Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), which describes the transportation-planning projects that will be conducted in the region during a given federal fiscal year, is updated annually

This work plan focuses primarily on development of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2016–19, but also covers activities associated with ongoing changes to the TIP development process and amendments and administrative modifications of the FFYs 2015–18 TIP, which is the active document during FFY 2015. An integral part of developing the TIP is engaging the public throughout the process. Some of the public participation activities for the TIP are covered in the 3C Planning and MPO Support program.

Objectives

The MPO staff will work to develop a TIP that:

1. Maintains compliance with federal regulations and requirements
2. Implements the vision and policies of the MPO and the program of projects identified in the Long-Range Transportation Plan
3. Enhances decision making for transportation projects in the region with a transparent, inclusive, and data-driven process
4. Integrates frequently updated information from the MPO, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) divisions, municipal TIP Contacts, members of the general public, and MPO staff
5. Develops a state-of-the-practice set of data resources and instruments for collecting, storing, and analyzing data to inform decision making

Work Description

This work plan describes the tasks that will be completed in FFY 2015 to ensure that the TIP is conducted in compliance with all aspects of the “Continuing, Cooperative, and Comprehensive” (3C) transportation-planning process and meets the objectives stated above.

Task 1  Track and Analyze Performance Measures

Under the current federal surface-transportation funding authorization, known as MAP-21 (the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act), each MPO must establish performance measures and link transportation investment decisions to the achievement of performance goals. The TIP will need to demonstrate that transportation projects funded in the TIP are making progress toward the achievement of the MPO’s performance goals. Currently, the MPO is solidifying its goals and objectives and identifying associated performance measures as part of the next Long-Range Transportation Plan, Charting Progress to 2040, which will guide future investment decisions.

In the FFY 2015 TIP document, MPO staff will report on progress toward desired performance outcomes, and will monitor past trends across performance measures and document which TIP investments have improved performance.

To assess how well TIP projects are achieving the MPO's safety goal, staff will track traffic fatalities and serious injuries in the Boston region to determine whether crash severity is declining for all users. MPO staff will also document how current MPO investments are making progress toward achieving the safety goal. Lastly, MPO staff will analyze these trends to identify users, locations, or facility types that require greater consideration by the MPO when making future investment decisions. Where progress toward the safety goal is lagging, staff will identify possible factors and will develop strategies to address them. This may result in proposed updates to the TIP evaluation criteria. For example, if safety needs are not being addressed, staff will examine the TIP evaluation criteria to determine whether safety considerations should be weighted more heavily.

Product of Task 1

Updated and Expanded Chapter 4: Tracking and Demonstrating Progress Using Performance Measures of the FFYs 2016–19 TIP

Task 2  Conduct the Development Process of the FFYs 2016–19 TIP

Each year, the MPO conducts a TIP development process to decide how to spend federal surface-transportation funds for capital projects. The MPO staff coordinates the collection of project requests, evaluates project requests, proposes the programming of current and new projects based on anticipated funding levels, supports the MPO in its decision making about programming and in the development of a draft TIP document, and facilitates public review of the draft document before the MPO endorses the final TIP.

During development of the TIP, staff will make frequent presentations to the MPO on the TIP development schedule, subregional outreach, project evaluation results, public comments, and the staff recommendation of TIP projects.

Subtask 2.1 Conduct Outreach and Update the Interactive Database

MPO staff will communicate with the 101 cities and towns in its region to compile a list of priority projects that will be considered for federal funding. Outreach work will consist of conducting two TIP-Development Sessions, attending the MAPC subregional monthly meetings, and corresponding with municipal TIP Contacts and chief elected officials. Many of the public participation activities for the TIP are discussed and are funded as part of the 3C Planning and Support to the MPO program.

MPO staff will compile the project funding requests and relevant information provided by project proponents into a Universe of Projects list for the MPO. The Universe of Projects list consists of all of the projects that are being advanced for possible funding, and includes projects that are in the conceptual stage, as well as those that are fully designed and ready to be advertised for construction.

Based on the list of project-funding requests, MPO staff will compile and update information on each project for the TIP Interactive Database. Data inputs and updates will consist of mapping the project boundaries, inventorying pavement conditions, documenting the extent of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, compiling crash information, documenting traffic volumes, calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts, and compiling other background information. This year, MPO staff will also incorporate congestion measures that are based on INRIX data to identify the corridors that have reliability issues. The data are derived from state-agency databases, CTPS-managed databases, and functional design reports that have been submitted to MassDOT. These inputs provide key information for TIP evaluations.

Subtask 2.2 Evaluate Projects

The MPO uses TIP project evaluation criteria to identify projects that will help the region attain the goals established by the LRTP vision: maintain a state of good repair, focus investments on existing activity centers, improve mobility for people and freight, reduce the level of GHG emissions, minimize environmental burdens from transportation facilities on low-income and minority populations, and provide safe transportation for all transportation modes.

Using the TIP evaluation criteria, MPO staff will evaluate projects within the Universe of Projects list that have a functional design report. The evaluation results will be posted on the MPO’s website to allow project proponents to review the ratings and provide feedback. MPO staff will consider the feedback and revise the evaluations as needed.

Subtask 2.3 Prepare a Staff Recommendation

Staff will develop a recommendation that proposes how to prioritize the MPO’s Regional Target funding. MPO staff will first prepare a First-Tier List of Projects using the results of the evaluation ratings and project readiness information. This list includes the highest-rated projects that could be made ready for advertising within the TIP’s four-year time frame. MPO staff rely on the MassDOT Highway Division to provide information about the year in which a project is expected to be ready for advertising, and use that information to develop the staff recommendation, giving strong consideration to the First-Tier List of Projects. In addition to project ratings and project readiness, MPO staff will also consider projects that are listed in the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) in order to implement the LRTP, weigh geographic equity to help ensure that the list of projects addresses needs throughout the region, and account for cost to attain fiscal constraint.

In addition to preparing a staff recommendation that proposes how to prioritize the Regional Target funding, MPO staff will also prepare and present the Statewide Infrastructure Items and Bridge Programs, and the capital programs for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Cape Ann Transportation Authority (CATA), and the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) for the MPO’s consideration. The MPO will review, discuss, and take action on the proposed investments in the draft TIP.

Subtask 2.4 Prepare Draft and Final TIP Documents

Based on Subtask 2.3, staff will prepare a draft TIP, which will be released for a 30-day public review and comment period. During the public comment period, MPO staff will compile and summarize comments on the draft TIP and will relay the comments to the MPO for their consideration.

At the end of the 30-day public review period, and after the MPO has considered all of the comments it has received, staff will seek the MPO’s endorsement of the final TIP document, which will include the following elements:

• Detailed information on the projects programmed in each federal fiscal year
• A summary of the process by which projects are evaluated for inclusion in the TIP
• Information about the status of the projects that had been programmed in the previous fiscal year
• A list of the universe of projects from which the programmed projects were selected
• An air quality conformity determination to ensure that the set of projects chosen would not negatively impact air quality in the region.

After the final TIP has been endorsed, staff will prepare written responses to the comments received during the public comment period and at the MPO meeting at which the TIP was endorsed.

Products of Task 2

• Correspondence with municipal CEOs and TIP Contacts
• Updated Project Funding Application Forms for the TIP Interactive Database
• TIP GIS layers
• Table of project evaluation results
• First-Tier List of Projects
• Staff recommendation for Regional Target funding
• Updates of statewide and transit project funding
• Public comment matrices (tables)
• Responses to comments
• Draft and final TIP documents

Task 3  Modify the FFYs 2015–18 TIP

The TIP is a dynamic document; there are typically many occasions throughout the year when projects experience cost or schedule changes. These changes require an amendment or administrative modification to the TIP. The staff estimates that as many as six amendments and/or administrative modifications to the TIP will be made during FFY 2015.

For proposed TIP amendments, MPO staff will collect information on the projects involved, the changes needed, and the reasons for the changes. Staff will prepare draft TIP tables that reflect the proposed changes and indicate the reasons for the changes. Staff will brief the MPO on the proposed changes to the TIP. The MPO will review and discuss the proposed changes, and will take appropriate action related to a possible public review of the proposed changes.

MPO staff will manage all public review processes related to TIP amendments and administrative modifications, including the posting of TIP materials on the website. Proposed amendments are typically released for a 30-day public review and comment period, during which staff will compile and summarize comments on the proposed amendment. MPO staff will relay public comments to the MPO for its consideration prior to the vote to endorse the TIP amendment.

Products of Task 3

Draft and final TIP Amendments

Task 4  Identify Opportunities to Improve the TIP Document and Process

Staff always seek to improve the information and analysis provided to the MPO so that decisions can be made in a well-informed manner. In the coming federal fiscal year, staff will review municipal participation in the TIP development process, stay updated on new state and federal policies, and continue to research the best practices of other MPOs. Staff will also follow the implementation guidance of MAP-21 and will modify MPO practices accordingly. Other topics will be researched, as needed.

Estimated Schedule

This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2015. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $174,400. This includes the cost of 69.8 person weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 91.82 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/PW/sp

Memorandum

Date       December 18, 2014

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM      Karl H. Quackenbush
CTPS Executive Director

RE            Work Plan for: Unified Planning Work Program: FFY 2015

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

10104

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Pam Wolfe

Manager: Michelle Scott

Funding

MPO Planning Contract #84053

MPO §5303 Contracts #78922 and #84080

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

The 3C (continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive) transportation-planning process requires that MPOs produce three certification documents: the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). The UPWP has two main purposes:

• It provides information to government officials, local communities, and the general public about surface-transportation-planning projects expected to be undertaken in the Boston Region MPO area.
• It provides 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.

The UPWP document includes descriptions and budgets for work that MPO staff will conduct during the upcoming federal fiscal year, including both 3C-funded work for the MPO and work on transportation-planning projects that is funded by state agencies or other entities. The UPWP also provides supplementary information about other transportation-planning activities in the region that are not funded by the MPO or conducted by MPO staff. The federal government requires that the UPWP comply with federal regulations and address the focus areas recommended by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Work on the UPWP is ongoing and is under way year-round. This work plan focuses on two major activities:

1. Development of the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2016 UPWP
2. Support for members of the MPO’s UPWP Committee in monitoring FFY 2015 UPWP implementation and in considering adjustments and amendments

An integral part of developing the UPWP is engaging the public throughout the process. The public outreach process for the UPWP is covered as part of the 3C Planning and MPO Support program.

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) also provides content for the UPWP, which details MAPC’s 3C-funded projects. MAPC’s participation is funded through its allocation of federal transportation-planning funding.

Objectives

Two objectives direct the UPWP development and monitoring activities.

1. Maintain compliance with federal regulations and requirements
2. Create a framework of planning processes and activities that support the MPO’s achievement of its visions and policies

Work Description

Work related to developing and supporting implementation of the UPWP is conducted on an ongoing basis and in compliance with all aspects of the 3C transportation-planning process.

Task 1  Establish the FFY 2016 UPWP Development Framework

Subtask 1.1 Identify Key Themes for UPWP Development

At the outset of the UPWP process, MPO staff will review available federal guidance on the UPWP and on the focus areas defined by federal agencies. Staff will also coordinate with each other to identify any key themes or needs—such as data or analysis products—that should be addressed in the UPWP to support MPO priorities for FFY 2016. Staff will be attentive to new goals and objectives developed as part of the MPO’s new Long-Range Transportation Plan, as well as to developments in the MPO’s performance-based planning practice and its information needs.

Subtask 1.2 Update UPWP Criteria

MPO staff will review and update, as necessary, the UPWP criteria that support the MPO’s process for selecting new transportation-planning projects. These criteria are based on MPO visions and policies, federal focus areas, and other state and regional planning priorities. MPO staff and members of the UPWP committee will review the updates.

Product of Task 1

Documentation of updates to UPWP criteria

Task 2  Develop the FFY 2016 Universe of Proposed New Projects

Subtask 2.1 Develop Project Proposals

MPO staff will draw from both internal and external sources for project proposals for the UPWP, including public input received during the development of the FFY 2016 UPWP document. MPO staff will also develop project proposals based on key themes, the content of major planning documents, and other staff-identified needs. To support this activity, staff will develop one or more internal memoranda to guide the development of project proposals.

MPO staff will also request input on project proposal suggestions: 1) at meetings of MAPC subregional groups, 2) at MPO TIP- and UPWP-Development Sessions, and 3) through consultations with Boston-area transportation agencies. These outreach activities will be funded as part of the 3C Planning and MPO Support program. The UPWP budget will support the development of informational materials for outreach activities.

Subtask 2.2 Develop Document for the Universe of Proposed New Projects (and updates)

The UPWP’s Universe of proposed new transportation-planning projects for MPO consideration is in a document that includes project descriptions, estimated costs, and notes and comments. Over time, staff will add additional proposed projects to this document, along with additional research findings and content reflecting comments from members of the MPO, the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, and members of the general public.

Subtask 2.3 Rate Project Proposals

MPO staff will conduct qualitative reviews of the proposals for transportation-planning projects utilizing the UPWP criteria described in Subtask 1.2. Project ratings determined through these reviews will be incorporated into the UPWP Universe of Proposed New Projects document. Additional refinements to project descriptions may be made as part of this rating process.

Products of Task 2

• Universe of Proposed New Projects document
• One or more internal memoranda to staff to support development of the Universe of Proposed New Projects document

Task 3  Develop FFY 2016 UPWP Project and Program Updates, Budgets, and Recommendations

Subtask 3.1 Update Project Descriptions and Develop Proposed FFY 2016

Budget

The UPWP funds ongoing programs and discrete projects that will continue from FFY 2015 into FFY 2016.1 MPO staff will carry out several activities to collect information on the status of these projects:

• MPO staff will gather information on the status and schedules of all active projects, and all work products that are expected to be completed by the end of FFY 2015. This information will be documented in a draft UPWP chapter that describes the status of the FFY 2015 UPWP.
• MPO staff will update project descriptions of ongoing programs, and of discrete projects that are underway and will continue into FFY 2016. Staff will identify changes or additions to these projects and their work products. These will be documented in FFY 2015 UPWP chapters that contain project descriptions (a draft of those chapters will be produced in this subtask).

MPO staff will receive information from the FHWA and FTA, via the Massachusetts Department of Transportation that will detail the levels of 3C (metropolitan planning) funding for FFY 2016. They will also receive updated contract information for projects that are funded by other entities. Using this financial information and the information on the needs of the ongoing programs and discrete projects that will continue into FFY 2016, staff will develop a proposed budget for the FFY 2016 UPWP. Through this process, MPO staff will identify the 3C funds available for new discrete planning projects.

Subtask 3.2 Develop Recommendation of New Projects for FFY 2016

MPO staff will develop a staff recommendation for new FFY 2016 transportation-planning projects. These recommendations will be based on several factors, which include but are not limited to:

• Information included in the FFY 2016 UPWP Universe of Proposed New Projects, including proposed project ratings
• Guidance from UPWP Committee members
• Consistency with the MPO’s vision and policies, as outlined in the current Long-Range Transportation Plan, Paths to a Sustainable Region; the goals and objectives being proposed for the new Long-Range Transportation Plan, Charting Progress to 2040; federal guidance; and other key themes identified for the UPWP
• Geographic equity2

MPO staff will then produce documents and presentations for the UPWP Committee that describe the staff recommendation for new transportation-planning projects and the proposed FFY 2016 UPWP budget. The UPWP Committee will consider the staff recommendation and, based on it, will develop the UPWP Committee’s recommendation to the MPO. Staff will then document the recommendation, including updated project descriptions and costs, as directed by the Committee, and will present it to the MPO for consideration. After MPO discussion, MPO staff will complete drafts of the FFY 2016 UPWP chapters that contain project descriptions.

Products of Task 3

• Proposed FFY 2016 UPWP budget documents
• Presentations and documents detailing the recommendations of MPO staff and the UPWP Committee for the FFY 2016 UPWP
• Draft chapters that describe the status of FFY 2015 projects and the projects that will be carried out in FFY 2016

Task 4  Develop the FFY 2016 UPWP Document

Subtask 4.1 Develop the Remaining Components of the Draft FFY 2016 UPWP

MPO staff will create drafts of all of the chapters that were not done in Task 3 and the appendices of the FFY 2016 UPWP. This activity may include developing materials that respond to specific federal guidance. Drafts of these materials will be submitted to the MPO for approval for public circulation.

Upon MPO approval, staff will summarize the FFY 2016 UPWP budget in text and in table formats and will incorporate this and all other draft UPWP materials into the draft FFY 2016 UPWP for public review.

Subtask 4.2 Conduct Public Outreach and Respond to Feedback

After receiving MPO approval, MPO staff will post the document for public review on the MPO website and implement the public outreach process (funded via the 3C Planning and MPO Support program). During the public review period, staff will develop materials and give presentations at MPO workshops and other events in order to discuss the draft document and gather input.

Throughout this outreach period, MPO staff will provide updates to the UPWP Committee and the MPO on the public feedback received. After the close of the comment period, MPO staff will summarize the written and verbal comments and will propose MPO responses, which the UPWP Committee and MPO will review. After the public feedback has been considered, the UPWP document will be modified as necessary, and the responses will be sent to the commenters.

Subtask 4.3 Finalize the UPWP Document

MPO staff will incorporate the public comments, the MPO’s responses to the comments, and a summary of project schedules and staff assignments into the UPWP prior to the MPO’s vote to endorse the document. MPO staff may make additional formatting and editing adjustments prior to distributing the endorsed document. MPO staff will ultimately transmit the document to the FHWA and FTA and make it available to the public on the MPO’s website.

Products of Task 4

• Draft UPWP Chapters for MPO decision making
• Draft FFY 2016 UPWP
• A table documenting public comments and the MPO’s responses
• Draft FFY 2016 UPWP
• Correspondence to commenters on public comments

Task 5  Manage FFY 2015 UPWP Changes

The MPO may need to make changes to the FFY 2015 UPWP in response to federal guidance or requirements or other factors, such as changes in project budgets. Under these circumstances, MPO staff will produce a memorandum and supporting documentation on the proposed changes to the UPWP, and will submit it to the UPWP Committee.

Staff will coordinate all of the meetings that are related to the UPWP and will develop materials, as needed, to support UPWP Committee and MPO discussions on changes to the UPWP. In the case of UPWP amendments, staff will support the public review and summarize public comments for the MPO, and submit the endorsed amendments to the FHWA and FTA for final approval.

Products of Task 5

Presentation materials and documentation of proposed changes to the UPWP

Task 6  Support Ongoing Coordination between MPO staff, the UPWP

           Committee, and the MPO

The MPO’s UPWP Committee provides guidance to MPO staff in the implementation of the UPWP and either takes action or makes recommendations to MPO members on UPWP-related decisions.

• The UPWP Committee will meet on a quarterly basis to review and discuss the status of FFY 2015 UPWP project spending, scheduling, and staff assignments. MPO staff will prepare materials to support these discussions and any decisions being sought.
• The UPWP Committee will meet several times during FFY 2015 to provide guidance and make recommendations on FFY 2016 UPWP development, as described in the above tasks.

In addition to coordinating with the UPWP Committee, staff will keep the MPO briefed on UPWP development and implementation.

For each of the above meetings, staff will schedule meeting times and locations and develop agendas and meeting summaries. Staff will develop presentations and meeting materials, as needed, to support discussions and decision making. Staff will work closely with the UPWP Committee chairperson on all of the UPWP development, monitoring, and staff activities that support the UPWP Committee.

Products of Task 6

• Presentation materials and documentation for UPWP Committee and MPO briefings and discussions
• Agendas and meeting summaries

Task 7  Identify Opportunities to Improve the UPWP Document and Process

MPO staff will research opportunities to improve the UPWP document and process on an ongoing basis. Examples of these research activities include:1) reviewing the UPWPs produced by other MPOs, which could inform improvements to the Boston Region MPO’s UPWP activities, 2) tracking planning trends that may inform future UPWP planning projects, 3) responding to new practices in LRTP, TIP, and Congestion Management Process (CMP) development, and 4) investigating new planning tools and data.

Products of Task 7

Documentation of research activities or proposals for improving the UPWP process or document

Estimated Schedule

This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2015. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $102,173. This includes the cost of 41.1 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 91.82 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/MS/ms

Memorandum

Date       December 18, 2014

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM:     Karl H. Quackenbush,
CTPS Executive Director

RE            Work Plan for: 3C Planning and MPO Support

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Numbers

90011 and 90090

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Elizabeth Moore

Manager: Pam Wolfe

Funding

MPO Planning Contract #84053

MPO §5303 Contracts #78922 and #84080

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

This work plan encompasses the following 3C activities, which support the federally mandated “continuing,” “cooperative,” and “comprehensive” transportation-planning process:

• Support to the MPO and its Committees
• Planning Topics
• Subregional Outreach
• Regional Transportation Advisory Council Support
• TRANSreport
• Public Participation Process
• Professional Development
• General Graphics

Objectives

There are four primary objectives of the 3C Planning and MPO Support program:

1. Maintain compliance with federal regulations and requirements
2. Plan and coordinate delivery of information to the MPO, agencies and other entities, and members of the public for decision making
3. Support and facilitate the operation of the MPO
4. Conduct the communication, management, and participation processes needed for success in this work

Work Description

Although there is much overlap among the various activities conducted by the MPO, the work described here supports the program management, planning, coordination, and general administration of the organization.

This work is conducted on an ongoing basis, in compliance with the continuing portion of the 3C process. In order to be fully inclusive, the work is performed in close communication and consultation with the MPO’s municipalities and with a broad base of agencies, organizations, interest groups, and individuals. The MPO posts and distributes extensive information related to transportation in the region and to the matters before the MPO for decision making. Being inclusive and open in this way, the MPO takes a fully cooperative stance, fulfilling the second precept of the 3C process. Finally, to be consistent with the comprehensive principle of the 3C process, this work covers all transportation modes, populations, and areas of the region and addresses their needs.

Task 1  Provide Support to the MPO and Its Committees

This task is focused on the day-to-day operations of the MPO. In addition to the specific tasks described below, staff will keep informed on federal requirements and national best practices for this work, incorporate them as appropriate, and prepare memoranda to brief the MPO on developments, if needed.

Subtask 1.1 Support MPO Operations

Staff will undertake numerous activities in this subtask:

• Prepare a schedule of Certification Activities for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2015 to ensure that the MPO can accomplish its 3C responsibilities
• Plan, prepare, and review materials for the MPO and for use in the 3C planning process
• Coordinate with and provide information requested by the MPO Chair, MassDOT’s Office of Transportation Planning, and MPO members
• Maintain the information flow for the MPO and the public
• Provide for compliance with federal requirements and regulations
• Support development, interpretation, and implementation of the MPO’s Memorandum of Understanding and the Boston Urbanized Area (UZA) Memorandum of Understanding
• Articulate MPO practices and protocols
• Manage the MPO’s recertification reviews and responses to federal recommendations in recertification reviews
• Maintain compliance with the state’s Open Meeting Law
• Answer questions from members of the MPO and the public
• Coordinate with other MPOs in the Boston Region Urbanized Area, as stipulated in the Boston UZA Memorandum of Understanding, and with other MPOs in the state

Subtask 1.2 Support MPO Meetings

The MPO meets twice a month. Staff will plan, attend, and provide support for all aspects of these meetings:

• Plan and prepare agendas in consultation with the MPO Chair
• Prepare materials for MPO meetings (including agendas and materials) and post them on the MPO’s website for use by MPO members and members of the public
• Prepare minutes
• Manage the follow-up for issues raised at meetings

In addition, staff will ensure that: all MPO meetings are held on or near public transportation routes; the venues are physically accessible to persons with disabilities; adequate amplification and assistive-listening devices are present for all meeting proceedings; MPO meeting materials are posted on its website in a screen-readable format; and meeting materials are provided in other accessible formats and in languages other than English, upon request. Staff will also ensure that these accommodations are made for all of the MPO-related meetings discussed in Tasks 1, 4, and 6 of this work plan.

Subtask 1.3 Support MPO Committees

The MPO currently has three committees: Administration and Finance, Congestion Management Process, and Unified Planning Work Program. The MPO may form additional committees to focus on other issues that the MPO believes are important. Staff working in this subtask will support the work of these committees by:

• Planning the work to be undertaken
• Coordinating committee meetings
• Reviewing the materials for presentation, discussion, and decision
• Reviewing agendas and meeting minutes
• Working with the MPO staff leading the committee work
• Attending and providing support for facilitating meetings and follow-up and the “next steps” for the committees’ work

Preparing meeting materials for committee meetings and coordinating and preparing for the meetings are tasks undertaken in other work scopes.

Products of Task 1

• Memoranda on changes that are made a result of new regulations, guidance, or standards, as needed
• Schedule of FFY 2015 Certification Activities
• Accessible meetings and materials
• UPWP Status Update table
• Print and/or electronic materials for MPO and committee meetings, including agendas, minutes, memoranda, reports, white papers, and flyers

Task 2  Prepare for and Support Recertification Review: FFY 2015

MPO staff will prepare for and support the MPO in the FFY 2015 federal recertification review. This will include preparing for the review sessions, responding to federal agency requests for information and documentation, creating printed and graphical materials for the reviewers, and developing and participating in presentations and discussions.

Products of Task 2

Certification Review Advance Materials report and copies of existing documents and other materials, as called for

Task 3  Research Planning Topics

This task allows MPO staff to study and keep current on planning topics that call for staff expertise or that may be highlighted or referenced in federal guidance but do not necessarily apply to an existing MPO project. Examples of these topics, past and current, are health impacts, freight transport, economic effects of transportation projects, and environmental issues.

As topics arise, staff will conduct research, often through contact with state agencies and municipalities, and will attend professional seminars and conferences.

Documentation may take the form of a memorandum, white paper, report, or map. In previous years, this task produced a memorandum on all-hazards planning in the region and laid the groundwork for the All-Hazards Planning study and subsequent related mapping projects. This task also resulted in the region’s first Coordinated Human-Services Transportation Plan and has funded the staff time needed to keep current on health impacts, all-hazards planning, and freight transport issues.

Products of Task 3

Memoranda, white papers, maps, and reports, as needed

Task 4  Conduct Subregional Outreach

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) subregional groups bring together planners and other interested municipal officials and members of the public to discuss and make recommendations that are relevant to land use, transportation, and planning issues.

Staff will attend MAPC subregional group meetings at which transportation issues are discussed. In addition, MPO staff will provide updates on MPO activities and conduct targeted discussions to gather input on the development of certification documents, the Public Participation Program, and other MPO initiatives. Local officials attending these meetings are typically well informed and are good sources of information and input for MPO planning and certification document development.

Task 5  Support the Regional Transportation Advisory Council

MPO staff will continue to provide ongoing support to the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (Advisory Council), the MPO’s citizen advisory committee, which comprises approximately 65 entities. The Advisory Council’s role is to provide a broad-based forum for discussion of regional transportation issues and MPO certification documents, reports, studies, policies, and decisions. It is charged with eliciting views and inputs from municipalities, transportation-related interest groups, public entities from around the region that have an interest in transportation, and non-transportation agencies.

Subtask 5.1 Provide Coordination, Planning, and General Administrative Support for Advisory Council Meetings and Ongoing Operations

Staff will continue to provide coordination, planning, and comprehensive administrative support to the Advisory Council, and will facilitate its monthly meetings. Support activities include:

• Researching and suggesting meeting topics and speakers for Advisory Council meetings. (Speakers include leaders in state and federal transportation agencies as well as managers of important projects in the region; and discussion topics include certification documents and MPO studies)
• Scheduling speakers and working with the Advisory Council chair to help shape presentations to meet the council’s needs, to help fulfill its mission of providing input to the MPO
• Providing logistical support for Advisory Council meetings, including setting up the audio and other equipment
• Preparing materials associated with Advisory Council meetings and other functions, including meeting agendas and minutes
• Supporting miscellaneous communication activities
• Maintaining a database of members and interested parties

Periodically, the Advisory Council may conduct a field trip to highlight issues related to a particular transportation project or problem. Staff may need to plan one field trip or site visit in FFY 2015, which would include managing the associated organization, notifications, and logistics.

Subtask 5.2 Provide Coordination, Planning, and Administrative Support for Standing Committees

The Advisory Council has several standing committees, and forms other committees as needed. The standing committees are: Program, Nominating, and Membership.

Staff will continue to provide ongoing support to these committees and will be responsible for committee notifications and communications, meeting planning, meeting materials, minutes, and implementation of the decisions and guidance that stem from the meetings.

In addition to the tasks noted above, staff support may involve:

• Identifying potential new Advisory Council members and soliciting their participation
• Managing the Advisory Council election process, including preparing an audit to track and encourage attendance, contacting possible candidates, preparing ballots, and conducting the election

Products of Task 5

• Membership audit
• Notices to Advisory Council members
• Meeting minutes and various correspondence
• Updated contact list and database

Task 6  Produce TRANSreport

The MPO produces a bimonthly newsletter, TRANSreport, which is an important part of the MPO’s public involvement and communication program. TRANSreport conveys information about MPO activities and decisions, important regional transportation news, and work undertaken by MPO staff. In addition, the newsletter is used to solicit information and ideas from members of the public on MPO planning initiatives and documents.

TRANSreport is primarily distributed in electronic-transfer format and posted on the MPO’s website. Staff will produce hard copies and copies in accessible formats upon request.

Staff will be responsible for all tasks associated with the production and circulation of the newsletter, including:

• Soliciting, researching, and writing articles related to pertinent transportation events in the region, state, and nation
• Creating graphical designs and producing an electronic newsletter that meets Web accessibility requirements
• Posting the final electronic newsletter on the MPO’s website and distributing it via email
• Producing print versions, as needed

Products of Task 6

Six editions of TRANSreport in electronic and print formats

Task 7  Conduct Public Participation Program as part of the MPO 3C Process

Public participation is at the core of the metropolitan planning process and relates to all of the elements of the 3C process—continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive. The goal of the Public Participation Program is to maintain a two-way flow of information among the MPO and state, regional, and local officials, transportation advocacy and interest groups, environmental interest groups, operators of transportation services, freight operators, members of the disability community, low-income and minority populations, persons with limited English proficiency, the elderly, and other members of the general public.

The Public Participation Program, which is documented in the MPO’s Public Participation Plan (discussed in Subtask 6.1 below), relies on the use of several types of media (discussed in Subtasks 6.2–6.5) to provide and gather information.

Subtask 7.1 Implement the MPO’s Updated Public Participation Program and Plan

The MPO’s Public Participation Program is the process the MPO uses to communicate with the many transportation stakeholders in the region. The program provides convenient and effective avenues for involving the public in MPO discussions and decisions. The Public Participation Program is documented in the Public Participation Plan, which is made available in a way that facilitates public involvement with the MPO. Outreach through the Public Participation Program supports the development of the MPO's three major certification documents—the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)—and other ongoing programs.

Staff recently updated the Public Participation Plan, a draft of which was reviewed and commented on by the public. Staff subsequently incorporated feedback from the public and MPO members and prepared a final version of the Plan, which was endorsed by the MPO on October 16, 2014. The updated plan is now posted on the MPO’s website so that all interested parties in the region may reference it. Staff will implement the changes, initiatives, and new activities adopted in the updated Public Participation Program and Public Participation Plan, and will continue to explore ways to engage the public more effectively using these and additional types of communication techniques, (discussed in Subtasks 6.2–6.5 below).

Subtask 7.2 Communicate via Electronic Media

The MPO's website is a critical communication platform, as most of the information provided to the MPO, materials developed for MPO decision making, and materials distributed to members of the public are posted on the website. Further information about studies and reports, and material about the MPO and the metropolitan planning process and activities, are also available on the website.

The website’s homepage hosts the MPO’s News Flash window, where brief summaries of important MPO news and announcements are posted. This feature will continue to be kept current, with weekly updates on MPO activities, document development, and results of studies. In addition, the News Flashes will be converted to press releases to expand their audience (see Subtask 6.5 for further discussion).

The MPO’s website—through surveys and the Contact Us and Comments functions—is a way to gather views and solicit feedback. In addition, the website provides a critical avenue for submitting information to the MPO, such as TIP project-funding data and bicycle and pedestrian counts. The MPO will conduct more surveys related to the MPO’s activities and documents and will seek comments on and ideas for improving the Public Participation Program and Public Participation Plan. Staff will review the website layout to explore ways to improve access and navigation features and to enhance communication and make commenting easier.

Staff will continue to maintain and regularly update several contact databases that are used to distribute MPO notices and to communicate with various audiences. The MPO's email distribution lists, consolidated as MPOinfo, utilize approximately 3,000 email addresses from the contact databases. These contacts include local officials in all of the 101 municipalities in the MPO region, the Advisory Council members, Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA contacts, legislators, freight operators, transportation-management agencies, regional transit authorities, Transportation Equity contacts, TRANSreport recipients, environmental agencies and interest groups, councils on aging, previous MPO meeting attendees, and many other interested parties and members of the general public. MPOinfo is used by staff to distribute important information such as a notice of an upcoming MPO-sponsored meeting and the public comment period for an amendment to a certification document. Staff will encourage recipients to forward email messages to others through their communication avenues. There are approximately 4,900 email address entries in the MPO contact database.

The MPO has relied on public libraries in the region because of their role as repositories of a variety of public information of community interest, to make MPO documents, TRANSreport, and MPO-sponsored meeting notices and other announcements available to the public. Until the present time, the MPO distributed this information by email and through its website; for future MPO outreach, staff will research and develop new strategies for communicating with the libraries. The new communication methods will result in stronger partnerships with libraries by making key MPO information available to more members of the public—particularly those who may not have personal access to a computer.

Staff will explore and, when feasible, adopt various online, contemporary communication tools, such as Twitter, Rich Site Survey feeds, and MetroQuest online public engagement software.

Staff will review and update, as needed, the MPO’s website. One factor to be considered is the ease of use for members of the public, including persons with disabilities and persons with limited-English proficiency. The public participation page may be updated to maximize the public’s ability to easily find information, while maintaining the website’s high level of accessibility for persons with disabilities. In addition, the language accessibility of the website, including postings of translated vital documents, the accessibility statement, and Title VI-related complaint materials, will be maintained.

Subtask 7.3 Communicate via Public Meetings

Members of the public are invited to participate in all MPO meetings. The MPO posts its meeting agendas and materials on the website. Members of the public can make comments during MPO meetings, during both the regular public comment period, scheduled early in each meeting, and during a discussion of any agenda item—and many do. The MPO will seek ways to expand these opportunities for public participation related to MPO meetings, particularly for people who cannot attend in person. The MPO will explore ways to allow members of the public to submit a comment or question in advance on MPO agenda topics so that their input can be considered at the meeting.

MPO staff will continue to conduct public outreach through a variety of meeting venues. In planning this outreach, staff will seek to partner with the Advisory Council and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to broaden the scope of discussions and to boost participation. Staff will hold quarterly public forums to present information about current and planned MPO activities, recent studies, and the status of the certification documents and to gather input from the public. Staff will survey meeting participants to assess the effectiveness of the Public Participation Program.

As the certification documents are developed in the annual 3C cycle, staff will hold approximately five public meetings and will attend approximately 16 MAPC subregion meetings to gather input and engage members of the public and interested parties in the documents’ development. Some of these discussions take place at MPO-sponsored TIP- and UPWP-Development Sessions, which are designed for instructing local officials, other interested parties, and the public about how to advance their ideas and projects through the UPWP and TIP processes.

The Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which is updated every four years, has its own public outreach schedule, designed to meet its specific needs for public review and input. The LRTP schedule for public participation is coordinated, whenever possible, with the outreach for the annual certification documents.

Once the draft certification documents are developed and have made available for public review, MPO staff will hold as many as four workshops to discuss them again with local officials, all interested parties, and the public in order to gather more input and ideas.

The MPO may conduct special forums, focus groups, and listening sessions in order to consult with various interested parties, such as the Transportation Equity contacts, environmental agencies, and members of the general public. Staff will also respond to invitations to attend regularly scheduled meetings of other organizations interested in learning about the MPO and providing input into its documents.

Staff will increase the use of graphical materials. In addition, vital documents will be translated into the languages covered by MPO policy. Whenever possible, meeting materials will be posted on the website in advance of meetings. In addition, if a meeting is held in a community that has significant use of language(s) other than English, staff will review the standards for translations, and if the analysis indicates that it is appropriate, key information will be translated into those languages. Staff will also consult with local leaders about language needs and cultural issues and will seek their support in encouraging participation at meetings. Upon advance request, translators of American Sign Language or other languages will be made available for meetings, if possible.

In selecting locations for MPO-sponsored meetings, staff will choose venues that are accessible by transit and to persons with disabilities. In addition, staff will give priority to municipalities with high concentrations of minority, limited-English-proficient, or low-income residents.

While large-format versions of key meeting materials are currently made available for meetings, in the future, MPO staff will bring three copies of large-format documents to meetings.

People with low or no vision or with low literacy skills may prefer making comments orally. To facilitate this, staff will collect oral comments at meetings using audio recording devices.

Subtask 7.4 Communicate via Graphics

MPO staff will adopt a practice of using more graphical representations to convey information. Good graphics are speedy communication tools and can tell a full story in a snapshot. In addition, receiving information through a graphical representation can be a more pleasant experience for members of the public than reading text.

Subtask 7.5 Communicate via Print Media

Press releases to announce MPO-sponsored public meetings; important MPO milestones, activities, study results; and the availability of draft documents for public review will be prepared and made available to regional newspapers. Staff will consult with the MassDOT media office for guidance on increasing media coverage. The MPO will also explore ways to track the publication of MPO news and press releases and apply the results to improving media outreach.

Subtask 7.6 Respond to Inquiries from the Public

Members of the public contact MPO staff with questions and requests for information. The rate at which these requests are received varies. Staff will collect and respond to these questions and comments.

Products of Task 7

• MPOinfo listserv maintenance
• MPOinfo notices
• Tweets and other forms of communication that are new to the MPO
• Press releases
• Flyers
• Public comment matrices and other materials on input for the updated Public Participation Plan
• Updated draft and final versions of the Public Participation Plan
• Translated vital documents and other materials
• Audio recordings of oral public comments
• Summaries of public comments (received via the US Postal Service, the MPO’s website, and email)

Task 8  Provide Professional Development Opportunities

MPO staff will continue to maintain their technical expertise in part by participating in courses, programs, and workshops offered by the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Transportation Research Board, Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Institute of Transportation Engineers, and other public and private organizations. Under the budget for this task, staff will be provided professional development opportunities.

Task 9  Provide General Graphics Support

Under this task, staff will provide graphics to MPO staff and MPO agencies. The graphics tasks will include the design and production of maps, charts, illustrations, report covers, brochures, slides, and photographs; the application of other visualization techniques; and the creation of other products that improve communication.

Estimated Schedule

It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2015. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $580,912. This includes the cost of 240.8 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 91.82 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/PW/pw

Memorandum

Date       December 18, 2014

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM      Karl H. Quackenbush,
CTPS Executive Director

RE            Work Plan for: Air Quality Conformity and Support Activities

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

10112

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Pam Wolfe

Manager: Anne McGahan

Funding

MPO Planning Contract #84053

MPO §5303 Contracts #78922 and #84080

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

Under the Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1990, states must monitor emissions from transportation and other sources to determine whether ambient emissions levels exceed health-based allowable levels of air pollutants. Areas in which the emissions exceed the allowable levels are designated as nonattainment areas, and the state must develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP) that establishes emissions budgets that show how the area would reduce emissions sufficiently to comply with the CAA 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 CAA. Typically, a conformity determination is performed annually for the TIP and every four years for a new LRTP. However, a conformity determination may be required if an LRTP amendment is undertaken during the year.

The city of Boston, the surrounding cities and towns, and the city of Waltham are classified as maintenance areas for carbon monoxide (CO). A maintenance area is an area that had been in nonattainment but was re-classified as attainment for which a maintenance plan was approved as part of the Massachusetts SIP. Since the Boston area is classified as maintenance, the region must show that, overall, its federally funded transportation programs maintain air quality in a manner consistent with the Massachusetts SIP.

The Boston Region MPO had also previously been classified as a non-attainment area for ozone but was re-classified as an attainment area under the new 2008 ozone standard. Because this was a new standard, a maintenance plan was not required, and the area was not classified as a maintenance area. As an attainment area, the MPO is not required to demonstrate that the LRTP and TIP are in conformity with the two pollutants that form ozone: volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

In addition to conformity work, air quality support work is funded in this work plan and includes research and analysis for air quality and climate change issues that come to the MPO. It allows for additional support in implementing air-quality-related transportation programs and projects and includes consultation, research, and coordination between CTPS and federal, state, local, and private agencies. Much of the research, analysis, and coordination with federal and state agencies lead to products used by the MPO, including mobile source emission factors used in all of the MPO’s regional and project-level air quality analyses and conformity with the Massachusetts State Implementation Plan (SIP).

This work plan covers the tasks needed to demonstrate that the MPO’s federally funded transportation programs meet conformity requirements. It also covers work completed through the air quality support program, which is critical to the MPO’s ability to conduct transportation planning in the current regulatory and policy framework.

Objectives

This program has two primary objectives:

• To ensure that the MPO’s plans, programs, and projects comply with the CAA of 1990 and its amendments and allow for the flow of federal funding into the Boston MPO’s transportation system.
• To provide ongoing support services for the MPO to maintain a technical capability in air quality and climate change matters, including conforming to federal air quality requirements and the state’s climate change policies; and fund activities that support the MPO’s response to changing requirements for planning, analysis, and reporting. This includes initiatives known today and also some capacity for participation in those issues that might emerge during the course of the year.  

Work Description

This work is conducted on an ongoing basis with the following tasks:

Task 1  Perform System-Level Air Quality Analysis for Conformity with federal and state requirements

The travel demand model and the emissions model, Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) are used to analyze various pollutant emissions for the entire Boston Region MPO area. The analysis provides the collective emissions from all regionally significant transportation projects included in the LRTP and the TIP. For air quality conformity analysis purposes, a regionally significant project is a project that adds capacity to the system.

A systemwide conformity determination will be prepared for the LRTP and the TIP. Although not part of the federal conformity determination, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions will be calculated to provide information for GreenDOT Implementation.

A conformity determination will also be done for the TIP to show that the State Implementation Plan projects are being funded and are advancing in a timely manner.

Products of Task 1

• Air Quality Conformity Determination of the Long-Range Transportation Plan for CO
• Air Quality Conformity Determination of the Transportation Improvement Program

Task 2  Perform Project-Level Analysis

A detailed analysis of the potential VOC, NOx (the two precursors of ozone), CO, and CO₂ impacts of each project to receive Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) Program funding in the TIP and those that would help to meet the GreenDOT initiative will be conducted in accordance with US Department of Transportation and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. Although the two ozone precursors are not required for conformity, analysis is provided at the project level to ensure the projects have a positive impact on air quality. The specifics of the analysis are determined through consultation between the state’s transportation and environmental agencies. In addition, CO₂ analysis is used in the project selection process. CO₂ emissions for projects that are funded in the TIP are provided to MassDOT for their monitoring of GreenDOT.

Products of Task 2

• Individual project analyses for CMAQ review
• Individual project analyses for use in Green DOT implementation

Task 3  Provide Support to MassDOT, the MBTA, and Massport on Air Quality Matters

Activities include analysis of transportation control measures (TCMs), park-and-ride facilities, and proposed high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) projects throughout the Boston Region MPO area as requested by MassDOT (including the Highway Division and the Office of Transportation Planning), the MBTA, and Massport, and evaluation of emerging and innovative highway and transit clean-air activities.

Products of Task 3

• Air quality analyses and evaluations of requested projects for various pollutants

Task 4  Provide Support on Climate Change Initiatives

Staff will integrate climate change concerns and emission-reduction opportunities into the MPO’s and state agencies’ planning processes. Activities in this task include:

• To support MPO climate change initiatives, staff will:
• Integrate awareness of and strategies to address climate change into every aspect of the MPO planning processes, including the LRTP, the TIP, project-specific work products, the Congestion Management Process, the UPWP, performance-based planning and performance measures, and the regional travel demand model set
• Develop presentations and white papers and engage in research and consultations with agencies and organizations involved in climate change issues
• To integrate MPO climate change work with MassDOT and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiatives, staff will:
• Coordinate with MassDOT to implement its GreenDOT policy
• Coordinate with MassDOT on its FHWA Pilot Program regarding MassDOT’s Greenhouse Gas Accounting System and Policy Analyses Demonstration. This work may result in a separate work program.
• Coordinate with other potential initiatives and programs that might emerge during the course of the year
• To coordinate MPO climate-change initiatives with other agencies, staff will:
• Confer with agencies and organizations that are concerned about climate-change issues and obtain knowledge and ideas for policies, programs, and improvements in the MPO region
• Coordinate with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council on its pre-disaster mitigation activities
• Participate in technical initiatives and panels on air quality and climate change conducted by other entities

Products of Task 4

• Text and memoranda for inclusion in the MPO’s certification documents
• Presentations and white papers on climate-change issues
• Air-quality analyses of requested projects and memoranda documenting the climate-change impacts

Task 5  Provide Support for the Mobile-Source Element of the State Implementation Plan

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is required to submit a SIP to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) documenting strategies and actions designed to bring Massachusetts into compliance with air-quality standards, as needed. Under this task, staff will complete the following activities:

• To aid in development of mobile source emissions budgets, staff will:
• Support agencies’ work monitoring, updating, and revising the mobile-source section of the SIP
• Help MassDOT with data collection and validation of the DEP’s air-quality inventories and emission budgets
• Support agency consultations, if needed, regarding amendments and revisions of the MPO/DEP Memorandum of Understanding
• To support analysis of regional air-quality conditions, staff will:
• Provide data and recommendations to MPO agencies about funding programs and projects that have air-quality benefits

Products of Task 5

Air-quality analyses of specific projects and programs

Task 6  Provide Ongoing Technical Support to Agencies

This work includes continued support and coordination on the following activities:

• Staff will provide agency support by:
• Developing emission factors using the new Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) emission model
• Evaluating policies on long-term growth, transportation, and land use and other public policies that affect air quality
• Coordinating with DEP on statewide regulations and programs that relate to air quality
• Participating in the Transportation Task Force of the SIP Steering Committee
• Staff will provide project-level support by:
• Developing air toxic emission factors for use in studies done by the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) to determine the health-related impacts of transportation projects

Products of Task 6

• New MOVES emission factors
•  

Estimated Schedule

This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of federal fiscal year 2015. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $52,016. This includes the cost of 16.7 person-weeks of staff time, overhead at the rate of 91.82 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/AM/am

Memorandum

Date       December 18, 2014

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM      Karl H. Quackenbush
CTPS Executive Director

RE            Work Plan for: Boston Region MPO Title VI Reporting

Action Required

Review and approval

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

11355

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Pam Wolfe

Manager: Alicia Wilson

Funding

MPO Planning Contract #84053

MPO §5303 Contracts #78922 and #84080

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

Part of the MPO’s 3C work is the development and implementation of a program that demonstrates that the MPO does not discriminate against protected populations in its programs, services, and activities.

Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. Federal case law interpreting “national origin” protections and Executive Order 13166 provide for equal access to services and benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Additional federal executive orders and statutes prohibit discrimination on the basis of low-income status, age, sex, and disability. The Federal Transit Administration’s Title VI Circular 4702.1B and the Federal Highway Administration’s Title VI/Nondiscrimination regulations and guidance require direct recipients of federal aid to submit a comprehensive report every three years that documents compliance with Title VI and other nondiscrimination mandates. As a subrecipient of aid through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the MPO is required to report its activities to MassDOT through a comprehensive report every three years and annual updates that address any changes that have occurred since the previous report. This program is ongoing and is under way year-round. The focus of this work plan is the development of an annual MPO Title VI update to MassDOT.

Objectives

The objective of the MPO Title VI Reporting program is to compile an update of Title VI–related activities undertaken by the MPO during the last year to show that the MPO is fully compliant with the requirements of both the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Title VI Circular 4702.1B and FHWA Title VI/Nondiscrimination regulations and guidance.

Work Description

Task 1  Prepare an Annual MPO Title VI Update

In the past, MassDOT has supplied all Massachusetts MPOs with a template to follow when reporting Title VI activities. MassDOT has not yet informed MPOs about the process for this year’s update. Based on the existing template and current federal guidance, it is anticipated that the Boston Region MPO’s Title VI update will include the following:

• Changes, if any, to the Title VI notice to the public, complaint procedures and forms, the public participation plan, and the language assistance plan
  
  
• A list of Title VI–related complaints and lawsuits
  
  
• Any new demographic profiles and demographic maps of the region (the Boston Region MPO’s demographic analyses and production of demographic maps will be completed under the work plan for the MPO’s Transportation Equity Program)
  
  
• Studies of traditionally underserved communities conducted during the last year
  
  
• Federal Transit Administration Certifications and Assurances and Federal Highway Administration Title VI/Nondiscrimination Assurances
  
  
• Summary of all Title VI activities
  
  
• An analysis of how the distribution of state and federal funds complies with the MPO’s disparate impact policy (The MPO has developed disparate-impact thresholds that will be further investigated and formalized in a policy).

MPO staff will assemble all of the required documentation and produce a final update for submittal to MassDOT based on these and any additional requirements identified by MassDOT.

Product of Task 1

An MPO Title VI annual update

Task 2  Present Title VI Materials to the MPO

Under this task, MPO staff will prepare presentation materials about the MPO’s Title VI update and will present them to the MPO.

Product of Task 2

Presentation to the MPO

Task 3  Provide Ongoing Title VI Support

MPO staff may update one or more of the elements in the MPO’s Title VI program or respond to questions about the program, as needed. Staff will also coordinate activities with MassDOT’s Office of Diversity and Civil Rights to ensure that the MPO is compliant with Title VI requirements.

Estimated Schedule

This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2015. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $17,096. This includes the cost of 5.2 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 91.82 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/AW/aw

Memorandum

Date       December 18, 2014

TO           Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM      Karl H. Quackenbush
CTPS Executive Director

RE            Work Plan for: Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

11132

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Pam Wolfe

Manager: Alicia Wilson

Funding

MPO Planning Contract #84053

MPO §5303 Contracts #78922 and #84053

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

The federal government’s Environmental Justice Executive Order 12898 of February 11, 1994, requires each federal agency to achieve environmental justice by identifying and addressing any disproportionately high adverse human health or environmental effects, including interrelated social and economic effects, of its programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations. This executive order and other regulations and guidance provide direction for MPOs. For the Boston Region MPO, these requirements mean understanding the mobility and access to the transportation needs of these populations, as well as the needs of people with disabilities, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), and elders, and considering these needs in MPO planning and decision making.

The MPO embraces the letter and spirit of these requirements and demonstrates its full commitment to meeting these needs through its Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support program. The MPO’s policy is to treat all people equitably, including those who identify as minority, and those with low-incomes, disabilities, and/or limited English proficiency, in the provision of transportation services and projects, and to provide for the full participation of these populations in advising the MPO during its planning and decision-making processes.

This program provides for a systematic method of considering environmental justice in all of the MPO’s transportation-planning work. The findings from this program are incorporated into the development of MPO plans and studies. In addition, the program seeks to support activities that advance the provision of transportation services to elders, those who identify as minority, and those with low-incomes, disabilities, and/or limited English proficiency.

This work plan focuses on the MPO activities that are related to the Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support program.

Objectives

The main objectives of the Transportation Equity/Environmental Justice Support program are to:

1. Foster awareness and consideration of transportation equity/environmental justice transportation needs in MPO planning
2. Provide opportunities for access and involvement in MPO planning for people who are in the populations mentioned above
3. Support communication and coordination that brings various entities together to address the transportation needs of people in the populations mentioned above
4. Identify new Transportation Equity contacts and encourage their participation in MPO processes
5. Generate information and analyses for MPO documents, reports, and evaluations
6. Conduct the communication and participation processes needed for success in this work
7. Maintain compliance with federal regulations and requirements

Work Description

This work is conducted on an ongoing basis through the following tasks:

Task 1  Analyze Demographic and Survey Data

Staff will continue to analyze the most current demographic data obtained from the US Census and other sources. Staff will also analyze data obtained from various surveys, such as the Massachusetts Household Survey (which collected information from June 2010 through November 2011 on residents’ travel patterns, and preferences), that also pertain to low-income, minority, and LEP populations, as well as to elders and people with disabilities. The analytical work in this task includes mapping the various types of demographic data, as well as the transportation characteristics associated with different populations, such as the locations of zero-vehicle households.

These analyses form the basis of the MPO’s Transportation Equity Program as they give information on the size and location of various populations and help to identify and address their transportation issues. Data from some of the analyses will also support the MPO’s Title VI activities.

Staff will produce memoranda summarizing the results of the various analyses and will present them to the MPO.

Products of Task 1

• Various maps and summary statistics
• Memoranda discussing the analysis of various demographic and survey data

Task 2  Conduct Outreach to Low-Income, Minority, and LEP Populations, People with Disabilities, and Elders

In this task, staff will continue to conduct a public-involvement program targeted specifically to groups that do not routinely participate in the transportation-planning process. These groups include low-income, minority, and LEP populations, as well as elders and people with disabilities, in the MPO region. The goal of this task is to communicate with organizations that work with these populations that can help articulate their transportation needs. Staff will provide information to organizations serving these populations to improve their awareness of the MPO and the transportation services and facilities available to those populations.

Staff will seek to increase the effectiveness of MPO outreach by translating MPO meeting notices into more languages with the hope of bringing more LEP people into the planning process. In addition, the database of transportation equity organizations and contacts will be updated on an ongoing basis to facilitate continued contact.

Staff will also gather information on the transportation needs of these populations through various means. In addition to holding meetings, staff will continue to gather information through online surveys, and will conduct one or more forums and/or focus groups with organizations and/or the public to provide opportunities for them to share their views on transportation issues. Because the Metropolitan Area Planning Council conducts outreach efforts in many of the same communities as does the MPO, several joint activities may be planned.

The results of the outreach activities will be summarized in one or more memoranda to the MPO. The effectiveness of the program will be measured by the increase in participation in the Transportation Equity Program. This will include an increase in the number of surveys returned, attendance at meetings and forums, and comments submitted on MPO documents and planning issues.

Products of Task 2

• Outreach materials for communication with Transportation Equity contacts
• One or more forums or focus groups with Transportation Equity contacts
• Online surveys
• One or more memoranda to the MPO documenting information gathered

Task 3  Participate in MassDOT’s State and Federal Grant Solicitations and Project Proposal Scoring for Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 Funds

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Rail and Transit Division solicits projects for several state and federal programs. As in the previous federal fiscal year, it is anticipated that the MassDOT Rail and Transit will request that MPOs inform agencies and organizations in their transportation-equity databases when these solicitations occur and arrange and host a pre-proposal meeting. In the past, the Boston Region MPO has also been asked by MassDOT to participate in scoring project proposals for federal Section 5310 funding (Section 5310 of the Transportation Equity Act is a federal program of capital and operating assistance to address the mobility needs of elders and people with disabilities).

Product of Task 3

Solicitation materials for contacts in the Transportation Equity database

Task 4  Complete the Update of the Coordinated Public Transit–Human Services Transportation Plan

As required by federal transportation legislation, the MPO has developed a Coordinated Public Transit–Human-Services Transportation Plan, which catalogs existing transportation services and identifies the transportation needs of populations served through the Transportation Equity Program, and gaps and barriers in the transportation system that are experienced by these populations. Under this task, staff will complete the update to the existing plan (begun during the previous federal fiscal year) to include transportation services that have been established since the last iteration of the plan, as well as newly identified gaps in transportation services and any additional newly emerging transportation needs in the MPO region that have been identified.

This task involves incorporating information from last year’s transportation forum, which brought together diverse groups to discuss and advance coordination efforts at local and regional levels; to discuss transportation needs in their communities, service areas, or areas of concern; to share information on best practices; and to assist the MPO in gathering information on specific transportation needs and services for many communities’ or areas’ low-income and minority populations, people with disabilities or limited English proficiency, and elders.

Products of Task 4

• An updated Coordinated Public Transit–Human Services Transportation Plan

Task 5  Report to the MPO

Staff will keep the MPO informed about Transportation Equity Program activities and information gathered, through briefings and by presenting at MPO meetings the memoranda and plan produced in Tasks 2–4. These discussions are typically scheduled when the Transportation Equity Program is about to launch new outreach programs or when there are results to discuss with the MPO.

Products of Task 5

PowerPoint presentations and other meeting materials to support discussions with the MPO

Task 6  Provide Ongoing Technical Support

Periodically, MassDOT requests that the MPO analyze data and provide information in various formats to MassDOT, in conformance with MassDOT’s processes, in order to remain compliant with federal regulations. Under this task, staff will respond to these requests, as needed.

Task 7  Track and Integrate Innovations in Transportation Equity Planning

Guidance and practices are changing in the field of transportation equity. Staff will maintain awareness and knowledge of current requirements and best practices.

Under this task, staff will track developments in federal regulations and guidance and integrate the required changes into the MPO’s Transportation Equity Program. In addition, staff will explore best practices and conduct analyses and research to enhance the Transportation Equity Program.

Estimated Schedule

This project is ongoing from year to year. It is estimated that the tasks presented in this work plan will be completed throughout the 12 months of FFY 2015. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $111,931. This includes the cost of 38.9 person-weeks of staff time and overhead at the rate of 91.82% percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/AW/aw

Memorandum

DATE:      December 18, 2014

TO:          Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM:     Karl H. Quackenbush,
CTPS Executive Director

RE:           Work Program Schedule and Cost Exhibits for: Long-Range Transportation Plan, Federal Fiscal Year 2015

Action Required

Review

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

10101

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Pam Wolfe

Manager: Anne McGahan

Funding

MPO Planning Contract #84053

MPO §5303 Contracts #78922 and #84080

Estimated Schedule, FFY 2015

It is estimated that this project will be completed 12 months after work commences. The proposed schedule, by task, is shown in Exhibit 1.

Estimated Cost, FFY 2015

The total cost of this project is estimated to be $271,230. This includes the cost of 104.0 person-weeks of staff time, overhead at the rate of 91.82 percent. A detailed breakdown of estimated costs is presented in Exhibit 2.

KQ/AM/am

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

Action Required

Review and approval

Proposed Motion

That the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization vote to approve the work program for the Long-Range Transportation Plan presented in this memorandum.

Project Identification

Unified Planning Work Program Classification

Certification Requirements

CTPS Project Number

10101

Client

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

CTPS Project Supervisors

Principal: Pam Wolfe

Manager: Anne McGahan

Funding

MPO  Planning Contract #78890

MPO §5303 Contract #78922

Impact on MPO Work

This is MPO work and will be carried out in conformance with the priorities established by the MPO.

Background

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.

Objectives

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:  

1. Provides a portrait of the region, considering its many aspects: demographics, land use, economics, and the transportation system.
2. Creates a broad-based regional forum for discussing regional values, formulating visions for the future, and establishing the policies and priorities (including specific multimodal, intermodal, and management and operations strategies) for accomplishing them.
3. Develops performance measures and implements performance-based planning and other planning practice innovations of the MPO to inform MPO investments.
4. Gathers information, conducts analyses, and communicates the results to support decision making.
5. Guides the development of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), the implementing document for the LRTP.
6. Maintains compliance with federal regulations and requirements.

Work Description

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.

Task 1  Update the Needs Assessment

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.

Subtask 1.1 Gather Data

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.

Subtask 1.2 Analyze Data

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.

Subtask 1.3 Incorporate New Data  into Web-Based Needs Assessment

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.

Products of Task 1

• Introductory text and a summary of results with updated maps, tables, and charts presenting the analyses and the data collected
• Web-based Needs Assessment
• 2012 Base Year to be used in establishing a baseline for  performance-based planning, other future assessments, and air quality analysis
• Results of the regional model set for the 2040 No-Build scenario

Task 2  Develop Performance Measures

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.

Subtask 2.1 Review and Simplify MPO Visions and Policies

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.

Subtask 2.2 Select MPO 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.   

Subtask 2.3 Gather Data on Performance Measures

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.

Products of Task 2

• Memorandum reporting on the process for developing the performance measures and the recommendations for the measures
• Presentations and materials supporting discussions with the MPO and MassDOT
• Formats and vehicles for housing and managing performance measurement data
• Performance Measurement data
• Updated visions, goals, and policies

Task 3  Incorporate Performance-Based Planning into MPO Decision Making

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.

Subtask 3.1          Integrate Performance Measures into LRTP, TIP and UPWP Criteria

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.

Subtask 3.2 Set Baselines:

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.

Subtask 3.3 Develop Targets and Strategies

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.

Subtask 3.4 Begin Tracking

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.

Subtask 3.5 Prepare Memoranda

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.

Products of Task 3

• Updated LRTP, TIP, and UPWP project selection criteria
• Baselines for the performance measure areas
• Performance targets and strategies
• Tables, databases, and other formats populated with performance measurement data
• Memoranda on the MPO’s performance-based planning program

Task 4  Develop and Analyze Alternative Future Scenarios

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.

Subtask 4.1          Develop a Projection of Future Transportation Revenues Available from Current Sources

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.

Subtask 4.2 Review and the Update Universe of Projects and Programs List

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.

Subtask 4.3          Develop and Model a Series of Land-Use and Transportation Networks

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:

• Preservation and modernization
• Safety
• Mobility
• Community (including environmental justice and community character)
• Land use and economics
• Environment 

Transit projects will also be judged using the above criteria, plus:

• Utilization
• Service quality

Additional priorities will be reviewed, including:

• Operations and management
• Climate change
• Livability (including health)

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.

Subtask 4.4 Select the Preferred Land Use Projections

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.

Subtask 4.5 Complete an Environmental Justice (Transportation Equity) Analysis of the No-Build Scenario and Build Scenarios

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).

Subtask 4.6 Complete a Greenhouse Gas Analysis of the No-Build Scenario and Build Scenarios

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.

Subtask 4.7 Circulate the 2040 Build Scenario Results

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.

Subtask 4.8 Present the Results of Public Input to the MPO and Choose a Recommended List of Projects and Programs

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.

Products of Task 4

• A financial plan for transportation projects, programs, and strategies in the MPO region developed in accordance with federal regulations
• An updated Universe of Projects and Programs List
• Travel model results for the 2040 Build networks
• Environmental justice results of the 2040 No-Build and Build scenarios
• Greenhouse gas results of the 2040 No-Build and Build scenarios
• Public comments from outreach on 2040 Build scenarios
• Recommended list of projects and programs for the draft LRTP
• Memorandum on the LRTP process to date, including 2040 travel model results 

Task 5  Develop and Circulate a Draft Transportation Plan

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. 

Subtask 5.1          Perform Environmental Justice Analysis on the Draft Recommended LRTP

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.

Subtask 5.2 Perform Air Quality Conformity Analysis and Green House Gas Analysis of the Draft Recommended LRTP

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.

Subtask 5.3 Prepare the Circulation Draft LRTP

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:

• The documentation of existing conditions (demographic, land-use, and transportation system)
• The documentation of future conditions (demographic, land-use, and transportation system)
• Information from the Needs Assessment for the region
• Updated visions, goals, and policies
• The projection of future revenue from currently available sources
• A discussion of performance measures, performance-based planning, and the evaluation criteria used in project and program selection
• A discussion of the alternative transportation networks studied as part of this work program
• The results of qualitative and quantitative analysis of the networks including how they address the MPO’s performance targets
• The selection of major transportation projects and programs to be included in the recommended LRTP (including estimated project costs and timelines)
• An environmental justice analysis of the recommended LRTP
• An air quality conformity determination of the recommended LRTP
• A greenhouse gas analysis of the recommended LRTP

Subtask 5.4 Approve and Distribute the Circulation Draft LRTP

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. 

Products of Task 5

• Memoranda summarizing the results of the modeling and analyses
• Draft chapters of the Circulation Draft LRTP
• The Circulation Draft  LRTP
• The Environmental Justice Analysis
• The Air Quality Conformity Determination
• The Climate Change Analysis
• A summary of public comments from the outreach activities

Task 6  Adopt the Final 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.

Products of Task 6

An LRTP for the Boston Region MPO area with an Air Quality Conformity Determination and Environmental Justice Analysis

Task 7  Respond to Requests for Information

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.

Product of Task 7

Responses to information requests.

Task 8  Maintain Best Practices

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.

Estimated Schedule

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.

Estimated Cost

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