TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM

DATE:   February 1, 2024

TO:         Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

FROM:   Tegin Teich, Executive Director

RE:         Recommended Revisions to Certain 3C Budgets

This memo contains recommendations from the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) staff for modifications to the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2024 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) budget, forming Amendment One to the FFY 2024 UPWP. This amendment extends de-obligated PL funds from prior fiscal years that were unspent into FFY 2024, and serves the purpose of advancing the MPO’s information technology capabilities and model network. MPO staff are requesting an amendment to the current PL contract for FFY 2024 to add $112,000 in de-obligated federal PL funding with a $28,000 state match, for a total increase of $140,000. Specifically, MPO staff propose using these funds for the following purposes:

1. Extending the availability of $10,000 to conduct an Accessibility Practice Review. Staff are looking to engage a consultant from the state contract list for a high-level review of accessibility requirements and practices, with a goal to inform an update to our own practices.
2. Extending the availability of $25,000 to embark on a plan for upgrading the model network. Staff will engage Caliper Corporation, the developer of the TransCAD software that serves as the platform for the MPO’s regional travel demand model, and its service packs to evaluate the model roadway and transit networks and subsequently to recommend priorities and approaches to improve the network accuracy and maintainability. Implementing Caliper’s recommendations would be a separate body of work through a future contract.
3. Extending the availability of $50,000 to commence the development of an information technology (IT) strategy. Staff will engage a consultant through a request-for-a-quote (RFQ) process to develop a three-year strategic IT plan. The consultant will review and understand the organization and associated IT infrastructure, and recommend a three-year IT infrastructure implementation plan. In addition, the consultant will include recommendations for agency website administration and database management.
4. Extending the availability of $25,000 to procure support for operating system migration. Staff plan to engage vendor support to migrate away from a web server operating system as security coverage is due to end in June 2024. A vendor on the state contract would be engaged to take on the task of reviewing and evaluating potential operating systems, developing an operating system cutover plan, and replacing the current operating system used for the agency’s web server.
5. Extending the availability of $30,000 to obtain support for the agency’s website. Staff are planning to engage temporary part-time support to implement items from a growing queue of functional improvements required on the website. There are a discrete set of tasks that an individual with appropriate skills could implement through part-time employment over a four-month period. Sample tasks include adding calendar events and associated documents to website search results, implementing contact form protections against bot submissions, enriching the staff directory, controlling cookie usage, and updating the associated website privacy policy.

This amendment comes at a crucial time for MPO staff—the addition of previously de-obligated funds to the FFY 2024 contract will allow MPO staff to carry out time-sensitive work before the end of the federal fiscal year. These adjustments, shown in Table 1, will increase the FFY 2024 UPWP budget by $140,000.

Thank you for your attention in reviewing these recommended modifications. MPO staff will be happy to discuss and answer any questions from board members. After a discussion, we hope you will agree with these recommended modifications. We request you then vote to waive the 21-day public comment period and endorse Amendment One to the FFY 2024 UPWP on February 1, 2024.

Table 1
FFY 2024 UPWP Proposed Budget Adjustments

*123114 is the FFY 2024 planning contract number.

FFY = Federal Fiscal Year. MPO = Metropolitan Planning Organization. UPWP = Unified Planning Work Program.

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
Boston Region MPO
10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150
Boston, MA 02116
civilrights@ctps.org

By Telephone:
857.702.3700 (voice)

For people with hearing or speaking difficulties, connect through the state MassRelay service:

Relay Using TTY or Hearing Carry-over: 800.439.2370
Relay Using Voice Carry-over: 866.887.6619
Relay Using Text to Speech: 866.645.9870
For more information, including numbers for Spanish speakers, visit https://www.mass.gov/massrelay.