Draft Memorandum for the Record
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Congestion Management Process Committee Meeting
January 17, 2019, Meeting
9:00 AM–10:00 AM, CTPS Large Conference Room, Suite 2150, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA
Jay Monty, Chair
The (CMP) Committee agreed to the following:
See attendance on page 5.
The meeting minutes were approved unanimously by the three committee members present at the meeting.
Task 1: Support the CMP Committee
This task entails preparing meeting materials for the CMP Committee meetings. The objective is to meet three to four times per calendar year. Items such as transit performance measures and park-and-ride data can be discussed at future meetings. Additionally, if there is a desire to meet more often, staff can invite guest presenters to the meeting.
Task 2: MBTA Park-and-Ride and Bicycle Parking Inventory
Staff surveyed every train station, every ferry station, and certain bus stops to record park-and-ride lot and bicycle parking utilization. The data have been completely collected and processed. The MPO’s modeling group has also reviewed the dataset. The MBTA will review the database and let staff know if there are any disparities with the counts.
A committee member asked about the dates of the collection for the park-and-ride survey. The park-and-ride data were collected between spring 2017 and fall 2018. It was noted that some of the park-and-ride lots had changes to their fare structure in September 2018. These changes will be reflected in the final analysis.
A committee member mentioned that one concern is that parking fee increases might encourage commuters to park illegally in neighborhoods adjacent to MBTA stations instead of in MBTA parking lots. Another committee member mentioned that the fare increases were done to help balance parking at different MBTA stations.
Task 3: Develop New Performance Measures and Criteria
There are new federal requirements for the MPO to conduct more performance monitoring. The Federal Highway Administration has given MPOs the National Performance Management Research Data Set for free. The dataset has processed INRIX data for the National Highway System (NHS), which is a smaller network than the CMP network in the Boston region. Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data are also available in this dataset. The MPO would like to determine if HPMS counts could be used to create new performance measures, such as vehicle hours of delay. The MPO also would like to conduct a comparison between the 2012 and 2015 INRIX datasets using new performance measures. This task will continue through the rest of the federal fiscal year.
Task 4: Create Dashboard for Non-recurring Congestion
This task is related to the non-recurring congestion study that was completed in the previous fiscal year. This task will create a dashboard that will visually show how congestion occurs during certain events, such as a ball game, holiday, or a winter storm for example. Most of the work on the dashboard is nearly complete.
A committee member asked if the MPO allowed to share this data. The MPO cannot share some of the data from the dashboard due to licensing agreements with INRIX, but the MPO can display analysis results from an event. For example, congestion before, during, and after a Super Bowl parade can be displayed on the dashboard.
A committee member asked if the dashboard would include locations that were affected by construction of the casino, the Green Line Extension, or a private development at Harvard Station..
Initially these locations would not be included because MPO staff only has 2012 and 2015 INRIX data. However, if staff receive more data later on, the dashboard can be updated. Predictive modeling would be useful for construction site hot spots.
The FFY 2019 CMP work plan was approved by unanimous agreement among the CMP Committee members who were present at the meeting.
Staff presented the expressway comparator application to the CMP Committee as a demonstration. (Staff also created an arterial comparator application, but decided not to release it to the public due to the disparities in arterial roadway speed data.) The comparator application compares the travel speeds on roadways between the 2012 and 2015 INRIX datasets. Some of the locations experienced increases in speeds, but the majority of locations experienced decreases in speeds. Staff contacted MassDOT staff to discuss the situation at these locations and they mentioned that the improvement in the economy over time is causing more congestion. Other factors include suburban sprawl, ridesharing, and construction.
Staff then proceeded to demonstrate the dashboard, showing the change in speeds for Interstate 90 eastbound. The dashboard shows the difference in average speed, speed index, congested time, delay per mile, and travel time index. The data can be displayed for the AM and PM peak period. The dataset is also downloadable in Excel format through the dashboard.
The committee members agreed that no bylaws were needed going forward, and motions to approve could be confirmed as long as there is unanimous agreement between the members present.
Staff submitted a Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) project to the UPWP Committee that would serve as a follow up to the Intersection Improvement Program. This project could become a future UPWP project if approved by the UPWP Committee.
The CMP committee membership vacancies will need to be discussed in a future meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 9:55 AM.
| Members |
Representatives and Alternates |
|---|---|
At-Large City (City of Everett) |
Jay Monty |
City of Boston (Boston Transportation Department) |
Tom Kadzis |
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
AnaCristina Fragoso |
| MPO Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|---|
Mark Abbott |
Ryan Hicks |
Scott Peterson |
Michelle Scott |
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) operates its programs, services, and activities in compliance with federal nondiscrimination laws including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and related statutes and regulations. Title VI prohibits discrimination in federally assisted programs and requires that no person in the United States of America shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency), be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives federal assistance. Related federal nondiscrimination laws administered by the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, or both, prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex, and disability. The Boston Region MPO considers these protected populations in its Title VI Programs, consistent with federal interpretation and administration. In addition, the Boston Region MPO provides meaningful access to its programs, services, and activities to individuals with limited English proficiency, in compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation policy and guidance on federal Executive Order 13166. The Boston Region MPO also complies with the Massachusetts Public Accommodation Law, M.G.L. c 272 sections 92a, 98, 98a, which prohibits making any distinction, discrimination, or restriction in admission to, or treatment in a place of public accommodation based on race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or ancestry. Likewise, the Boston Region MPO complies with the Governor's Executive Order 526, section 4, which requires that all programs, activities, and services provided, performed, licensed, chartered, funded, regulated, or contracted for by the state shall be conducted without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, disability, veteran's status (including Vietnam-era veterans), or background. A complaint form and additional information can be obtained by contacting the MPO or at http://www.bostonmpo.org/mpo_non_discrimination. To request this information in a different language or in an accessible format, please contact Title VI Specialist |