JANUARY 2002 TRANSREPORT TRANSPORTATION NEWS FROM THE BOSTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION New Memorandum Of Understanding to Guide Boston MPO On December 13, the Boston MPO bers will receive timely information on month between September and Novem- approved a new Memorandum of Under- projects and on funding availability. The ber, and also delegated work to several standing (MOU) outlining agree- former Sub-Signatory subcommittees. The substance of the ments that guide its workings. Committee, which document was agreed to by November The MPO developed the new carries out the 14. The document was transmitted to the MOU in response to the March day-to-day busi- federal agencies on December 14. 15, 2001, certification review by ness of the The MOU indicates several areas still the Federal Highway and Transit MPO, is being addressed by the MPO, including Administrations. renamed the developing an operations plan, reviewing There are new or revised procedures and Transportation Planning and Program- elections procedures, and establishing guidelines in many areas, from the work ming Committee. The Joint Regional project fuding criteria. Transportation Committee, the advisory of officers and establishment of commit- The new MOU is available on the tees to assumptions about funding. A board to the MPO, is now the Regional Transportation Advisory Council. Boston MPO Web site, www.ctps.org/ position of vice-chair is established, to be bostonmpo. For more information on the elected by the MPO from among the rep- The MPO formed a committee to document or its development, please resentatives of the seven municipalities develop the new MOU and hired a facili- contact Cathy Lewis at (617) 973-7118 and two regional agencies. The docu- tator to help direct the effort. The entire or [email protected]. ment defines the process by which mem- committee met two or three times a Amtrak’s Downeaster Restores Passenger Rail Service to Maine A 30-year hiatus in passenger rail service service to the University of New Hamp- Downeaster, visit its Web site: between Boston and Portland, Maine, shire. During the summer season, service www.thedowneaster.com. ended on December 14 with Amtrak’s will also be provided to the seaside resort In other Amtrak news, Vermont Agency running of a ceremonial first town of Old Orchard Beach, of Transportation officials announced the train. Revenue service on Maine. beginning of work on a three-year study the line began the next In addition to catering exploring the potential for high-speed day. to vacation and busi- rail between Boston and Montreal. The Called the ness travel, the I Downeaster, the Downeaster schedule Downeaster cont. on p. 4 train makes four allows for commuter round-trips daily travel. The four daily INSIDE THIS ISSUE between Boston’s North departures from Portland Station and Portland, and are at 6:05 a.m., 8:45 a.m., MPO activities update . 2 currently makes up to six stops 2:00 p.m., and 4:20 p.m. Trains Big Dig Lane Shift . 2 along the 114-mile route. The five regu- depart Boston at 9:45 a.m., 12:00 p.m., New Bus Stop Signs . 3 lar intermediate stations are in Haverhill, 6:15 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. Trips between Massachusetts., Exeter and Dover, New Boston and Portland take 2 hours and 45 Tobin Bridge Toll Changes . 3 Hampshire, and Saco and Wells, Maine. minutes. One-way tickets are $21 and MPO Short Notes . 4 The Saco station is still under construc- round-trip tickets are $35. Ten-trip and Meeting calendar . 4 tion. Weekend trains also stop in monthly commuter passes are also Durham, New Hampshire, to provide offered. For more information on the The members of the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO): Executive Office of Transportation and Construction • City of Boston • City of Everett • City of Newton • City of Peabody • Federal Highway Administration • Federal Transit Administration • Regional Transportation Advisory Council • Massachusetts Bay Transporta- tion Authority • Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Advisory Board • Massachusetts Highway Department • Massachusetts Port Authority • Massachusetts Turnpike Authority • Metropolitan Area Planning Council • Town of Bedford • Town of Framingham • Town of Hopkinton BOSTON METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION ACTIVITIES Big Dig Lane Shift In the early BOSTON MPO ACTION ITEMS morning hours of On December 13, the Boston Metropolitan Planning Orga- Sunday, Decem- nization met to endorse a new Memorandum of Under- ber 2, travelers standing (MOU) that will bring about a better-integrated using the Cen- MPO by redefining the roles of member agencies and the programming of projects tral Artery (see page 1 for related story). The MPO also approved the establishment of a seven- northbound wit- member task force that will explore ways to improve the flow of information to the nessed a significant change as the Big Dig MPO. The task force is expected to make its recommendations by March 15. reached another construction milestone. Northbound traffic on the Artery was TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE diverted to a new $7 million elevated ACTION ITEMS section of highway just north of the On December 20 the former Sub-Signatory Committee met for the first time as the Dewey Square Tunnel and the Atlantic Transportation Planning and Programming Committee (its name under the MPO’s Avenue exit. This new section, stretch- new MOU). The first order of business was the announcement of Secretary Sulli- ing for about a quarter-mile, parallels the van’s appointment of MBTA Planning Director Dennis A. DiZoglio as chair of the original roadway 75 feet to the right of it TPPC. Members voiced their appreciation of and thanks for Luisa Paiewonsky’s and reconnects with it just past Rowe’s work as chair of the SSC, praising her professionalism and the consensus-building Wharf. The diversion of traffic is neces- skills she brought to the committee, as evidenced in the development of the new sary for construction crews to complete MOU. the connection of the new underground The SSC also met on November 30 and December 12. Artery to the Dewey Square Tunnel. On November 30 the SSC: This lane shift will be followed by • Recommended that the MPO endorse the new MOU. another for southbound Central Artery • Approved work programs for two Central Transportation Planning Staff efforts: a traffic in February 2002. Both will remain Needham/Newton traffic impact study and travel forecasting for the South Wey- in place until the underground Artery is mouth Naval Air Station Access environmental impact report. finished. The underground roadway for northbound traffic was completed last On December 12 the SSC: summer and will open in February 2003. • Approved three CTPS technical memoranda: one documenting a study of con- The underground roadway for south- gested signalized intersections in the South Shore Coalition subregion, and two bound traffic is still under construction presenting MBTA ridership and passenger-mile estimates for the fiscal year 2001 and is slated to open in February 2004. National Transit Database. Big Dig officials have referred to last • Approved the CTPS report, MBTA Water Transportation Service: 2000 Passenger month’s lane shift as another visible sign Survey, which documents an April 2000 survey of passengers on water transporta- that the project’s end is in sight, with tion services currently funded by the MBTA. For a copy of the report, contact work now 74 percent complete. The Thomas Humphrey at (617) 973-7100 or [email protected]. $14.5 billion project is forecast to be fin- • Approved the CTPS report, Newton Lower Falls/Wellesley Subarea Study, which ished in April 2005. provides Newton and Wellesley municipal officials with a profile of existing traffic In other Big Dig news, the restrictions on volumes and patterns in Newton Lower Falls and forecasts how these conditions use of the Ted Williams Tunnel by non- may change in the future given growth in the metropolitan area. For a copy of the commercial traffic were lifted on Novem- report, contact Alicia Wilson at (617) 973-7100 or [email protected]. ber 21 and will not go back into effect JRTC UPDATE until January 3 at 5:00 a.m. The tunnel At the December meeting of the Joint Regional Transportation Committee, the was opened to all traffic in an effort to Transportation Plan subcommittee presented its draft recommendations. The full relieve traffic congestion during the holi- JRTC voted to endorse the subcommittee’s recommendations, which included day season. strong support for transit projects, particularly those that address the needs of low- income and minority neighborhoods. Presentations were made by the MBTA and the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission on the security measures taken by the two agencies in the wake of September 11. JRTC Chair Marcy Crowley announced that under the new MOU guiding the MPO, the JRTC’s name has changed to the Regional Transportation Advisory Council. TRANSREPORT 2JANUARY 2002 New Bus Stop Signage and Other MBTA News The Massachusetts demonstration of the capability of the This first phase of the signage program Bay Transportation new design to convey its several cate- will reach over 120,000 weekday bus pas- Authority unveiled gories of information in the most sengers, representing 32 percent of the its new design for bus demanding circumstances. T’s bus ridership. The program will even- stop signs at an event The new tually be implemented throughout the on Warren Street in signage will MBTA bus system. the Roxbury section initially In other MBTA news, on November 26, of Boston on December 7. The design appear on the new Causeway Street entrance to the will make it possible for the signs to pro- the 10 Orange Line at North Station opened. vide patrons with extensive information most heav- This improves access to the Orange Line on the route or routes that serve a given ily used from Green Line and commuter rail serv- stop.