JUNE/JULY 2009

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE BOSTON REGION METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

MPO RELEASES ALEWIFE STUDY Page 2 Arlington Street

WALKABLE COMMUNITY MBTA Station Is Now WORKSHOPS A Page 2 Accessible to All BOSTON REGION MPO houses, a revamped mezza - In June the Boston UPWP NEWS nine, and lighting improve - Page 2 HELPS SUPPORT Region Metropolitan RENOVATIONS FOR ments. Planning Organization ECONOMIC STIMULUS ADA COMPLIANCE The $22.7-million station (MPO), which is respon - BOOSTS CONSTRUCTION sible for programming Page 3 The Arlington Street upgrade is scheduled for entrance to the Green Line completion this fall after the federal funds for trans - MPO ACTIVITIES MPO subway reopened this June reconstruction of the plat - portation projects and Page 3 after a two-and-a-half-year form near the Berkeley studies in the MPO closure, during which the 88- Street entrance and the region, welcomed a new BAY STATE BIKE WEEK Page 4 year-old station was brought installation of two escalators. member. up to modern standards of The Arlington Station proj - The Town of Braintree accessibility. Arlington assumes the seat on the MEETING CALENDAR ect is among a number of Station, previously inaccessi - projects that the MBTA has MPO vacated by the For the most recent information ble to people who could not undertaken to improve City of Salem, which on the following public meetings manage stairs, now complies access to the Green chose not to run for and others that may have been with the Americans with scheduled after TRANS REPORT Line —Boston’s oldest trolley reelection. went to press, go to www.boston Disabilities Act (ADA). line —as well as other stations mpo.org or call (617) 973-7119. Passengers can now access Another seat was also A photo ID is required to access in the MBTA transit system. up for election this year most meeting sites. the underground station via Through its Key Station and the incumbent, the elevators and can board trol - Plan, the MBTA is bringing AT THE STATE leys more easily. Town of Bedford, was TRANSPORTATION 80 transit stations into ADA reelected for another BUILDING, 10 PARK The Boston Region MPO compliance. Seventy-seven of PLAZA, BOSTON term. help ed fund the station ren - the stations are now in com - July 2 (Thursday) ovations by programming pliance. Boston Region MPO Transportation Planning and Programming federal dollars for the Committee. Conference Room 4. MBTA Accessibility Program 10:00 AM in the MPO’s Transportation July 8 (Wednesday) Improvement Program. Regional Transportation Advisory Council Freight Committee. The station renovations Conference Room 4. included the installation of 1:00 PM three elevators, ADA-compli - Regional Transportation Advisory Council. Conference Room 4. ant warning edges on plat - 3:00 PM forms that assist the visually July 9 (Thursday) Tentative impaired in detecting where Boston Region MPO Transportation the track lies, elevated plat - Planning and Programming Committee. MPO Conference forms that accommodate Room, Suite 2150. 10:00 AM low-floor Green Line cars, A ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 1 marked the reopening of the main July 16 (Thursday) new stairways, new head entrance of Arlington Station. Boston Region MPO Transportation Planning and Programming The members of the Boston Region MPO: Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works, cities of Boston, Committee. Conference Room 4. Braintree, Newton, and Somerville, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Massachusetts 10:00 AM Bay Transportation Authority, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Advisory Board, Massachusetts Highway Department, Massachusetts Port Authority, Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Calendar continued on p. 2 Regional Transportation Advisory Council, towns of Bedford, Framingham, and Hopkinton Calendar cont. from p. 1 MPO Releases Alewife Study July 22 (Wednesday) The Boston Region MPO approach (jug handle) and trian facilities , and the Access Advisory Committee to the recently completed the the Minuteman Bike way redesign of access points MBTA. Conference Rooms 2 and 3. 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Alewife Traffic Operations overpass near the station. Longer- and Access Study, Phase II, term recommendations for - July 23 (Thursday) Tentative . Adding a left-turn lane which made recommenda - shared-use path s include: Boston Region MPO Transportation from Route 2 eastbound to Planning and Programming tions for improving traffic Committee. MPO Conference Route 16 northbound . Extending the Watertown operations at the Route 2 Room, Suite 2150. 10:00 AM Branch Trail to Alewife and Route 16 intersection in . Adding a lane to the July 27 (Monday) Station , including the con - Cambridge; access and Alewife Station Access Regional Transportation Advisory struction of a pedestrian Council Freight Committee. MPO egress for MBTA buses ser- Road and upgrading traf - bridge over the rail tracks Conference Room, Suite 2150 . ving the Alewife MBTA sta - fic signals to allow for 1:00 PM to Russell Field tion; and bus routes servi ng demand-responsive opera - July 30 (Thursday) Tentative Alewife Station and the tion and bus priority . Redesigning Cambridge- Boston Region MPO Transportation Arlington and Lexington park Drive and Cam- Planning and Programming Recommendations from the Committee. MPO Conference bridgepark West to areas. A companion study, bus service portion of the Room, Suite 2150. 10:00 AM improve safety and opera - conducted by the Metropol- study include exploring tions for cyclists and pedes - AT OTHER BOSTON itan Area Planning Council whether modifying the spac - AREA LOCATIONS (MAPC), recommended trians ing of bus stops in the study July 10 (Friday) improvements for bicycle area could reduce delays and . Extending the Minuteman MBTA Senior and Transportation and pedestrian access to whether the MBTA and Bikeway to Porter Square Access Pass Registration. Weymouth Elder Services, 182 Alewife Station. LEXPRESS, a bus service in . Creating a radial shared- Green Street, Weymouth. Lexington, could improve 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM The study of the Route use path from Fresh Pond coordination of services to July 14 (Tuesday) 16/Route 2 intersection yield - to Spy Pond, including a ed the following low-cost rec - reduce transfer time. MassHighway Public Hearing: new bridge over the tracks Route 99 Reconstruction and ommendations for improv - The bicycle and pedestrian west of Alewife Station, Signal Improvements in Everett. ing traffic operations and City Hall, Keverian Room, 3rd portion of the study recom - that would connect new Floor, 484 Broadway, Everett. bus access in the area: mended curb-cut repairs, developments and would 7:00 PM . Adding a short westbound safety-related traffic opera - July 15 (Wednesday) G Alewife cont. on p. 4 lane between the Alewife tions improvements, mainte - MassHighway Public Hearing: nance of bicycle and pedes - Willow Street Bridge Replacement Station Access Road Project. Great Hall, Dover Town Hall, 5 Springdale Avenue, Dover. UPWP News 7:00 PM Schedule a Walkable The Boston Region MPO July 16 (Thursday) expects to release the draft MassHighway Public Hearing: Route 1 over Neponset River Community Workshop Federal Fiscal Year 2010 Bridge Replacement Project. The Boston Region MPO is slated for new development. Unified Planning Work Norwood Public Safety Building, Community Room, 137 Nahatan continuing its Walkable Program (UPWP) for public The workshops last approxi - Street, Norwood. 7:00 PM Community Workshop pro - review early this summer. mately two and a half hours, July 28 (Tuesday) gram and is currently sched - The UPWP describes the starting with a presentation MBTA Senior and Transportation uling workshops for this transportation planning Access Pass Registration. Dedham on elements that make a summer and the rest of this studies that the MPO plans Council on Aging, 735 Washington community more pedestrian - Street, Dedham. 12:00 noon to year. If there are areas in to undertake in the upcom - friendly. Participants then go 3:00 PM your municipality where you ing fiscal year. for a short walk and return wish to encourage more Meetings sponsored by the Boston to discuss ways to engender The draft document will be walking, the MPO can help. Region MPO are conducted in improvements. available on the MPO’s web - accessible locations, and materi - MPO staff will work with you site, www.bostonmpo.org, als can be provided in accessible to evaluate potential walking A good walking environment formats and in languages other and members of the public sites that might be difficult is an important aspect of than English. If you would like will have 30 days to provide accessibility or language accom - spots for pedestrians, places community livability, which comments to the MPO. modation, please contact the that are relatively attractive in turn is related to the com - MPO at (617) 973-7100 (voice), Check the website for a for walking but could use munity’s economic viability (617) 973-8855 (fax), or (617) notice of the start of the 973-7089 (TTY), or e-mail us at some improvement, or areas G Workshops cont. on p. 4 public-review period. [email protected] .

2 TRANS REPORT June/July 2009 www.bostonmpo.org Construction Gets a Boost from Economic Stimulus MPO-PROGRAMMED projects and $319 million on Transit Authority, and the bus station and shelter PROJECTS ARE transit projects. Cape Ann Transportation improvements. A project for Authority. bus lane enhancements for GETTING UNDERWAY For the greater Boston area, the Silver Line service from Federal economic stimulus the Boston Region MPO As of press time, contracts Dudley Station to South dollars from the American programmed nearly $130 for stimulus-funded roadway Station has been advertised Recovery and Reinvestment million of stimulus funds for projects had been awarded for bids. Also, this summer Act of 2009 are being award - 23 roadway projects in this for resurfacing projects on the MBTA plans to begin ed to contractors to begin region, including resurfacing Route 2 in Harvard, the procurement of 108 vans transportation projects in projects, a bicycle path con - Littleton, and Lincoln, and for THE RIDE service. Massachusetts. These dollars, nector, sidewalk and pedes - for repairs to highway signs provided under Title 23 of trian improvements in park - on Interstate 95. The Commonwealth is con - ways and near elementary tinuing to plan for stimulus federal law, are programmed Transit projects underway schools, an intelligent-trans - funding as federal fiscal year through the public planning include the design and siting portation-systems (ITS) pro - (FFY) 2010 approaches. The processes of metropolitan for construction of bicycle gram, and traffic sign repairs Boston Region MPO expects planning organizations parking features at 50 sta - on major highways. It also to program another set of (MPOs.) As a whole, the tions in the MBTA system directed nearly $178 million stimulus-funded transporta - Commonwealth has the (including bike cages with to transit projects for the tion projects during the authority to spend nearly lighting and security cam - $438 million on highway MBTA, MetroWest Regional eras), and preparations for G Stimulus cont. on p. 4 Boston Region MPO Activities BOSTON REGION MPO ACTION ITEMS In May the Transportation Planning and Programming Committee approved Amendment Three to the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2009 Element of the FFYs 2007–2010 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and released two MPO studies, the “Regionwide Suburban Transit Opportunities Study, Phase III,” and the “ Alewife Traffic Operations and Access Study, Phase II .” The Committee also approved the work program for Arterial Traffic Signal Improvements and Coordination, which will develop plans for coordinating traffic signals in selected corridors that have multiple intersections. On May 21 and 28, the MPO held its annual Municipal TIP Input Days meetings, where representatives of 43 communities in the region made presentations on their high-priority transportation projects.

REGIONAL At the June meeting, the ment on the MPO’s certifica - all active RIDE customers. Advisory Council hosted Joe tion documents at its July Copies of the new THE TRANSPORTATION Cosgrove, of the MBTA, who meeting. RIDE Guide may be ADVISORY COUNCIL provided an update on the obtained by contacting the UPDATE MBTA’s Program for Mass ACCESS ADVISORY MBTA at (800) 533-6282 The Advisory Council Transportation (PMT). The COMMITTEE TO THE (phone), (617) 222-5415 received an update at its PMT is a 25-year vision for MBTA (AACT) UPDATE (TTY), or THERIDE@ May meeting from Jack mass transit in the authority’s MBTA.com (e-mail). service area. A draft of the New contracts spanning state Murray and Jonathan Please note that THE RIDE PMT may be viewed on the fiscal years 2010 –2014 for the Geller, of the Department of will no longer serve Fram- MPO’s website, www.boston MBTA’s paratransit service Conservation and Recrea- ingham and Natick; the mpo.org. THE RIDE will go into effect tion (DCR), on the Parkway on July 1. The three contrac - MetroWest Regional Transit and Bridge Program. DCR The Advisory Council also tors —Greater Lynn Senior Authority (MWRTA) will be plans to achieve its goal to received updates on the Services, Veterans providing paratransit ser- spend $150 million for development of the MPO’s Transportation Services, and vice within those towns bridge repair in FFY 2009. Unified Planning Work The Joint Venture of starting July 1. For more Bridges currently set for Program ( UPW)P) and the Thompson Transit and information on the construction in the Boston Transportation Improvement YCN —will cover the North, MWRTA’s services, call (508) region are the Mystic Valley Program (TIP) from Steve NorthWest, and South service 935-2222 or visit the Parkway Bridge in Arling- Olanoff, of the Advisory areas respectively. Starting on MWRTA’s website, ton, the Boston University, Council, and Hayes June 17, THE RIDE will be www.mwrta.com. A transfer Lech Walesa, and Neponset Morrison, the MPO’s TIP taking reservations from cus - will be required between River Bridges in Boston, the Project Manager, respectively. tomers wishing to travel on MWRTA and MBTA vehi - Magazine Beach Pedestrian or after July 1. An informa - cles for customers traveling The Advisory Council will Bridge in Cambridge, and tional mailing is being sent to between the two authorities’ continue its review and com - the Cheney Bridge in Dover . areas.

www.bostonmpo.org TRANS REPORT June/July 2009 3 Bike Week More Stimulus Funds to Come TRANS REPORT G Stimulus cont. from p. 3 MassHighway, with assistance PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON from the Common-wealth’s Participation development of the FFYs REGION METROPOLITAN 13 regional planning agen - 2010 –2013 Transportation PLANNING ORGANIZATION Grows cies, is now reviewing eligible The second annual Bay State Improvement Program. James A. Aloisi Jr. , Bike Week raised the bar set projects to determine MPO Chairman in 2008 as more than 3,000 Municipalities have proposed whether they could be ready approximately 4,000 proj - for construction within the cyclists pledged more than David J. Mohler, Chair 125,000 miles of cycling for ects, which have been time frame during which the Eric Bourassa , Vice Chair the week. Free events were assessed by the Executive stimulus funds must be Transportation Planning and held across the state, includ - Office of Transportation and awarded. The Office of the Programming Committee ing Mayor Menino’s Bike Public Works and MassHigh- Lieutenant Governor will be Festival at City Hall. Nearly way to determine if they are coordinating with municipal - EDITORS eligible to receive federal ities regarding their requests Maureen Kelly 1,000 riders made their way Mary Ellen Sullivan to City Hall on May 15, funding under Title 23. for stimulus funding. many of them escorted by CONTRIBUTORS police convoys. Cathy Buckley Alewife Study Online Michael Callahan More than 450 businesses G Alewife cont. from p. 2 about the study , contact Efi Janie Guion Pagitsas, of the Boston David Loutzenheiser, MAPC competed in the Mass- feed into the Mass Central Region MPO staff , at (617) Efi Pagitsas Commuter Challenge, a Rail Trail Sean Pfalzer friendly competition among 973-7106 or [email protected]. The study is available on the For information on the bicy - companies based on the GRAPHICS and PHOTOS number of miles bicycled by MPO’s website, www.boston cle and pedestrian access MBTA Kim Noonan employees. mpo.org. Click on the study, contact David “MPO/CTPS Reports” tab on Loutzenheiser, of MAPC, The number of miles The MPO does not discriminate the left side of the home - at (617) 451-2770 or on the basis of race, color, pledged during this year’s page. For more information [email protected]. national origin, English profi - Bay State Bike Week trans - ciency, income, religious creed, lates into a savings of 5,621 ancestry, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation, or military gallons of gas and $12,872 in service. Any person who gas costs, and a reduction of MPO Offers Pedestrian believes herself/himself or any CO emissions by more than specific class of persons to have 2 Planning Assistance been subjected to discrimina - 49 metric tons. G Workshops cont. from p. 2 If you think your community tion may file a written com - or neighborhood would ben - plaint with the MPO. A com - See the Bay State Bike Week and residents’ physical plaint must be filed no later web site at www.baystatebike health. People walk more efit by hosting a workshop, than 30 calendar days after the week.org. For more informa - please contact the MPO at date on which the person when the environment is safe believes the discrimination tion on Boston Bikes events and pleasant. (617) 973-7100 or e-mail occurred. this summer, visit www.bike [email protected]. fridays.org.

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TRANS REPORT is published monthly by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization to disseminate information on current transportation projects and issues in the Boston region. Comments and requests to be added to or deleted from the mailing list are welcome and should be sent either to TRANS REPORT Editors, Boston Region MPO Staff, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA 02116, or to [email protected] . TRANS REPORT is free. Its preparation is financed in part by grants from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.