TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
DATE: August 1, 2024
TO: Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
FROM: Erin Maguire, Boston Region MPO Staff
RE: Summary of Revisions to the Memorandum of Understanding
On November 30, 2023, the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) voted to delegate discussions of updates to the MPO’s governing document, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to the MOU Update Committee. These updates came as a result of the 2022 Federal Certification Review, which issued one corrective action and some recommendations related to the content of the MOU.
Prior to this vote, actions were taken to address the corrective action, resulting in an amended MOU that became effective in September 2023. Further revisions and deliberations related to updating the MOU, which was last fully revised in 2011, then were delegated to the MOU Update Committee. The committee’s charges are summarized in a memorandum from November 2023. This group has met on an approximately monthly cadence since January 2024.
Revisions to the MOU fall under six major categories:
· Regional transit authorities’ (RTAs) role
· Regional Transportation Advisory Council description
· Reference to the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)/Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) Fiduciary Agent Agreement
· Description of project information sharing and agency collaboration
· Staff and committee led clarifications
· Editorial revisions
Updates related to agency collaboration will be contained in updates to the MPO’s Operations Plan. The Operations Plan defines processes in greater detail than the MOU and allows for more regular updates. Revisions to the Operations Plan will be deliberated in the MOU Update Committee and discussed with the full MPO board in late 2024.
Table 1, found below, outlines the substance of revisions that have been made from the 2023 MOU, including the page that includes the content in the draft MOU (posted to the MPO meeting calendar), the category it is related to, and a summary of the content.
Table 1
Revisions Made to the 2023 MOU
|
Revision |
Section |
Page |
Category |
Summary |
|
List of signatories |
Title page |
1 |
Staff-led clarifications |
List of signatories has been revised to reflect updated membership of the SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee and the region’s RTAs |
|
Reference to most recent MOUs |
Throughout document |
Throughout document |
Staff-led clarifications |
References throughout the document to previous MOUs have been updated to refer to the September 2023 revision |
|
Introductory section |
Section 1: Introduction |
3–4 |
Editorial revisions |
Paragraphs describing the importance of transportation planning and the 3-C process, including references to relevant regulations, have been relocated to the beginning of this section |
|
Whereas statement for RTAs |
Section 1: Introduction |
5 |
RTAs |
A whereas statement has been added to reflect the decision to add a board seat, to be shared between the region’s RTAs |
|
RTA seat on the board and description of seat rotation |
Section 2: Composition and Roles of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization |
6 |
RTAs |
In response to a recommendation from the 2022 Federal Certification Review, the Boston Region MPO has voted to add a shared board seat between the region’s RTAs, to be shared on a rotating two-year term |
|
Regional Transportation Advisory Council description |
Section 2.D: The Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
7–8 |
Regional Transportation Advisory Council |
The Advisory Council description has been revised, in consultation with the Advisory Council, to reflect its primary mission, role, and primary goals of equity, accountability, and engagement |
|
Voting rules |
Section 2.E: Voting Rules |
8 |
Staff-led clarifications |
Voting rules have been clarified to define a simple majority and the items that require a two-thirds majority vote as opposed to a simple majority |
|
Introductory paragraph of the functions and roles of the Boston Region MPO and its committees |
Section 3.A: Overview |
9 |
Editorial revisions |
Reference to the Boston Region MPO as the forum for the 3-C decision-making process has been updated and clarified |
|
Reference to geographic distribution of projects |
Section 3.A: Overview |
9 |
Staff-led clarifications |
Text has been updated from a previous reference to “geographic equity” to refer to the geographic distribution of projects and making efforts to reduce barriers to participation |
|
Relocated reference to meeting posting deadlines |
Section 3.A: Overview |
9–10 |
Editorial revisions |
This paragraph has been relocated from its original placement in the 2023 MOU |
|
Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) description |
Section 3.B: Planning and Programming, Section 4.D: Transit |
10, 13 |
Staff-led clarifications |
References to the MPO’s LRTP have been updated |
|
Relocated reference to financial plans |
Section 4.B: Establishment of Financial Constraint and Development of TIP Targets |
10 |
Editorial revisions |
This paragraph has been relocated from its original placement in the 2023 MOU |
|
Committee appointment description |
Section 3.C: Establishment of Committees and Task Forces |
11 |
Staff-led clarifications |
Addition of reference to additional process descriptions in the Operations Plan |
|
CTPS description |
Section 3.D: Central Transportation Planning Staff |
11–12 |
Reference to fiduciary agreement |
This section has been rewritten to clarify the role of CTPS in supporting the Boston Region MPO and its relationship the MAPC |
|
Accelerated Bridge Program and Road and Bridge Program description moved to Operations Plan |
Section 4.E.1: Accelerated Bridge Program, Section 4.E.2: Road and Bridge Program |
13 |
Staff-led clarifications |
These sections have been moved to the Operations Plan |
|
Level of detail of TIP development process |
Section 3.F: Improvement of TIP-Related Information |
12–13 |
Staff-led clarifications |
Information related to TIP development and information sharing has been relocated to the Operations Plan, including the entirety of Section 3.F from the 2023 MOU |
|
Operations Plan description |
Section 5: Operations Plan |
14 |
Staff-led clarifications |
The description of the Operations Plan has been updated to refer to the document’s content |
|
Review schedule of MOU |
Section 6: Review of This Document |
14 |
Staff-led clarifications |
Revisions establish a review cycle of the MOU to occur every four years, immediately following a federal certification review |
|
CIVIL RIGHTS NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC Welcome. Bem Vinda. Bienvenido. Akeyi. 欢迎. 歡迎
You are invited to participate in our transportation planning process, free from discrimination. The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is committed to nondiscrimination in all activities and complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin (including limited English proficiency). Related federal and state nondiscrimination laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of age, sex, disability, and additional protected characteristics.
For additional information or to file a civil rights complaint, visit www.bostonmpo.org/mpo_non_discrimination.
To request this information in a different language or format, please contact:
Boston Region MPO Title VI Specialist 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150 Boston, MA 02116 Phone: 857.702.3700 Email: civilrights@ctps.org
For people with hearing or speaking difficulties, connect through the state MassRelay service, www.mass.gov/massrelay. Please allow at least five business days for your request to be fulfilled.
|
