JULY 2005 TRANSREPORT TRANSPORTATION NEWS FROM THE BOSTON REGION METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

Draft Transportation Spending Programs Released for Debut of New Shuttle Review; Public Workshops Scheduled Service On June 23 the Boston Region MPO A new transportation service, the approved the distribution of the draft fis- MetroNorth Shuttle, is up and running cal year 2006 Unified Planning Work in the region. The service, operated by Program (UPWP) and the draft fiscal the 128 Business Council and M&L years 2006–2010 Transportation Transit Systems, began on June 13. It Improvement Program and Air Quality connects the Anderson Regional Trans- Conformity Determination (TIP) for a portation Center (RTC) on the Lowell 30-day public comment period. In addi- commuter rail line to commercial and tion, the MPO is considering an amend- residential destinations in Woburn, ment to the 2004 Regional Transporta- portation needs and we want to hear Burlington, and Lexington and is tion Plan, its long-range planning docu- about them,” said Transportation Secre- expected to help companies in the area ment, that would revise construction tary John Cogliano, speaking as MPO retain and attract employees who want or time frames for several projects and show Chairman. “We are particularly inter- need public transportation as part of their updated air quality conformity. ested in hearing your ideas on where commute. transit and development can support The UPWP programs funds for surface- This is the second project implemented each other and where we should be work- transportation planning studies and other with funding from the Boston Region ing on relieving highway bottlenecks. transportation-related activities to be MPO’s Suburban Mobility program, the We hope you’ll come talk to us.” conducted by the Boston Region MPO MPO’s commitment to reducing single- staff in a given federal fiscal year. It also Compact disks (CDs) containing the occupancy-vehicle travel in suburban provides information on studies to be documents and the Plan amendment will areas that are currently underserved by conducted by other transportation agen- be sent to municipal offices and public transit, and improving mobility within cies and academic institutions in that libraries in each Boston Region MPO the region. The MetroNorth Shuttle fur- year. The TIP is a federally mandated, community. All materials were made ther expands the intermodal connections financially constrained five-year program available Wednesday, June 29, as Adobe available at the Anderson RTC, which is of improvements for the metropolitan PDF files, at www.bostonmpo.org. Copies a hub for the Lowell commuter rail line, area’s transportation system. are also available free of charge, upon service to New request, in CD, print, or accessible for- The Regional Transportation Plan, TIP, Hampshire and Maine, and Logan mats. For a copy, contact the Central and UPWP form the basis of federally Express bus service. Transportation Planning Staff by mail at funded transportation planning and con- 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA  New Shuttle Service cont. on p. 2 struction for the region’s 101 cities and 02116-3968, by voice at (617) 973-7100, towns. by TTY at (617) 973-7089, by fax at INSIDE THIS ISSUE Eight workshops have been organized to (617) 973-8855, or by e-mail at public hear residents’ and local officials’ views [email protected]. MPO activities update ...... 2 on these spending programs. (See calen- The public comment period will close at dar on page 4 for details.) Walkable communities ...... 2 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, July 26, for the TIP Smart growth update ...... 3 “While one of our major investment pri- and UPWP, and at 5:00 P.M. on Monday, orities is system preservation and mainte- August 1, for the Plan amendment. Com- Silver Line airport service ...... 3 nance in order to secure the quality and ments must be received by the MPO at Transit support ...... 3 safety of our existing transportation sys- the above addresses or phone numbers on Meeting calendar ...... 4 tem, we know you have additional trans- or before these dates.

The members of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO): Executive Office of Transportation • City of Boston • City of Everett • City of Newton • City of Salem • Federal Highway Administration • Federal Transit Administration • Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority • Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Advisory Board • Massachusetts Highway Department • Massachusetts Port Authority • Massachusetts Turnpike Authority • Metropolitan Area Planning Council • Regional Transportation Advisory Council • Town of Bedford • Town of Framingham • Town of Hopkinton  New Shuttle Service cont. from p. 1 BOSTON REGION MPO ACTIVITIES The shuttle operates Monday through BOSTON REGION MPO ACTION ITEMS Friday during peak commuting hours. At its meeting on June 16, the Boston Region MPO Fares range from $1.00 to $1.75, with approved an amendment to the fiscal year 2005 element of reduced fares for senior citizens, persons the fiscal years 2005–2009 Transportation Improvement with disabilities, and multiride tickets. Program (TIP) that revises funding categories and/or amounts for several bridge, Schedule information may be obtained roadway, and transit projects. on the 128 Business Council’s Web site, www.128bc.org. TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE ACTION ITEMS The MetroNorth Shuttle is funded by On June 23 the MPO’s Transportation Planning and Programming Committee both the MPO and private businesses. voted to release the draft fiscal years 2006–2010 Transportation Improvement Pro- For more information on the Suburban gram (TIP), the draft fiscal year 2006 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), Mobility Program, contact Barbara Lucas and a draft amendment to the 2004 Regional Transportation Plan for a 30-day pub- at [email protected]. lic comment period. REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COUNCIL UPDATE Want to Host a Walkable In June the Advisory Council received a briefing from Dennis DiZoglio of the Exec- utive Office of Transportation (EOT) on the reevaluation of State Implementation Community Workshop? Plan transit commitments and EOT’s recommendation on the commitments. If you are interested in promoting walk- On June 14 the Boston Transportation Department hosted a tour of its Traffic Man- ing and pedestrian safety where you live, agement Center (TMC) for the Advisory Council. The TMC, located on the sev- consider taking up the Boston Region enth floor of City Hall, was one of the first such facilities in the country. Originally MPO’s offer to conduct a Walkable established in the 1980s, it has evolved in response to the Central Artery/Tunnel Community Workshop for your commu- Project. nity. The TMC operations center consists of eight computer monitors, two television Based on a national series awarded to the screens, and an eight-split movie-type screen capable of being subdivided further MPO in 2003 by the National Center for into 32 separate images. The screens project images gathered from dozens of individ- Bicycling and Walking, the MPO Walk- ual closed-circuit television cameras set up at various locations in Boston. able Community Workshops lead partici- pants in exploring common difficulties The TMC monitors 400 of the 798 signalized intersections in the city of Boston. that pedestrians encounter and in identi- Plans are currently underway to expand the fiber-optic network required to increase fying an array of possible solutions spe- the number of monitored intersections. The TMC coordinates and is electronically cific to the host community. While the connected with intersections under different jurisdictions. TMC operators can com- sessions are designed to generate more municate directly with the various police agencies that have jurisdiction in the city interest in walking, they have an addi- of Boston, in order to respond to emergencies or resolve traffic issues. tional outcome—improving community Though the TMC can hold up to 10 staff members in an emergency, it is normally livability. managed by one operator from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. The workshops, which last approximately Most of the equipment for the TMC was funded by the Boston Region MPO with two hours, consist of a presentation, a recent TIP funds. In its draft fiscal years 2006–2010 TIP, the MPO programmed community “walking audit,” and a fol- additional funding to hire more full-time operators and to expand the TMC hours of low-up session for brainstorming possible operation. options for improvements. They are open The July 13 Advisory Council meeting will feature the draft fiscal years 2006–2010 to everyone, including elected officials TIP, draft fiscal year 2006 UPWP, and draft amendment to the 2004 Regional and citizens, but are geared to profession- Transportation Plan. (See calendar on page 4 for details.) als in the fields of planning, engineering, law enforcement, and education. ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE MBTA (AACT) UPDATE Last year MPO staff held Walkable Com- At the June 22 meeting of AACT, Andrew Brennan, Director of Environmental munity Workshops in Rockport, Affairs for the MBTA, gave an overview of the Silver Line Phase III and answered Franklin, and Saugus. If your community questions from AACT members. The next AACT meeting will take place on July is interested in hosting a workshop, 27. (See calendar on page 4 for details.) please call (617) 973-7118 or e-mail [email protected] by Wednesday, July 27.

TRANSREPORT 2JULY 2005 Smart Growth Update Silver Line Introduces Transit Support for the

MBTA Awards Contract to Rebuild Logan Airport Service Elderly and Persons with Ashmont Station The MBTA, along with the Massachu- Disabilities setts Port Authority and the Executive The Massachusetts Bay Transportation MBTA Replacing Senior Photo ID Office of Transportation, introduced Sil- Authority has awarded a $35.2 million Passes and TAPs contract for the complete reconstruction ver Line service to Logan Airport on of the Red Line’s Ashmont Station in June 1. The service is an extension of the With the implementation of new fare- Dorchester to Barletta Heavy Division, Silver Line Waterfront service that collection equipment on the Blue Line, Inc. opened in December 2004. the MBTA began replacing all existing MBTA senior citizen photo ID passes, as Air trav- A multimodal transit hub that is more well as Transportation Access Passes elers can than 75 years old, Ashmont Station is in (TAPs) for persons with disabilities. now get need of a complete overhaul. Input and MBTA staff will visit various towns to the air- recommendations for the new design throughout the summer to take photos port from from many area residents and officials and to replace current senior passes and down- make the reconstruction of Ashmont TAPs at no charge. Persons 65 or older town Station a neighborhood project. High- who are signing up for the first time may lights of the project include: new plat- Boston Silver Line vehicle obtain a senior pass for a 50-cent fee. forms, a viaduct for the trolley service to in about Mattapan, two new lobbies with street 20 minutes. Passengers can board at Applications for new TAPs will be avail- access at both ends of the station, an ele- or at stations on the South able as well. First-time TAP applicants vated busway that is level with the new Boston waterfront before heading to the who are eligible for the program will lobbies, public access over the subway airport, where stops are made at all five receive an approval notice in the mail tunnel to Peabody Square, three new ele- of Logan’s terminals. New 60-foot-long with instructions on how to obtain the vators, two new escalators, security cam- Silver Line vehicles are specially new ID at the MBTA’s Office for Trans- eras, significantly enhanced lighting, designed for air travelers, with low floors portation Access located at Back Bay automated fare-vending machines, and and space for luggage. Station. Temporary permits will be issued at each sign-up site to customers with a new fare gates. The Silver Line is expected to become current senior pass or TAP and to first- the preferred alternative for many people As part of Governor Mitt Romney’s time senior customers. The permanent who are traveling to and from Logan Air- transit-oriented-development initiative, photo IDs will arrive by mail. the Ashmont Station project is an exem- port. From South Station, airport-bound plar of the smart growth principle of revi- Silver Line vehicles depart every 10 min- For more information, please call the talizing urban centers by improving tran- utes between 7:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. on MBTA’s Office for Transportation sit hubs. In the next few years, the area weekdays. After 8:00 P.M. and on week- Access at (617) 222-5976. around the station will be transformed by ends, service is available every 15 min- State Provides Transit Funding for the construction of more than 100 resi- utes. Daily ridership has grown to 7,000 Elderly and Persons with Disabilities passengers in the six months since Silver dential units and nearly 30,000 square The Commonwealth released $4.1 mil- Line Waterfront service began. feet of retail space. lion to regional and local agencies to Community Access TV Buys Land from The Silver Line also provides easy con- help support transit programs for the el- MBTA nections at South Station to the MBTA’s derly through the Mobility Assistance commuter rail, the Red Line, and MBTA The MBTA has approved the sale of a Program (MAP). MAP provides capital buses, as well as Amtrak and private bus former power substation and nearly assistance to public agencies and private service. For more information or to 12,000 square feet of land in the Egleston nonprofit organizations for the purchase obtain schedules and updates, visit Square section of Roxbury. The Urban of vehicles and related equipment to pro- www.allaboutsilverline.com. Edge Housing Corporation and the vide continued transit service to seniors Boston Community Access and Program- and persons with disabilities. These state ming Foundation are purchasing the grants cover up to 80 percent of the cost property for $560,000. Once used for pro- the building’s exterior and renovate only of the equipment; the remaining 20 per- viding power to trolleys on the elevated the interior space. Once the construction cent must be matched by the recipient Orange Line, the substation has been work is completed, Boston’s community- organization. To date, the Common- vacant and unused since the 1970s. access cable television station will move wealth has assisted 25 public agencies Because the structure is on the Massa- its operations into the building. The and 12 nonprofit organizations, with chusetts Register of Historic Places, the remaining space will be used for offices or approximately 500 vehicles currently new owners have agreed to preserve housing. funded through this program.

TRANSREPORT 3JULY 2005 MEETING CALENDAR FOR THE RECORD A TRANSREPORT Correction

BOSTON REGION MPO PUBLIC WORKSHOPS Quincy City Hall In its June 2005 issue, TRANSREPORT made Second Floor Conference Room two incorrect statements in its article enti- The Boston Region MPO will hold eight workshops 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy tled “State Proposes Changes to SIP Tran- at which the public can ask questions and express (Reached by the Red Line—Quincy Center Sta- sit Mitigation Plans.” The following state- views about the documents under review and other tion; Kingston/Plymouth and Middleborough/ transportation issues. The documents are: the fiscal Lakeville commuter rail lines—Quincy Center ments are correct: years 2006–2010 Transportation Improvement Pro- Station; and many MBTA buses.) · The doubling of commuter rail service gram, the fiscal year 2006 Unified Planning Work on the Worcester/Framingham Line is an Program, and an amendment to the Regional Trans- investment consistent with the portation Plan (see related article on page 1). ADDITIONAL MEETINGS AT THE STATE TRANSPORTATION BUILDING, 10 PARK Statewide Transportation Plan that will On each date there will be two workshops, one PLAZA, BOSTON be undertaken separately from the SIP 4:00–5:30 P.M. and one 6:00–7:30 P.M. A photo The public is welcome to attend the following transit commitments. ID is usually required for access to meeting sites. transportation-related meetings. A photo ID is · For the project, the Thursday, July 14 required for access to the State Transportation Build- MBTA is currently spending $35 million Cosponsored by the City of Boston, the ing. for state-of-good-repair elements, includ- Executive Office of Transportation, the Wednesday, July 13 ing rehabilitation of existing stations, MBTA, and MassHighway Regional Transportation 3:00 P.M. track and signal work, and some bridge State Transportation Building Advisory Council repair. The SIP commitment would pay Conference Room 4, Second Floor Conference Room 4 10 Park Plaza, Boston for the four additional stations and Monday, July 18 (Reached by the Silver Line—New England major-bridge replacement. Medical Center (NEMC) Station; Orange MBTA Rider Oversight 4:30 P.M. Line—NEMC or Chinatown Station; Green Committee Line—Boylston or Arlington Station; and Conference Rooms 1, 2, and 3 MBTA bus routes #43 and #55.) Thursday, July 21 Tuesday, July 19 Boston Region MPO 10:00 A.M. TRANSREPORT Cosponsored by the 128 Business Council Transportation Planning and Programming Committee Cummings Park Conference Center PRODUCED BY THE CENTRAL TRANSPORTATION 400 Cummings Park CTPS Conference Room, Suite 2150 PLANNING STAFF Washington Street, Woburn Wednesday, July 27 Editors Contributors (Reached by MetroNorth shuttles at 3:30, Access Advisory Committee 1:00 P.M. Sean Daly Jared Fijalkowski 5:40, and 6:25 P.M. from the Anderson to the MBTA (AACT) Jonathan Church William Moore Regional Transportation Center on the Low- Conference Room 2 ell commuter rail line, and by MBTA bus Mary Ellen Sullivan routes #354 and #355. Please see the 128 Thursday, August 4 Business Council Web site, www.128bc.org, Boston Region MPO 10:00 A.M. PUBLISHED BY THE BOSTON REGION for complete shuttle schedules.) Transportation Planning and METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION Wednesday, July 20 Programming Committee Work Session Daniel A. Grabauskas, MPO Chairman Cosponsored by the City of Lynn CTPS Conference Room, Suite 2150 Dennis A. DiZoglio, Chair, and Barbara G. Lucas, Lynn City Hall, Room 302 Call (617) 222-5179 for date Vice Chair, Transportation Planning and Programming Committee 3 City Hall Square, Lynn MBTA Board of Directors 1:00 P.M. (Reached by the Newburyport/Rockport com- Conference Rooms 2 and 3 muter rail line—Lynn Station; and by MBTA bus routes #426, #429, #435, and Meeting dates and times are subject to change: please TRANSREPORT is available in accessible formats #455.) call (617) 973-7119 for confirmation. Additional trans- to people with disabilities. Contact the Central Monday, July 25 portation meetings open to the public are listed on the Transportation Planning Staff Certification Cosponsored by the South Coastal Work Boston Region MPO Web site, www.bostonmpo.org. Force Investment Board, Quincy Mayor Activities Group at (617) 973-7119 (voice), William J. Phelan, and the South Shore (617) 973-7089 (TTY), (617) 973-8855 (fax), or Chamber of Commerce [email protected].

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization State Transportation Building First Class Mail 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150 U.S. Postage Paid Boston, MA 02116 Boston, MA Permit No. 52233

TRANSREPORT 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 welcomed and should be sent either to TRANSREPORT Editor, CTPS, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150, Boston, MA 02116, or to [email protected]. TRANSREPORT is free. The preparation of this newsletter is financed in part by grants from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.