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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 Amtrak Downeaster 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.