WORK PLAN
Unified Planning Work Program:
FFY 2020
October 3, 2019
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) reviews this work plan.
Boston Region MPO
Principal: Alexandra Kleyman
Manager: Sandy Johnston
MPO Planning and §5303 Contract #108217
Schedule and budget details are shown in Exhibits 1 and 2, respectively.
The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) is the MPO’s framework for the planning processes and activities that support the achievement of the MPO’s vision, goals, and objectives. The document has two main purposes:
The objectives of this work plan are as follows:
Work related to developing the upcoming FFY 2021 UPWP and the supporting implementation of the current FFY 2020 UPWP will be conducted on an ongoing basis and in compliance with all aspects of the continuous, comprehensive, and cooperative (3C) transportation-planning process.
In coordination with the Public Participation Program (PPP) Manager, the UPWP Manager will prepare new outreach materials for the current year, and support the PPP Manager in developing and maintaining contact information and documentation about existing and new stakeholder relationships.
In coordination with the PPP Manager and other program managers, the UPWP Manager will attend meetings held by the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, Metropolitan Area Planning Council subregional groups, municipal planners, and other stakeholder groups during the first quarter of the FFY. The primary purpose of attending these meetings is to answer questions about the FFY 2020 UPWP development and gather ideas for new studies and programs for the MPO to conduct in FFY 2021.
In conjunction with the project manager of a FFY 2020 discrete study, in the first quarter of FFY 2020, staff will conduct a small pilot effort with limited public outreach related to the development of the work scopes for that study. Outreach for the study scope topic may be included in staff presentations at subregional meetings (see Subtask 1.2). Depending on the results of this pilot, and the interest of project managers in participating in a similar effort, staff may work with the UPWP Committee to design a second public outreach effort toward the end of FFY 2020, intending to gain public input on the scope of certain FFY 2021 discrete studies.
Staff will investigate opportunities to improve the UPWP document and overall development process on an ongoing basis by identifying key themes for UPWP development and investigating ways to improve by reviewing any available federal guidance on the UPWP, and focusing on the key planning areas defined by federal agencies. Staff will be attentive to the vision, goals, and objectives established in Destination 2040, the MPO’s new Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), developments in the MPO’s performance-based planning practice and its information needs, and any other priorities that may emerge.
In FFY 2020, staff will continue to build on improvements made and efficiencies gained in the development of the FFY 2020 UPWP. This will include exploring the possibility of placing certain elements of upcoming UPWPs in an interactive online format rather than a static document; continuing to revise language and content to clear up redundancies and make the document more accessible to the general public; and working with the UPWP Committee to potentially rearrange content elements of the document. Staff will also develop an understanding of how changes to the structure of the 3C PL and §5303 contracts, which are being awarded as a single contract beginning in FFY 2020, will result in changes to the UPWP document. Staff anticipates that fully understanding which changes are necessary, and which changes are possible will require dialogue with the MPO’s federal partners.
Staff will compile ideas for study proposals to develop a Universe of Proposed Studies from which to select new UPWP efforts.
Staff will gather ideas for UPWP study proposals from both internal and external sources, including public input received during the FFY 2020 UPWP development process. Staff will also develop study proposals based on priority planning topics, the content of major planning documents (such as Destination 2040), and staff-identified information needs.
The UPWP’s Universe of Proposed Studies is organized in a table that includes study description, estimated costs, study evaluation criteria, and notes and comments. The UPWP Manager will coordinate with Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) directors and group managers to host meetings to discuss the study ideas in the Universe and to form a more focused Universe of Proposed Studies list from which to recommend new discrete studies to fund in the following FFY (see Task 4).
Once the Universe of Proposed Studies is narrowed down to studies that the MPO could appropriately fund through the UPWP, the UPWP Manager will coordinate with appropriate CTPS directors and group managers to conduct qualitative reviews of the proposals for transportation-planning studies using the evaluation criteria established in past UPWPs.
After the evaluation of study proposals, staff will develop a recommended list of new transportation-planning studies to be conducted in FFY 2021. These recommendations will be based on several factors, which include, but are not limited to, the following:
The UPWP Committee will consider the staff recommendations and develop its own recommended list for the MPO board.
Staff will develop a proposed budget for the FFY 2021 UPWP based on financial information for the upcoming FFY on 3C funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Staff will identify the 3C funds available for new discrete planning studies, ongoing programs, and discrete studies that will carry over into FFY 2021.
The UPWP also documents budget information for studies that are funded by other entities, such as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, for work conducted by CTPS. Thus, all work conducted by CTPS for the MPO and for transportation agencies is documented in the UPWP. Because budget information for activities funded by other entities (“Agency-Funded Work”) is often not available on the same schedule as the 3C-funded activities, in FFY 2020, staff may explore with the UPWP Committee and the MPO’s federal partners whether this information could be presented as a separate document or as a supplement to the UPWP, rather than as a chapter in the UPWP document.
Staff will create drafts of all UPWP chapters that were not completed as part of Tasks 3 through 5 above, along with any UPWP appendices.
After receiving MPO approval to release the draft FFY 2021 UPWP for public review, staff will post the document on the MPO’s website.
Staff will then collect the written and verbal comments received and write responses on behalf of the MPO, which the UPWP Committee and MPO may choose to review if they so desire. As necessary, based on feedback from the public and MPO, the UPWP document may be modified (see Subtask 6.3).
Staff will incorporate final changes, including the documentation of public comments and the MPO’s responses to the comments, into the UPWP for the MPO’s vote to endorse the document.
Staff may need to modify elements of the FFY 2020 UPWP to respond to new federal guidance or requirements, or a new direction from the MPO board. For minor changes or budget adjustments, staff will produce a memorandum and supporting documentation on the proposed changes to the UPWP and submit these items to the UPWP Committee for approval. For amendments, staff will submit documentation to both the UPWP Committee and the MPO for approval.
Staff will coordinate all of the meetings related to the UPWP and will develop materials, as needed, to support UPWP Committee and MPO discussions about changes to the UPWP. In the case of UPWP amendments, staff will support the public review process, present public comments to the MPO, and submit the endorsed amendments to the FHWA and FTA for final approval.
The UPWP Committee will meet several times during FFY 2020 to review and discuss the status of FFY 2020 UPWP study spending, scheduling, and staff assignments, and provide guidance and recommendations on the development of the FFY 2021 UPWP, as described in the above tasks. Staff will prepare materials to support the committee’s discussions and decision making.
In addition to coordinating with the UPWP Committee, staff will keep the MPO briefed on UPWP development and implementation.
Staff will continue to develop and maintain the UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database, including inputting additional data into the database; generating reports of interest to the MPO; supporting other MPO analyses and activities; and providing tracking data to other staff. As resources allow, this work may include developing a public-facing graphic or map-based interface for exploration of the data contained in the database. The exact work to be undertaken with regard to the Database will be an early topic of discussion for the UPWP Committee in FFY 2020—as defining specific tasks requires guidance from the committee as to their priorities.
1 Certain outreach activities will be funded as part of the 3C Planning and MPO Support Program. The UPWP budget will support the development of informational materials for outreach activities.
| Task |
Month | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
1.
Conduct Outreach to Municipalities and Other Groups |
From Month 1, Week 1 to Month 3, Week 4.
|
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2.
Establish the FFY 2021 UPWP Development Framework and Identify Areas for Improvement |
From Month 1, Week 1 to Month 4, Week 4.
|
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3.
Develop the FFY 2021 Universe of Proposed Studies |
From Month 3, Week 3 to Month 4, Week 2.
|
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4.
Develop Recommended List of New Studies for FFY 2021 |
From Month 4, Week 2 to Month 6, Week 4.
|
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5.
Develop the FFY 2021 UPWP Budgets for New Studies, Ongoing Programs, and Administrative and Resource Activities |
From Month 6, Week 1 to Month 7, Week 4.
|
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6.
Develop the Draft and Final FFY 2021 UPWP Documents |
From Month 3, Week 1 to Month 10, Week 2.
|
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7.
Manage the Administration of the FFY 2020 UPWP |
From Month 1, Week 1 to Month 12, Week 4.
|
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8.
Support Ongoing Coordination between MPO Staff, the UPWP Committee, and the MPO |
From Month 1, Week 1 to Month 12, Week 4.
|
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9.
Maintain and Update the UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database |
From Month 1, Week 1 to Month 12, Week 4.
|
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| Task |
Person-Weeks | Direct Salary |
Overhead (102.11%) |
Total Cost |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | P-5 | P-4 | P-3 | P-2 | SP-1 | Total | ||||
1.
Conduct Outreach to Municipalities and Other Groups
|
0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 2.6 | $2,977 | $3,040 | $6,018 |
2.
Establish the FFY 2021 UPWP Development Framework and Identify Areas for Improvement
|
0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | $1,487 | $1,519 | $3,006 |
3.
Develop the FFY 2021 Universe of Proposed Studies
|
0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.2 | $2,603 | $2,658 | $5,260 |
4.
Develop Recommended List of New Studies for FFY 2021
|
1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3.4 | $4,831 | $4,933 | $9,764 |
5.
Develop the FFY 2021 UPWP Budgets for New Studies, Ongoing Programs, and Administrative and Resource Activities
|
1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | $4,090 | $4,177 | $8,267 |
6.
Develop the Draft and Final FFY 2021 UPWP Documents
|
1.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 12.0 | 0.0 | 18.4 | $22,586 | $23,062 | $45,648 |
7.
Manage the Administration of the FFY 2020 UPWP
|
0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2.2 | $2,603 | $2,658 | $5,260 |
8.
Support Ongoing Coordination between MPO Staff, the UPWP Committee, and the MPO
|
0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 4.2 | $5,513 | $5,630 | $11,143 |
9.
Maintain and Update the UPWP Study Recommendation Tracking Database
|
0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 6.3 | 11.2 | $10,729 | $10,955 | $21,684 |
Total
|
4.0 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 31.0 | 6.3 | 48.5 | $57,419 | $58,631 | $116,050 |