MEETING NOTES PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PTAC) TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017 @ 7:00 PM BROOKLINE TOWN HALL, ROOM 408 333 WASHINGTON , BROOKLINE MA 02446

7:00 CALL MEETING TO ORDER AND APPROVE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 13, 2017 MEETING.

Present from PTAC: Linda Jason, Jane Gould, Deborah Dong, David Saltman, Abby Swaine Transportation Board Liaison present: Scott Englander Guest: Anjani Virman (present for 8:00 item)

February minutes approved, with minor corrections.

7:05 TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.

None.

7:15 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: MASSDOT PROPOSAL TO ELIMINATE ROUTE 60 STOP AT 850 BOYLSTON; COMMENTS ON MBTA ITEMS IN MASSDOT’S 2018-21 CAPITAL INVESTMENT PLAN; UPCOMING 2ND MASSDOT BRIEFING FOR BROOKLINE TRANSPORATION BOARD; ETC.

Abby read excerpts of the letter from the MBTA to the Town proposing to eliminate the stop opposite 850 Boylston and the rationale for doing so—low ridership (pretty much zero) and poor safety/accessibility. A reply is due to the MBTA by April 18. David looked at the stop in the course of piloting PTAC’s bus census spreadsheet on Route 60 on Saturday morning, March 4. His findings: a guardrail along the blocks from to bus; sidewalk is in disrepair at stop and along approaches; there is no apparent source of demand on that side of Route 9; there is no safe way to cross Route 9 near the stop; those visiting the medical clinics at/near 850 Boylston would use the stops at Reservoir instead. Tentative recommendation: accept eliminating this stop, but recommend enhancing the stops to the east and west. David will contact the owners/managers of the medical clinics to notify them of this proposed change. The MBTA’s letter says that riders will be notified. At PTAC’s April 4 meeting, David’s findings will be discussed and a recommendation submitted to Todd Kirrane, Brookline Transportation Administrator, to assist him in responding to the MBTA.

Abby described bus and Green Line –related items in both the MassDOT capital improvement plan, and Boston MPO’s work plan, that she has recommended that Todd voice support for on behalf of Brookline.

Abby reported that a briefing by MassDOT to the Transportation Board on the I-90 Allston project is scheduled for March 20. Abby has offered Todd help advertising this to those who attended a similar briefing in 2016.

8:00 BROOKLINE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TRANSIT: RECENT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATION TO TRANSPORTATION BOARD ON NEXT STEPS.

Abby recapped PTAC’s efforts to persuade the MBTA to provide a second “special” Route 51 bus to serve BHS in the afternoon, which have reached a , with the MBTA saying that providing a second bus is both impossible under current funding/staffing levels, and improper per federal transit policy. Neel Sharma, a BHS student, has been in touch with Abby several times to relay student observations and desires, and explore ways to secure more bus service; he notes overcrowding of the existing bus and unmet demand. Abby has let School Committee, BHS administrators, and School Dept transportation & administration staff know via email that PTAC has exhausted our leverage with the MBTA, and that the logical next step is for the Town to consider providing additional school bus / shuttle service to meet current and future BHS needs, as well as Baldwin Elementary School and any other school transportation needs. School Dept rep Mary Ellen Dunn expressed interest and willingness to examine transportation needs in the context of school expansion projects, in several months’ time.

Anjani Virman, parent of a BHS student and resident of the Buttonwood neighborhood in South Brookline, remarked that there is a burgeoning population of young children in her area who will need transportation to/from BHS in a few to several years. She doesn’t hear a lot of parent demand for transit to/from BHS, but that may be due to tolerance of current provisional conditions. She reported that the two morning school buses that return from elementary school routes to pick up BHS students in South Brookline and bring them to BHS are dedicated to transporting BHS teams to/from sports venues after they finish transporting elementary school students back home, and therefore not available to ferry BHS students back home.

PTAC and Ms. Virman agree that polling parents of current and prospective BHS students, and current BHS students, who live in outlying areas not served by MBTA transit, would help ascertain the scope of demand. Any polling should be conducted after consulting with BHS administration, and in cooperation with student advocate Neel Sharma. The polling should be truly representative and prevent multiple responses by any individual. If reliable bus transportation were provided, demand (currently satisfied by parent chauffeuring, etc) might increase. Demand for student on-street parking permits, and the need to satisfy that demand, might decrease, easing neighborhood impacts.

PTAC members observed that taking on the cost of providing additional school transportation will not be welcomed, given looming costs of school expansions. At a 2011 meeting at Baker School on South Brookline mobility, parents expressed willingness to pay for student busing. Although Town officials and staff have frowned on fee-for-service schemes in the past, perhaps that should be reconsidered. It’s possible that the BHS athletics fees defray the cost of transportation, serving a portion of the student population just as a South Brookline student shuttle fare would. Providing safe transportation for students should be a Town priority.

Abby has requested that Todd place this item on an upcoming Transportation Board agenda. PTAC will characterize our findings, and seek permission and advice on approaching BHS Administration, School Dept staff, and the School Committee.

8:30 MISC: BUS STOP CENSUS PILOT REPORTS (IF ANY); AGREE ON REGULAR MEETING PATTERN; WORK PLANNING & MEMBERSHIP; ETC.

David reported his findings from using the bus census tool on Route 60, and Abby reported on the same for Route 65. Both observed few benches or shelters; poorly visible stops and missing signage; and pavement and other accessibility issues. Both will re-verify their findings. Linda and Jane will survey Route 66, and Deb will survey Route 51. After discussing and compiling our findings for all 4 routes, PTAC will present them to Brookline’s Planning & Economic Development staff, the Transportation Board and Dept, and the MBTA, to seek improvements.

Linda will approach the MBTA again to work on the project to explore connecting Beaconsfield station platform at- with Waldstein Park.

PTAC’s regular meeting schedule will be the first Tuesday of every month.

9:00 ADJOURN.