Meeting Summary
Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Pilot Transit Working Group
July 20, 2020, Meeting
2:30 PM–4:30 PM, Zoom Web Conference
Tegin Teich (Executive Director, MPO Staff) welcomed the meeting attendees, including presenters and support staff from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). She introduced the MPO, the area it serves, and the role Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) plays in informing and supporting MPO members in making transparent, inclusive decisions to create a modern, well-maintained transportation system. The MPO is conducting a pilot transit working group to help transit providers in the Boston region better coordinate with one another on operation, planning, and other issues. She noted that this is the first time the group has met since its initial meeting in January and added that MPO staff plan to hold these meetings on a more frequent (potentially quarterly) basis in the future.
Michelle Scott (MPO Staff) explained that the MPO’s Pilot
Transit Working Group was created to help the MPO
improve coordination among transit providers in the Boston region and to
represent transit more fully in MPO activities and decisions. MPO staff have
asked various types of transit providers to participate in these meetings, and have also invited advocacy groups and members of the public
to attend. More background information about the MPO’s Pilot Transit Working Group
and materials from the previous meeting are available on the MPO website. M. Scott reviewed
the agenda, guidelines, and logistics for the meeting and explained that during
the question-and-answer portions of the meeting, MPO
staff would prioritize questions and comments from transit providers.
M. Scott explained that the goals of this meeting’s presentation and discussions are (1) to support coordination between the MBTA and other transit providers providing service during the pandemic, and (2) to support general relationship building and communication between these entities. She introduced Kat Benesh, the MBTA’s Chief of Operations Strategy, Policy and Oversight, and Laurel Paget-Seekins, the MBTA’s Assistant General Manager for Policy. K. Benesh oversees the MBTA’s Service Planning and Scheduling Department and its Transit Priority team, and multiple continuous improvement initiatives, including the MBTA’s Lean Six Sigma team. L. Paget-Seekins works at the intersection of data, policy, and community engagement. Her team works on policy for fares and service, and she is coordinating an MBTA-wide working group related to the COVID-19 transition.
K. Benesh described a history of the ridership changes and MBTA responses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ridership dropped dramatically after a state of emergency was declared in March 2020, although changes varied by mode. The MBTA also faced lower workforce availability and general uncertainty about the future. The MBTA reaffirmed or modified several of its service principles during this crisis, which include the following:
· Providing critical service to those who rely on the MBTA for essential trips
· Incorporating flexibility while continuing to be predictable and reliable for customers
· Supporting physical distancing for customers
· Encouraging essential travel only
Starting in mid-March 2020, the MBTA adjusted its bus and rail service to modified Saturday schedules. Employees who were able still reported for work, and the MBTA looked at how it could deploy any additional available workers in flexible ways. Since the MBTA began operating modified service, the level of crowding at which people would feel safe is now lower than what is defined in the MBTA’s current service delivery policy, which effectively changes the MBTA’s definitions of capacity. MBTA staff have found the data from automatic passenger counters on its buses valuable, as it allows them to check ridership within 24 hours. The MBTA uses this ridership information along with feedback from customers, operators, and transit advocates to respond to changes in demand and instances of crowding, and to maximize the use of its flexible workforce.
MBTA staff have found that ridership changes have not been uniform across its services. Initially, bus ridership decreased less than heavy rail and commuter rail ridership. The extent to which bus ridership has changed also varies by route. Ridership has slowly been increasing on all modes, with the bus system and the Blue Line showing the highest shares of pre-COVID ridership (40 and 35 percent, respectively). The MBTA has seen a five percent week-over-week increase in ridership on its various modes. When MBTA examined the travel patterns of essential workers riding transit, staff found that travel patterns by time-of-day had changed, and the peak hours had moved earlier than before the pandemic.
K. Benesh explained that the MBTA’s summer schedules reflect nuanced responses to these findings. The MBTA added service where possible and adjusted service based on ridership patterns. The bus and Silver Line networks are now operating at 100 percent of weekday service hours, but service is only being run on 80 percent of all routes. The MBTA has scheduled 70 percent of the service it provides; the remaining 30 percent is unscheduled and supports additional service to minimize crowding. The MBTA has added more service to routes that have had durable ridership during the pandemic, such as Routes 22, 111, and 116. In some cases, the amount of service the MBTA is running on such routes meets or exceeds the amount of service these routes had before the pandemic. Meanwhile, MBTA Commuter Rail is running at 85 percent of service levels, although the MBTA has maintained pre-pandemic levels of service on the Fairmount Line and has even added service as part of its Fairmount Line Weekday Service pilot. Ferry service is operating at 75 percent of baseline levels, while The RIDE paratransit service is operating at pre-pandemic service levels.
K. Benesh added that as the MBTA provides service this fall, it will consider how it can rebalance service hours to better match where demand exist, given changes to travel patterns prompted by the pandemic. MBTA will also consider how passengers are shifting travel across transit modes and services, including those run by other agencies.
L. Paget-Seekins explained that the MBTA seeks to shift riders to where capacity is available. MBTA staff is examining cases where there is parallel service between commuter rail and bus routes. which could be a place where some travelers could shift between modes. The MBTA is considering these cases when developing its fall commuter rail schedules. For example, the MBTA is providing additional off-peak commuter rail service to Lynn and is piloting Zone 1A fares between Lynn and North station to encourage bus and Blue Line riders to take the MBTA commuter rail. Also, as part of its Fairmount Line Weekday Service pilot, the MBTA has been installing fare validators to enable customers with CharlieCards to access the commuter rail. The MBTA has also made its Youth Pass fare product valid on all commuter rail zones.
L. Paget-Seekins described the MBTA’s efforts to monitor and report crowding information. The MBTA has launched real-time crowding data on some of its busiest bus routes, which are available on the MBTA website, E-Ink displays, and the MBTA-endorsed TransitApp. The MBTA is also working on how to use and share information about crowding on its heavy rail lines using recent historic data.
L. Paget-Seekins mentioned that the MBTA is also working with employers on how to manage demand. For example, the MBTA developed a Flexpass for MBTA commuter rail that enables customers to purchase a bundle of five one-day passes that can be used anytime within 30 days. The MBTA staff proposed this product knowing that people’s travel schedules have changed. The MBTA is also conducting an employer panel survey to collect information about employee work schedules and factors affecting travel demand. L. Paget-Seekins asked Transit Working Group attendees to share information about the panel survey with employers to encourage participation. She added that the MBTA will be monitoring these various efforts through the fall—findings will inform the MBTA’s future responses to the pandemic.
Kate White (MPO staff) relayed questions that Transit Working Group attendees entered into the Zoom chat feature.
K. White asked what will happen to MBTA bus routes that currently do not have service operating on them, particularly during the fall. K. Benesh explained that the vast majority of MBTA routes that are not operating now have not been running since March 17, 2020. When creating the summer schedule, the MBTA restored Routes 19 and 245, which serve medical institutions, and suspended five routes, which are primarily express bus routes for 9-to-5 commuters. (Note: MBTA routes that are currently suspended are listed on the MBTA website at mbta.com/covid19.) Before suspending routes, MBTA staff conducted an exercise to make sure that bus riders who would have taken these suspended routes would have other bus options on those travel corridors. K. Benesh said she expected that most of the routes that had been suspended during the summer would be restored as part of the fall schedules.
K. White asked what will happen when the MBTA exceeds available capacity based on new crowding definitions. K. Benesh explained that large transit systems like the MBTA are exploring what might happen should ridership return to pre-COVID levels, given lower crowding thresholds during the pandemic, which can result in reduced transit capacity. The MBTA has been exploring how to manage supply and demand across modes. Examples include encouraging passengers to shift from bus to commuter rail or working with employers to encourage telecommuting or travel at different times of day when more capacity might be available. L. Paget-Seekins added that new crowding thresholds have informed MBTA service-planning decisions, such as those that shift service between bus routes to manage demand. She distinguished these decisions from those that need to be made in the moment when a particular bus may be too crowded. The MBTA has established policies that allow drivers to bypass a stop when a bus is overcrowded. The MBTA has also established procedures for drivers to communicate instances of crowding to the MBTA operations center. In addition, the MBTA is maintaining a pre COVID-19 policy for drivers of buses that are too crowded to pick up a person with a visible disability or a mobility device to still stop and explain why the person cannot be picked up.
K. White asked what transportation management associations (TMAs) can communicate to customers about how the MBTA is managing risk so that customers feel comfortable on the bus and subway. K. Benesh explained that the MBTA is ensuring rider and employee safety by
· maintaining and improving cleaning and decontamination protocols;
· launching the Ride Safer campaign, which communicates the importance of masks and social distancing, including limiting the number of parties on an elevator at one time;
· requiring face coverings for MBTA employees when employees are in customer-facing settings or cannot socially distance;
· providing enclosures around bus and trolley operators;
· providing temperature screening at most locations and free COVID-19 testing for all MBTA employees; and
· conducting extensive cleaning and sanitation processes for stations and facilities and bus and rail vehicles.
Compared to peer agencies, the MBTA is a leader in vehicle decontamination and videos of the decontamination process are available on the MBTA’s website. The MBTA is open to feedback and suggestions on how to improve employee and rider safety.
K. White asked how the MBTA would be conducting outreach with municipalities, transit providers, and other members of the public on upcoming service changes. K. Benesh explained that it is helpful to think of upcoming changes as happening in a series, and said that the MBTA hopes to bring back more bus routes in the fall, assuming the Commonwealth continues to recover. The MBTA is in the process of scheduling meetings with municipalities and advocates over the next six or seven weeks. A briefing for elected officials will be happening soon, and the MBTA is looking to schedule public meetings in August. The MBTA is looking forward to engaging communities and the public both about (1) the fall schedules and (2) the schedules for the winter and the spring, for which the MBTA has more flexibility to make changes.
K. White asked how Title VI considerations were incorporated into MBTA decisions to reduce or suspend service on routes. L. Paget-Seekins explained that the Federal Transit Administration has granted some flexibility to transit agencies when conducting formal Title VI analysis for temporary service changes given the crisis, although permanent service changes would require a full analysis. The MBTA is being mindful of whether the service changes that are being made are equitable beyond just passing a Title VI analysis. In terms of service planning, the MBTA is prioritizing the needs of communities that have been most impacted by the pandemic. The MBTA may do some informal Title VI analysis to check assumptions. K. Benesh added that the MBTA expects that many of these recent changes will be temporary, and added that the MBTA has not made changes to the areas that will be served by The RIDE or changes to the difference between local Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) fares and premium non-ADA fares.
K. White asked whether the presenters could share information about vehicle airflow and how that affects passenger boarding. K. Benesh said that the MBTA has teams looking into this issue and working with vehicle manufacturers. L. Paget-Seekins added that the MBTA has installed barriers to separate drivers and passengers to support a return to front door boarding.
K. Benesh and L. Paget-Seekins asked representatives of regional transit authorities and TMAs in the audience if they are approaching aspects of service provision differently from the MBTA and why. L. Paget-Seekins added that she is considering how the MBTA might “unwind” some policy changes as part of a return to pre-COVID-19 service. Questions include the types of public health data and the conditions that will need to be in place for the MBTA to return to previous standards and practices. One example relates to the new crowding thresholds that apply during the pandemic. How long will the MBTA need to have these limits on its capacity, and how will it need facilitate transportation in a physically distant manner, which can run counter to the idea of mass transportation?
K. White asked about changes and pilots programs the MBTA might want to make permanent, and the ways that data will shape the MBTA’s future planning. L. Paget-Seekins responded that it is still unclear how travel patterns may have changed for the long-term, even after the pandemic subsides. The MBTA is considering what the desired future is after the pandemic ends, and how the MBTA can make changes to achieve that future. To support this desired future, the MBTA will work to make people feel safe riding public transportation. The MBTA also considers this future when thinking about its pilot programs and overall network.
T. Teich mentioned that the Boston Region MPO is always thinking about how to encourage people to shift from single-occupancy vehicles to transit and other sustainable modes. She acknowledged that the MBTA is thinking about service differently during the pandemic but asked whether the MBTA still feels empowered to boost or enhance transit in this environment, and if not, how can the MBTA move toward doing so.
L. Paget-Seekins noted that this is a long-term conversation. Right now, three crises are converging: the pandemic, an economic crisis, and ongoing issues related to racial justice. The decisions that need to be made to reach a desired future need to be considered in the context of all three crises. She added that she has been watching changes in biking and walking trips during the pandemic and has been contemplating whether people’s concepts of a neighborhood, and what destinations people feel they can reach within a walking or bicycling trip, is changing. K. Benesh said that another thing that might be changing is people’s perception of the quality of time spent on transit or waiting for transit or in making transfers, given public health concerns. People’s opinions about the amount of time they spend in a car in traffic, compared to spending that time on a crowded bus, may be changing. She noted that there will be difficult conversations to be had about why bus lanes and bus priority is important, given these circumstances. She added that in many ways, it is even more important now that we have these conversations than before.
Paul Christner, MPO staff’s manager of Transit Analysis and Planning, described a COVID-19 Transit technical assistance program offered by the MPO. This technical assistance is designed to help transit operators who may have reduced or suspended service to consider opportunities to restore or expand service. The MPO encourages regional transit authorities, TMAs, councils on aging, and other entities that provide service to the public to apply by July 31, 2020. It should be clear that this technical assistance is focused on transit service planning as opposed to the public health issue, because MPO staff do not have public health expertise.
P. Christner also mentioned that he expects the MPO’s Guidebook for Operating a Successful Shuttle Program will be available in August. To produce this guidebook, MPO staff interviewed local shuttle providers about service design, performance management, branding, marketing, and funding.
M. Scott explained that the MPO has been working on new strategies and investment programs, such as the Community Connections and Transit Modernization programs, to address transit needs. The MPO uses project selection criteria to evaluate projects in its various investment programs to determine which ones they will fund in the MPO’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). By giving input on updates to these criteria, transit providers can help improve this project selection process.
K. White explained that in fall 2019, the MPO gathered data about people’s transportation priorities to follow up on outreach conducted for the MPO’s Long-Range Transportation Plan. MPO staff has used this information, plus best practices from federal and state agencies and other MPOs, to propose updated criteria. Staff has presented changes to the MPO Board and now seeks public feedback on the proposed revisions. Staff will release a survey and has produced a guidebook that explains these changes, and seeks Transit Working Group attendees’ support in sharing this information. Outreach activities will take place starting July 28th through mid-to-late August. Information will be included in post Transit Working Group meeting emails, and will be available through the MPO’s social media channels (including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn). Recordings from the MPO’s outreach events will be made available on the Boston Region MPO YouTube channel.
Sandy Johnston (MPO staff) explained that the MPO plans to spend approximately $2 million per year in its Community Connections investment program to address first- and last-mile solutions. Over the past year, MPO staff has been running this program as a pilot and the recently endorsed TIP includes the first set of awards to specific projects. More information is available on the MPO’s Community Connections program web page. A second program cycle will likely be launched sometime in October. This fall, MPO staff will consider lessons learned from the pilot round and welcome feedback on the program.
M. Scott explained that this section of the meeting provides an opportunity for transit providers to share updates with one another. Susan Barrett (Town of Lexington) provided an update about the LexPress service, which serves Lexington and supports connections to Burlington and Arlington. She said that prior to the pandemic, LexPress administrators had been planning service changes based on survey data and the results from a several-year study prior to COVID-19. After the pandemic started, LexPress went on a hiatus but recently held a virtual public forum about new service plans and received generally positive feedback. Under these proposed service plans, LexPress would transition from running loop routes to traveling “out and back” to key destinations. These plans would also involve eliminating LexPress’s least popular routes. When LexPress ends its hiatus, it will be operating under this new service plan.
Attendees continued to ask questions for the MBTA presenters through the Zoom chat box. K. White and M. Scott relayed these questions to presenters.
K. White asked why Blue Line ridership is currently higher than ridership on some other rail lines. L. Paget-Seekins replied that ridership on the Blue Line may be higher because it crosses Boston Harbor, and it is harder to cross this bottleneck on foot or by bike. She added that the Blue Line has the highest share of riders from low-income communities or communities of color who are connecting to downtown Boston.
K. White asked if the MBTA’s crowding data are available for download. L. Paget-Seekins responded that data from subway fare gates are available on MBTA’s Data Blog, and that the MBTA is working on updating data for bus ridership.
K. White asked what performance metrics the MBTA will use to evaluate its service planning decisions during the pandemic. K. Benesh noted that the approach the MBTA uses will need to change—while the MBTA has traditionally used ridership as a metric, that approach might not be inherently good right now. L. Paget-Seekins added that the MBTA has evaluated its pilot programs using surveys of participants, and the MBTA is now exploring ways to conduct rider surveys that do not require data collection in the field. The MBTA is interested in seeing riders switch from bus and subway to commuter rail and could watch for increases in commuter rail ridership, but it would be difficult to determine what modes those riders are switching from. The MBTA could also look at increases or decreases in bus and subway crowding. She noted that it can be difficult to rely on other indicators because aspects of traveler behavior may be changing. She added that the MBTA might look to changes in commuter rail parking as a suggestion of shifts from bus and subway use to commuter rail use, but these patterns are in turn being affected by more people dropping off riders at stations as opposed to parking.
K. Benesh mentioned that crowding data are reported to the general manager and operations leaders daily to support service decisions related to capacity and workforce availability for the next day, and that this information can also be used to evaluate past decisions. She identified Route 111 as an example of where the MBTA used crowding data to ultimately increase the number of trips on this route above pre-COVID levels to minimize crowding. Over time, the MBTA has seen crowding decrease on Route 111. In the future, it will be challenging to disentangle short-term crowding from the effects of returning ridership. However, the MBTA will continue to monitor information and make data-driven decisions.
K. White asked how the MBTA is coordinating with public health experts. K. Benesh acknowledged that she and L. Paget-Seekins have only been speaking about a portion of what is happening at the MBTA with respect to addressing COVID-19. Several working groups within the MBTA are addressing COVID-related issues. One working group ensures MBTA workers have sufficient personal protective equipment and another focuses on the cleaning and decontamination of vehicles and stations. Other groups address workforce policies and broader transition planning. The MBTA’s security department leads the MBTA’s overall response to COVID-19 and coordinates with other state agencies, including public health experts, on the state level-pandemic response, which is in turn connected to things happening at the federal level.
K. White asked where the MBTA is looking at providing dedicated bus lanes or transit signal priority projects. K. Benesh responded that prior to the pandemic, the MBTA worked with CTPS to study and identify priority locations for bus lanes, based in part on congestion, ridership, and passenger delay data. The MBTA’s transit priority team has since been working with municipalities and roadway owners to fund and build bus lanes at those locations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the MBTA has been reprioritizing locations included in its bus priority plan based on information on durable ridership and has not published this reprioritized list yet. The MBTA is now working with municipalities on the reprioritization process. There has been a recent meeting about an outbound bus lane on North Washington Street, and there is an upcoming meeting on bus lanes on Columbus Avenue, which would address routes with durable ridership, such as Route 22, and would be the first MBTA examples of center-running bus lanes. She recommended that people refer to the MBTA’s priority bus lanes plan from last fall as a baseline with the understanding that the MBTA is undergoing this reprioritization process. The MBTA still seeks to build all 14-plus miles, but the order in which these miles will be built will be affected by the presence of durable ridership and how quickly projects can be implemented. For example, side-running bus lanes can be implemented more quickly than center-running bus lanes.
M. Scott asked how the MBTA might leverage data that it is collecting now to plan for changes in future years. L. Paget-Seekins responded that the MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign team is considering current ridership data as it plans what the bus network might look like over the next few years. The team is also looking at data from other travel modes, including nontransit modes, to see if there are changes in overall transportation patterns that the network redesign should consider.
T. Teich noted that this topic is an important area for collaboration. All agencies need to think critically about data and information and how to integrate data in ways that make sense. She appreciates the presenters’ acknowledgement that it is not possible to use data the same way we have in the past. Data is valuable, but it is not everything, and many policy decisions will need to be made regardless of what information data resources may be able to provide. She added that it is important for various agencies to work together to consider cross-cutting ways to use the data and information at hand. L. Paget-Seekins responded that the MBTA has been combining its crowding data with supplementary information from customers and community groups. The MBTA has continued its Customer Panel survey throughout the pandemic to help better understand how people, who may have been frequent MBTA riders before, are traveling now and how behavior is changing. This also helps the MBTA consider how to approach service in the future.
M. Scott asked what provisions the MBTA may make to support safe travel for when schools, colleges, and day care centers reopen. K. Benesh noted that this is a major area of uncertainty. Service that supports travel to K–12 schools make up a large piece of MBTA schedules. She asked that any insight audience members may have about school plans being made in communities would be helpful. L. Paget-Seekins added that the MBTA has made educated guesses about possible scenarios, but the MBTA, like many other agencies, will need to deal with the ultimate outcome as best it can.
K. White asked if any modifications will be made MBTA’s travel training program to respond to the pandemic. K. Benesh noted that she and L. Paget-Seekins may not be the right people to answer that question but they could take that concern back to colleagues at the MBTA.
M. Scott explained that this portion of the meeting is for any attendees who may not be transit providers but who would want to share feedback about transit issues.
M. Scott relayed a comment from John Seward, who said that going forward, the MBTA’s proactive policies and actions should be continually monitored and reviewed for efficacy. He added that some policies or actions may no longer be needed or needed as much. Meanwhile, other actions might be needed to maximize safety. K. White relayed that J. Seward was also interested in how the MBTA may be involved with contract-tracing efforts, and how the MBTA may alert employers to variations in crowding to support trip planning for those with flex-time schedules. K. Benesh responded that she could not comment directly on contract tracing but explained that in general, the MBTA expects the Department of Public Health to contact them with any contract-tracing questions.
Lisa Weber (Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation) commented that members of the public may look at data and schedule changes differently from transit enthusiasts. A customer who uses the MBTA may expect a trip to happen and when it does not, they may have a hard time trusting the system again, because they may not be aware of how the MBTA has made its decisions to alter service. Customers may be concerned that ongoing modifications to serve may affect their ability to reach jobs or other destinations, even if the modifications were made to meet a need somewhere else. She added that she appreciated meetings like this one, and was glad that it is possible to meet using Zoom.
K. White relayed a question from the chat box about whether the MBTA was going to implement transit modes that produce less pollution, such as electric vehicles, as part of any service modifications. K. Benesh responded that the MBTA considers moving travelers from single-occupancy vehicles to buses as a net positive in terms of reducing pollution. Currently, the MBTA does not have the fleet or the facility infrastructure to support electric vehicle. This would require significant investment and the available technology might not be sufficiently advanced. A broader electrification discussion needs to happen at the MBTA, and related changes would not happen in the fall, but would be part of longer-term planning.
K. White relayed audience members’ appreciation for the presentation and M. Scott thanked the presenters for attending and sharing valuable information. She noted that MPO staff would send out follow-up information both about MBTA resources, including links, and the MPO activities that were discussed. Rhoda Gibson (MassAdapt) asked that links that were posted in the Zoom chat box be sent out to attendees. M. Scott noted that the meeting recording would be made available on YouTube, and that MPO staff would seek to schedule future Transit Working Group meetings on a quarterly basis.
|
Attendee |
Affiliation |
|
Zachary Agush |
Rhode Island
Public Transit Authority |
|
Caitlin Allen-Connelly |
A Better City |
|
Susan Barrett |
Town of Lexington |
|
Louise Baxter |
(none provided) |
|
Kat Benesh |
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) |
|
Jeff Bennett |
128 Business Council |
|
Todd Blake |
City of Medford |
|
Nick Burnham |
Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Council (CMRPC)/Worcester
Regional Transit Authority |
|
Antonio Castaneda |
MBTA |
|
David Chambers |
Charles River Transportation Management Association (TMA) |
|
Stephanie Cronin |
Middlesex 3 Coalition |
|
Lenard Diggins |
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
|
Melissa Dullea |
MBTA |
|
Josie Dutil |
Bellingham Senior Center |
|
Wes Edwards |
MBTA |
|
Jay Flynn |
TransitMatters |
|
Kelly Forrester |
Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT) |
|
Maria Foster |
Brookline Council on Aging |
|
AnaCristina Fragoso |
Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section (BSCES) of the American
Society of Civil Engineers |
|
Sophia Galimore |
Watertown TMA |
|
Jim Gascoigne |
Charles River TMA |
|
Glenn Geiler |
Brockton Area Transit Authority |
|
Rhoda Gibson |
MassADAPT |
|
Jillian Linnell |
MBTA |
|
Amitai Lipton |
Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) |
|
Jack Lovett |
Massachusetts resident |
|
Constance Mellis |
CMRPC |
|
Ken Miller |
Federal Highway Administration |
|
David Montgomery |
Town of Needham Representative to the Regional Transportation Advisory
Council |
|
Matthew Moran |
Boston Transportation Department |
|
Attendee |
Affiliation |
|
Benjamin Muller |
MassDOT |
|
James Nee |
Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization |
|
Russell Norton |
MBTA |
|
Jane Obbagy |
Obbagy Consulting |
|
Franny Osman |
Acton Transportation Advisory Committee |
|
Laurel Paget-Seekins |
MBTA |
|
Robert Pierson |
Norfolk County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program/County of Norfolk |
|
Travis Pollack |
Metropolitan Area Planning Council |
|
Saritha Ramakrishna |
Conservation Law Foundation |
|
Reggie Ramos |
MBTA |
|
Brad Rawson |
City of Somerville |
|
Marissa Rivera |
A Better City TMA |
|
Meg Robertson |
Massachusetts Commission for the Blind |
|
T Roy |
(none provided) |
|
Paul Ruggeri |
Streetlight Data |
|
Alyssa Sandoval |
Town of Bedford |
|
Thomas Schiavone |
MassDOT |
|
John Seward |
MoveMassachusetts |
|
Adam Shulman |
City of Cambridge |
|
Samantha Silverberg |
MBTA |
|
Andrew Smith |
MBTA |
|
Greg Sobczynski |
MassDOT/MBTA |
|
LaTanya Steele |
The Center at the Heights |
|
Patrick Sullivan |
Seaport TMA |
|
Anthony Thomas |
MBTA |
|
Patricia Waitkevich |
Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority |
|
Felicia Webb |
Cape Ann Transportation Authority |
|
Lisa Weber |
Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation |
|
Grecia White |
MBTA |
|
Laura Wiener |
Town of Watertown (Watertown Community Development and Planning) |
|
Stephen Winslow |
Malden City Councilor |
|
Darlene Wynne |
City of Beverly |
|
Wig Zamore |
Somerville Transportation Equity Project |
|
Melissa Zampitella |
Alewife TMA |
|
MPO
Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff |
|
Tegin Teich,
Executive Director |
|
Matt Archer Jonathan Belcher Paul Christner Jonathan Church Annette Demchur |
|
Betsy Harvey Kathy Jacob Sandy Johnston |
|
Barbara Rutman |
|
Michelle Scott |
|
Kate White |
|
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
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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 |