Boston MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization

Arlington

Arlington

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The MPO makes many of these plans that the state and municipalities then do.
They are out with a fairly high concept new plan that's available for public comment.
It asks "what should "we all" do to improve access for the elderly, disabled, and EJ/Low income communities"
What do you think?

As I read it, it prioritizes making stations/stops (and nearby streets) barrier-free.
www.ctps.org

Coordinated Public Transit–Human Services Transportation Plan | Boston Region MPO

Home » Our Work
www.ctps.org www.ctps.org
 
Arlington said:
As I read it, it prioritizes making stations/stops (and nearby streets) barrier-free.
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I more got the impression that the main priorities were:
  • Station facilities and amenities (Shelters for street stops, benches, lighting, etc)
  • ADA compliance (Elevators when required and high level platforms)
  • Expanded service, particularly to COA centers and outside of the urban core.

Overall seems pretty reasonable, if a bit vague at times.
 
Arlington said:
The MPO makes many of these plans that the state and municipalities then do.
They are out with a fairly high concept new plan that's available for public comment.
It asks "what should "we all" do to improve access for the elderly, disabled, and EJ/Low income communities"
What do you think?

As I read it, it prioritizes making stations/stops (and nearby streets) barrier-free.
www.ctps.org

Coordinated Public Transit–Human Services Transportation Plan | Boston Region MPO

Home » Our Work
www.ctps.org www.ctps.org
Click to expand...
The CPT-HST is the tip of the iceberg of work that Boston MPO performs and is responsible for.

Boston MPO generally meets the first and third Thursdays of each month (they may cancel a meeting if there is no business to attend to). All of the big stuff--trains, electric buses, station improvements, bridges, roadway reconstruction projects, regional bike trails, etc.--if it's funded with a nickel of federal aid, it flows through the Boston MPO. And the staff invest a LOT of time and effort trying to engage the public for input and direction on the types of projects they want to see the MPO program with federal aid, including MBTA investment.

As I've encouraged across multiple threads on this forum, all persons on here that have an interest in transportation investment and planning in the Boston region should participate at Boston MPO meetings. Lucky for us, CTPS (the staff to Boston MPO) has a virtual meeting this Thursday 10/5 a 10am. Details here: https://www.ctps.org/calendar/day/20231005.
 
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"Illicit feedback," eh? Like, they want comments written on a brick of cocaine?
 
Separately from the above, the MPO is soliciting ideas for transportation studies and technical assistance projects for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025.

Anyone can submit an idea for a study. Past studies have included investigating hot-button transportation policy issues, designing solutions for increasing public transit access to certain destinations, and exploring new transportation planning methods.
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Recording is posted for this past Thursday's MPO board meeting. The presentation and discussion on roadway pricing starts at 1:11:05

 
On May 16, 2024, the MPO voted to release the FFY 2025 UPWP for a 21-day public comment period. The public comment period will run from May 17 to June 8, 2024. Please contact UPWP Manager, Srilekha Murthy, to provide feedback about the plan or set up a time to talk.

What is the UPWP? The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) is a one-year budget and planning document that lists the research projects, technical assistance, and other activities the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) staff will undertake over the next federal fiscal year (FFY). These projects provide insight and recommendations to our municipal and regional partners, generate new data, and help shape concepts for the region’s transportation future. It's what we were soliciting projects for back in January.

The draft document can be found here: FFY 2025 UPWP

Of greatest interest to this board is probably chapter 4, which outlines the studies and technical assistance projects that were selected for funding. This year those include:

"Bluebikes and MBTA Connections" - Budget: $60,000

Anticipated Outcomes: MPO staff will leverage openly accessible Bluebikes trip data and station location data, in addition to transit station location and route data from the MBTA, to construct a framework that can classify which Bluebikes trips can be categorized as complementary and which ones seem to be substituting for transit. We intend to apply this framework to understand how these relationships change by space (across different neighborhoods) and time (across seasons). Time permitting, we may also explore the application of this framework to examine the effect of recent transit servicedisruptions. The anticipated outcome of this study is a report that describes the framework and outlines the findings from the application of this framework. Additionally, the report will include recommendations about how more complementary connections can be designed between Bluebikes and transit, which will help inform the expansion of the Bluebikes network to new municipalities.

Roadway Pricing: Balancing the Need for a Transition to Sustainable Mobility with Equity Considerations - Budget: $50,000
Anticipated Outcomes: Using data from the Massachusetts Vehicle Census and Replica (a large mobility data provider),MPO staff intend to examine vehicle-miles traveled by different communities within our region. Such an analysis will allow us to provide estimates of revenue generated by different pricing strategies (such as cordon pricing around a particular central zone, or a direct tax on miles traveled). It would also be possible to examine the disparate impacts of such policies on different communities and, thereby, advocate for targeted discounts or subsidies for environmental justice communities and those who are forced into car ownership by a lack of high-quality alternatives. The anticipated outcome of this study is an interactive visual document (such as a StoryMap) or report describing the different hypothetical roadway-pricing scenarios that were considered and summarizing the results of the scenario analysis.

Decarbonizing the Freight Sector: Exploring the Potential for Using E-cargo Bikes for First- and Last-Mile Freight Deliveries - Budget $40,000
Anticipated Outcomes: MPO staff will identify past, ongoing, and planned e-cargo bike pilots and programs across the country. Having created this list, staff will reach out to key personnel involved in these efforts to interview them about their experience of the key challenges and opportunities associated with such initiatives. These interviews will inform a follow-up analysis of which locations in the Boston region (or the Inner Core) might be suitable for establishing neighborhood freight hubs. Finally, MPO staff will provide recommendations for municipalities aiming to establish such hubs and use e-cargo bikes for first- and last-mile freight deliveries. The anticipated outcome of this study is a report that will describe past, ongoing, and planned e-cargo bike pilots across the country, summarize the key findings from the interviews, and provide recommendations for the establishment of neighborhood freight hubs supported bye-cargo bikes for first- and last-mile freight deliveries in the Boston metropolitan region.

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The technical assistance programs are the same as they have been, this is our direct service to municipalities where we act as essentially free consultants. Thought what is nice to see is that there is a modest expansion of the budget that will allow us to either take on a fifth project instead of the usual four or to take on some larger work.
 
Boston Region MPO Awarded Grant to Support Area Municipalities in Addressing Roadway Safety
$7.5 million grant to accelerate regional Vision Zero efforts and enhance roadway safety through pilot projects

[Boston] — The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has been awarded a $7.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the implementation of the Boston Region’s Vision Zero Action Plan to prevent traffic deaths and serious injuries on roadways across the region’s 97 cities and towns.

The MPO will collaborate with municipalities to design and implement a variety of safety interventions. These include quick-build traffic calming projects such as speed humps and high-visibility crosswalks. The MPO will also conduct planning projects, crash analyses, roadway safety audits, and community engagement campaigns. These activities will foster regional coordination, enhance safety planning efforts, and lay the groundwork for future large-scale transportation infrastructure projects aligned with Vision Zero principles.

Federal funding for this grant is provided under the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with matching funds provided by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

This is the second SS4A grant awarded to the Boston Region MPO. In 2023, the MPO received $2.7 million in funding to support the development of a regional Vision Zero Action Plan.

“This grant builds on the momentum we’ve created with the Vision Zero Action Plan, allowing us to take tangible steps toward safer streets,” said Tegin Teich, Executive Director of the Boston Region MPO. “By funding essential safety projects and planning initiatives, we’re able to partner with municipalities to bring forward the resources and support they need to address pressing roadway safety challenges.”

“Thanks to the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, all signs are pointing toward roadway safety in Greater Boston,” said Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). “I am proud to have helped secure this federal funding for critical safety improvements in the region through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We cannot cycle past this opportunity to coordinate safety across our communities, and I am grateful for the partnership between the Boston Region MPO, the Biden-Harris administration, our federal delegation, and our municipal leaders to make this investment a reality.”

The Boston Region MPO is the regional agency responsible for conducting the transportation planning process for the Boston metropolitan area, which includes 97 cities and towns with a combined population of 3.4 million. The MPO develops a vision for the regional transportation system and allocates federal and state transportation funds to programs and projects that improve infrastructure for people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving. Learn more at bostonmpo.org.
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BOS2BON said:
I'm glad to see more and more Vision Zero plans pop up around the state! I know Boston and Brookline are doing their own ones, but the more the better!
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Off the top of my head, Everett has done one as well and Salem is working on one right now.
 
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