Boston
Region Metropolitan Planning Organization Operations Plan
Administration and Finance Committee
Brian Kane, Chair
Tegin Teich
MPO Executive Director
Gina Perille
MPO Deputy Executive Director
Prepared by the MPO Activities Group
July 2023
Table of Contents PAGE
Introduction 4
Section 1—Elections
Process 4
1.1 Eligible
Nominations 4
1.2 Nominations
Process 5
1.3 Engagement with
Representatives of the Candidate Communities 5
1.4 Elections Process 5
1.5 Appointing Designees and
Alternates 6
Section 2—Boston
Region MPO Board Officers 7
2.1 Chair 7
2.2 Vice Chair 8
2.3 Officer
Election—Annual Meeting 8
2.4 Boston Region MPO
Presiding Officers 9
2.5 Other Officers 9
Section 3—Board
Member Responsibilities 10
3.1 Member Terms 10
3.2 Onboarding and
Orientation of Board Members 10
3.3 Board Member
Expectations 11
Section 4—Standing
and Ad Hoc Committees 15
4.1 Existing MPO
Committees and Processes 15
4.2 Committee
Membership 16
4.3 Committee Member
Expectations 17
4.4 Ad Hoc Committees 18
Section 5—Regional
Transportation Advisory Council 19
Section 6—MPO Work 20
6.1 MPO Products and
Programs 20
6.2 MPO Certification
Documents 20
6.3 MPO Board Agenda Setting
and Meeting Minutes 21
6.4 MPO Committee Agenda and
Meeting Minutes 23
6.5 MPO Study Work Scopes and
Final Products 24
6.6 Agency-Funded
Studies and Technical Analyses 24
Section 7—MPO
Executive Director Hiring Process, Evaluation, and Compensation 26
7.1 MPO Executive Director
Hiring Process 26F
7.2 MPO Executive Director
Evaluation 29
7.3 MPO Executive Director
Compensation 30
Section 8—Agency
Information Sharing 32
8.1 General Information
Sharing 32
8.2 TIP Project Information
Sharing 32
8.3 Federal Funding
Assumptions 33
Section 9—Maintenance
of Operations Plan 35
APPENDIx
Appendix—Timeline
Introduction
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
Operations Plan is a supplement to the MPO’s Memorandum of Understanding, last
approved in 20242011. The 2024 2011 Memorandum
of Understanding Relating to the Comprehensive, Continuing, and Cooperative
Transportation Planning Process in the Boston Metropolitan Area required the
Boston Region MPO to create an operations plan to address administration and
finance, programming, policy, and technical products. The MPO’s Administration
and Finance (A&F) Committee, chaired by Brian Kane of the Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority (MBTA) Advisory Board, worked with MPO staff to
develop this operations plan. The operations plan was approved by the MPO
policy board in June 2023 and amended in xx.
Section
1—Elections Process
The process for electing the
Boston Region MPO’s municipal board members, described below, is overseen by
Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and the MBTA Advisory Board, as noted
in the 2011 MOU for the Boston Region MPO. At the MAPC Fall Council meeting,
held each year in late October, the results of elections shall be announced for
four of the 12 elected municipal seats.
1.1 Eligible Nominations
- The elected municipal MPO seats are held by the
municipality. The chief executive officer (CEO) or their official designee
shall represent the municipality throughout the municipality’s term of
office. CEOs are considered to be the following:
- In cities, the CEO is the mayor or, if the city does
not have the office of mayor, the chair of the council, with the
exception of Plan E cities, in which case the CEO shall be the city
manager.
- In towns, the CEO is the chair of the select board.
- A nominee for an open municipal seat must receive
three (3) nominations made by any CEO from the Boston region, regardless
of which subregion they are from. A CEO may nominate their municipality
and that nomination shall count as one of the three nominations needed to
place a municipality on the ballot. Each CEO may only nominate one
municipality per open seat.
- The MPO shall accept the select board chair’s
nomination of a candidate whether or not the full select board has voted
for the nominee.
1.2 Nominations Process
- In advance of the MAPC Fall Council meeting, MAPC
staff shall send a correspondence inviting nominations with information
about the process and deadlines. This correspondence shall be sent
typically in early August.
- Nominations shall be submitted electronically to MAPC
staff by early October. Nomination papers shall include a statement of
candidacy from the municipality. The statement shall not exceed 250 words.
- MAPC staff shall contact the nominating municipal CEOs
by phone or email to confirm their nomination.
1.3 Engagement with Representatives
of the Candidate Communities
MAPC and the MBTA Advisory Board
shall provide an appropriate opportunity for the electorate to meet
representatives of candidate communities in the month of October, after
nominations are submitted. This may be accomplished by holding a virtual
Candidates Forum.
1.4 Elections Process
- The election shall be held through the submission of
ballots electronically to MAPC. A ballot shall be prepared by MAPC and the
MBTA Advisory Board based on the certification of nominations. The ballot
shall contain a list of the nominated municipalities. Candidate
communities shall appear on the ballot in an order drawn by lot by
designated officers of MAPC and the MBTA Advisory Board. The subregion of
each of the communities shall be identified on the ballot. Electronic
ballots shall be emailed from MAPC to the CEO of each municipality in the
Boston Region MPO area with correspondence explaining the ballot submittal
process and deadlines. Ballots shall be sent in mid-October and shall be
due the day before the MAPC Fall Council meeting (in late October).
- Only municipalities in the subregion with an open seat
shall cast a ballot for that seat. All municipalities may vote for the
at-large open seats.
- The ballot shall be submitted electronically to MAPC
by the municipal CEO.
- The designated officers of MAPC and of the MBTA
Advisory Board shall certify the results of the election to the chair of
the MPO and their designee by 12 noon on the Monday following the
election.
1.5 Appointing Designees and
Alternates
- Within 30 days of the completion of the election, new
board members must submit in writing to the chair of the MPO their
official designee and alternate, if desired, for that designee. A designee
can be the CEO or a representative of the municipality or agency that they
represent. Alternates may vote in MPO board meetings on behalf of the
designee when the designee is not present. In writing, the CEO should
address the chair, copying the chair’s designee, and provide the name,
title, and contact information of the designee and alternate.
- If, at any time, the CEO or designee leaves their
position, a new letter must be submitted to the chair, copying the chair’s
designee, identifying the new designee and alternate. The letter shall be
submitted within 30 days of the position being vacated.
- If a representative other than the official designee
or alternate attends a board meeting in representation of the seat, it is
at the chair or their designee’s discretion whether that representative
may participate and vote with other board members.
Section
2—Boston Region MPO Board Officers
The MOU establishes the states:
“The Chair of the Boston Region MPO shall be the Secretary and
CEO of MassDOT or the Secretary’s designee as the chair to the
Boston Region MPO and the . The vice
chair asshall be a
municipal representative or an official of one of the two regional agencies
(MAPC or MBTA Advisory Board). The vice chair is elected annually for a one-year
term. and shall be elected to a one-year term by the MPO
members by majority vote. In any case requiring a majority vote, should there
be an even number of members voting, a majority vote shall be calculated as
half of the voting members, plus one. This election shall take place at the
first meeting after the election of Boston Region MPO elected municipal
representatives.”
2.1 Chair
- The chair of the Boston Region MPO board is the
secretary of transportation of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, ex
officio. Their term on the Boston Region MPO board, and as its chair,
begins upon their official first day of employment as secretary of transportation
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
- The secretary shall preside at all Boston Region MPO
board meetings at which they are present. If the secretary cannot preside
at a board meeting, their designee shall preside in their stead.
- The chair or their designee is responsible for signing
any official acts, orders, or proceedings of the board, such as the
following:
- Letters
- Resolutions
- 3C documents, including the Unified Planning Work
Program (UPWP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and Long-Range
Transportation Plan (LRTP)
- The chair or their designee shall collaborate on
agenda setting with the vice chair and MPO staff. In collaborating on
agenda setting, the chair or their designee shall represent MPO board
members to ensure adequate discussion of topics of interest to the board.
Any MPO board member, including the chair or their designee, may request
an item be added to a future meeting’s agenda.
- The chair or their designee shall to the best of their
ability respond to requests for information relevant to board business at
least 48 hours in advance of a meeting during which the board votes on a
topic, in alignment with the requirements of the Massachusetts Open
Meeting Law.
- The chair or their designee, at their sole discretion,
shall ensure that all members’ questions are satisfied before calling
votes.
- The chair or their designee shall have such powers and
perform such other duties as may from time to time be voted by the MPO
board.
2.2 Vice Chair
- The vice chair or their designee presides at meetings
in the absence of the chair or chair’s designee.
- The vice chair may sign official acts, orders, or
proceedings of the board as the chair’s proxy, if the chair is not able.
- The vice chair or their designee shall collaborate on
agenda setting with the chair and MPO staff. In collaborating on agenda
setting, the vice chair or their designee shall represent MPO board
members to ensure adequate discussion of topics of interest to the board.
Any MPO board member, including the vice chair or their designee, may
request an item be added to a future meeting’s agenda.
- The vice chair or their designee shall have such
powers and perform such other duties as may from time to time be voted by
the MPO board.
- Vice chair election process
- Following the annual election of municipal
representatives, the MPO board shall nominate a municipal representative
or an official of one of the two regional agencies for a one-year term as
the vice chair. Voting shall occur at the subsequent meeting.
- Only MPO board members representing municipalities or
one of the two regional agencies may make a nomination. Nominations
shall take place one meeting prior to the Boston Region MPO Annual
Meeting.
- The
vice chair shall be elected by a majority vote. In any case requiring a
majority vote, should there be an even number of members voting, a
majority vote shall be calculated as half of the voting members, plus
one.
2.3 Officer Election—Annual Meeting
Each year, the MPO shall hold an
Annual Meeting, typically in November. The Annual Meeting shall come after the
completion of the MPO elections (typically held at the end of October) and
within 30 days of the new members’ term (typically beginning November 1),
either in concurrence with or in addition to an existing board meeting. At that
meeting, the following shall occur:
- The secretary of transportation shall be invited to
preside and address the board as the chair.
- The vice chair shall be elected.
by a majority
vote. In any case requiring a majority vote, should
there be an even number of members voting, a majority vote shall be
calculated as half of the voting members, plus one.
- Designees and alternates for new members, and any new
designees or alternates for continuing members, shall be introduced.
2.4 Boston Region MPO Presiding
Officers
- When the designee of the chair is not present or able
to preside at the meeting, the vice chair or their designee assumes the
presiding role at an MPO meeting. If the designees of both the chair and
vice chair are not present to preside at an MPO meeting, the board
membership may elect a presiding officer for the meeting by a majority
vote.
- The presiding officer shall be responsible for calling
the meeting to order, closing the meeting, and ensuring that the meeting
generally follows Robert’s Rules of Order, which can be overridden by
processes in this Operations Plan. During a meeting, the primary functions
of the presiding officer include recognizing board members who wish to
speak and facilitating voting procedures. The presiding officer shall also
recognize requests for agenda and discussion items from members of the
board and of the public, facilitate meetings in a manner that encourages
participatory dialogue that gives all parties a chance to be heard, and
ensure that the board engages in timely and effective cooperative
decision-making.
- At the direction of the presiding officer, discussions
of agenda items can be facilitated by other board members or staff.
2.5 Other Officers
Other officers can be designated
by majority vote of the Boston Region MPO board.
Section
3—Board Member Responsibilities
3.1 Member Terms
- Permanent members: There are 11
0
permanent members of the Boston Region MPO as defined in the 202432011
MOU:
- Massachusetts Department of Transportation
(MassDOT)—Three seats, including the chair
- Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
- Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport)
- Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
- MBTA Advisory Board
- Regional Transportation Advisory Council
- City of Boston—Two seats
- Regional Transportation Authorities
(RTAs)–One seat, served on a two-year rotating term by the region’s RTAs
- Elected members
- There are 12 municipal elected members of the Boston
Region MPO, which include two at-large cities, two at-large towns, and
eight subregions. Members are elected to three-year terms.
- Each fall, four of the 12 elected municipal seats are
elected by CEOs of municipalities in the region for three-year terms.
3.2 Onboarding and Orientation of
Board Members
- Within 90 days of the start of a board member’s term,
new board members and recurring board members shall be invited to an
overview orientation meeting with MPO staff to review the purpose of MPOs,
the 3C process, the TIP, UPWP, and LRTP, public engagement, and other
fundamental aspects of the operations of the MPO. New board members should
work with staff to find a date for an orientation meeting within the 90
days. Orientation or reorientation is optional for returning board
members.
- Within 90 days of the start of a board member’s term,
the board member shall be invited to a one-on-one conversation with the
executive director of the MPO.
- Prior to the orientation of new board members,
existing board members shall be contacted by staff to ask for volunteers
to meet with and assist in orienting and mentoring new board members, also
within the first 90 days.
- At times, board members may also be invited to
additional training modules organized by staff. These modules would focus
more deeply on particular and timely topics, such as the primary 3C
documents (the UPWP, TIP, and LRTP).
3.3 Board Member Expectations
In the following sections,
“board member” also refers to designees and alternates when serving in place of
designees.
- General
- In order to successfully plan and implement projects
of regional significance, all members of the MPO must be able to
understand the larger picture of regional transportation planning. All
board members are representatives for their agency, subregion, or
municipality, and are invited to share their perspective while
representing their organizations, municipalities, or subregions. However,
all board members, when serving on the Boston Region MPO board, agree to
act in the interests of the regional goals, even if representing
different local interests.
- Board members are expected to follow the
Communications Norms when participating in MPO activities.
- Board members shall declare any and all duality or
conflicts of interests, material or otherwise, that may impede or be
perceived as impeding the capacity to deliberate or act in good faith.
- Board members shall communicate in a manner that is
compliant with the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
- Representing the MPO
- Board members shall not speak on behalf of the MPO
board outside of MPO board meetings unless approved by the chair or vice
chair of the MPO board or their designees.
- If contacted by the press about the MPO or its
activities, MPO board members should notify MPO staff by forwarding the
request to news@ctps.org.
- Board members, designees, or their alternates are
expected to make every effort to attend all meetings of the board and the
committees of which they are members. When unable to attend, board members
shall notify MPO staff and should review minutes and video recordings
after the meeting.
- Board meetings are generally held on the first and
third Thursdays of the month at 10:00 AM.
- Board meetings are conducted generally in accordance
with Robert’s Rules of Order, except to the extent the board acting as a
body suspends application of such rules.
- Staff and board members shall strive to offer
multiple forums for board meetings throughout the year, including
virtual meetings (if allowed by law), and in person meetings. If all MPO
meetings are held in person, the Boston Region MPO shall strive to hold
up to quarterly meetings each year in different locations throughout the
region.
potentially including as many as four
meetings held in different locations throughout the region, virtual
meetings (if allowed by law), and in person meetings. If
allowed by law, virtual meetings may replace any required meetings in
other locations in the region.
- Meeting minutes are presented according to
Massachusetts Open Meeting Law requirements within three meetings or 30
days, whichever is later.
- Staff shall strive to post audio and video recordings
to the Boston Region MPO website as soon as possible after meetings.
- Informed participation
- Board members are expected to keep well informed of
all MPO matters, including by reading advance materials for each meeting
and asking questions about those materials in advance of and at board
meetings. Board members may ask questions of the chair or their designee,
vice chair or their designee, and staff.
- Staff shall strive to post meeting agendas and
materials one week in advance of a scheduled meeting. At a minimum, the
agenda shall be posted 48 hours in advance of a meeting as defined by the
Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
- Board members present at meetings shall review each
set of meeting minutes to ensure an accurate record of decision-making
and so that they are able to vote on the approval of those minutes at
following meetings.
- Board members are expected to participate in
decisions by bringing to the attention of the board, its officers, and/or
executive director any questions or comments of significance or relevance
on matters of governance or policymaking.
- Board members are expected to raise topics from the
entities that they represent that may have relevance for other
stakeholders in the region during the “Members Items” period of the board
meetings.
- Board members representing a city, town, or subregion
are expected to participate in subregional meetings relevant for the
entity that they represent to be able to share information about the
operations of the MPO, promote opportunities to engage with the MPO, such
as events and elections, as well as hear and understand transportation
and related (land use, resiliency, etc.) issues in their subregion.
- Board members shall participate in ensuring that the
Boston Region MPO carries out a comprehensive, continuing, and cooperative
(3C) transportation planning process resulting in plans, programs and
operations consistent with the planning objectives of the metropolitan
area. The 3C process is defined in the 2011
MOU.
- Board members shall develop transportation planning
policies in support of the Boston Region MPO’s vision and goals,
consistent with the MPO’s LRTP.
- Board members shall recommend, participate in, review,
and approve plans, projects and studies, consistent with the goals for the
region.
- At meetings throughout the federal fiscal year, board
members shall review and approve work scopes for staff to conduct plans,
projects, and studies. Ongoing MPO programs described in detail in the
UPWP, such as the LRTP, TIP, UPWP, Equity, Air Quality, and Climate
Resilience programs, do not require board members to approve a work
scope, unless the board members indicate a desire to request and approve
a work scope.
- Board members shall engage with staff when
appropriate to provide input and guidance when plans, projects, and
studies are underway.
- Board members shall review and approve final products
of plans, projects and studies at meetings throughout the federal fiscal
year.
- Board members shall annually prioritize and select
projects to be included in the TIP. To do so, board members shall consider
information from staff and project proponents as well as public comments.
- Board members shall carry out MPO activities and
decision-making while maintaining fiscal constraint. Promoting
cost-feasible partnering to maximize opportunities for enhancing and
maintaining an affordable, efficient transportation system should be encouraged.
- Board members shall participate in and create
opportunities for public engagement and education on transportation
issues, particularly for those affected in environmental justice areas, by
attending staff-led events, recommending ways to engage with local
stakeholders, and participating in outreach and engagement to local
stakeholders.
- Board members shall annually review and approve the
UPWP, including the annual programming of all federal planning funds, in
consideration of the recommendation of the UPWP Committee.
- Board members shall annually review and approve the
Boston Region MPO’s operating budget in consideration of the
recommendation of the Administration and Finance Committee.
3.4 Board Member Education
- Staff shall
provide board members with opportunities to engage with best practices in
transportation planning and dialogues with peer agencies and MPOs, as
funding allows. Such opportunities include, but are not limited to:
- Online resources
offered by the National Highway Institute,
or the Association of
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
(AMPO), and other relevant organizations.
- Presentations at board and committee meetings
and shared materials from industry experts
- Conference
attendance,
- Webinars, and
- Peer exchanges
with other MPOs.
Section
4—Standing and Ad Hoc Committees
4.1 Existing MPO Committees and
Processes
MPO committees are intended to
supplement, not supplant, the work of the MPO board, which has final
decision-making authority over all activities related to the board. Committees
are intended to provide assistance, where desired by the board, in informing
MPO board deliberations, when that would make board deliberations more informed
and efficient.
- Current standing MPO committees are the Administration
and Finance (A&F) Committee, UPWP Committee, Congestion Management
Committee, and TIP Process, Engagement, and Readiness Committee.
- Each committee is charged with the following:
- The A&F Committee reviews the operating budget of
the Central Transportation Planning Staff—the staff to the MPO—and
annually recommends approval of that operating budget to the MPO board.
The A&F Committee engages in periodic (typically quarterly) review of
the fiscal health of the agency in collaboration with the executive
director. The committee may also take on topics as requested by the MPO
board related to the administration or finance of the Boston Region MPO
and its staff.
- The UPWP Committee oversees the development of the
UPWP and monitors the progress of projects and programs funded through
the UPWP. Annually, the committee recommends approval of the UPWP to the
MPO board.
- The Congestion Management Committee facilitates the
development and implementation of the MPO’s Congestion Management Process
(CMP) and recommends projects and programs that reduce congestion and
improve mobility, safety, and efficiency.
- The TIP Process, Engagement, and Readiness Committee
facilitates discussion about the TIP development process and improvements
that could be discussed with the full board. The committee provides an
additional forum for board members,
and various project proponents,
and stakeholders to better understand project developments, which may
include cost and readiness changes.
- Committee meetings are generally on an as-needed
basis.
- MPO staff shall strive to send/post agenda and
materials one week in advance of a scheduled meeting. At a minimum, agenda
and materials shall be shared 48 hours in advance of a meeting as defined
by the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
- Meeting minutes are presented according to
Massachusetts Open Meeting Law requirements within three meetings or 30
days, whichever is later.
- Staff strive to post audio and video recordings to the
MPO website as soon as possible after the meeting.
4.2 Committee Membership
- Selecting board members to serve on committees
- Within 30 days of the start of a board member’s term,
new board members and recurring board members are encouraged to join at
least one MPO committee.
- Existing committee chairs shall develop a slate of
existing and new committee members for each standing committee in advance
of the MPO’s annual meeting. The slates shall be submitted to staff and
posted with MPO board meeting materials. At the annual meeting, the chair
shall facilitate voting to approve or amend the slates.
- Voting members may be added to a committee upon
request of the committee chair and at the discretion of the MPO chair or
their designee. The MPO chair or their designee shall announce added or
removed committee membership in the “Chair’s Reports” period of MPO board
meetings.
- Committee members shall be selected from among
whomever volunteers to serve on a committee. The official membership of a
committee should not equal or exceed the majority of the number of board
members, unless those meetings are advertised as full board meetings.
- Committee members shall be selected from all board
members, their designees or alternates, and there shall be no requirement
to have a specific “split” among state, regional, or municipal members.
- Quorum
- A quorum is defined as a simple majority of the total
number of members serving on the committee.
- Officers of committees
- After the approval of the slate of committee members
at the Annual Meeting and before the first meeting of each committee, the
chair of the Boston Region MPO board or their designee shall designate a
chair for each committee. If a committee chair is not designated by the
chair of the Boston Region MPO board or their designee by the first
committee meeting, the previous committee chair will continue to serve in
that role until the chair or their designee determines otherwise.
- Chairs of committees are responsible for the
following:
1.
Coordinating with staff on agenda setting for
each meeting
2.
Coordinating with staff to ensure that
information needed for informed decision-making is available for each meeting
3.
Facilitating presentations, discussions, and
voting generally in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order
- Onboarding of committee members
- Within 90 days of the start of a committee member’s
term, new committee members and recurring committee members shall be
invited to an overview orientation meeting with MPO staff to review the
purpose of the committee and the committee’s role. New committee members
should work with staff to find a date for the orientation meeting within
the 90 days; the orientation is optional for returning committee members.
- Prior to the orientation of new committee members,
existing committee members shall be contacted by staff to ask for
volunteers to meet with and assist in orienting and mentoring new
committee members, also within the first 90 days.
4.3 Committee Member Expectations
The expectations for board
members described in Section 3.3, parts I and II, apply to committee members.
Additional expectations for committee members are as follows:
- To ensure that a committee is able to reach a quorum,
committee members are asked to make every effort to attend each committee
meeting. If a committee member is not able to attend a meeting, that
member shall inform staff and the chair of the committee.
- If a board member or their designee cannot attend a
committee meeting, an alternate may attend that meeting.
4.4 Ad Hoc Committees
Through the recommendation of
the MPO chair or their designee, or through a motion and majority vote, the
board may establish ad hoc committees as needed to address topics that would
not be addressed in the existing committees.
Section
5—Regional Transportation Advisory Council
The Regional Transportation
Advisory Council provides a forum for members of the public, including
representatives of municipal, business, and advocacy interests, to participate
in the MPO’s 3C planning process, via the following means:
- A voting seat on the MPO board
- Continuous communication with MPO staff developing
programs and projects, including timely opportunities to provide input and
participate in decision-making
- Opportunities for discussion about MPO work and
regional issues
The Advisory Council is administeredsupported
by MPO staff, who facilitate conversations and presentations and provide timely
opportunities to engage with the MPO’s planning process and work products. The
Advisory Council is also a key stakeholder in the MPO’s Public Engagement
Program, collaborating with staff on strategies to support public involvement
in the planning process. The operations of the tThe
Advisory Council are further defined in its governance documentsmaintains
bylaws to define its operations.
Section
6—MPO Work
6.1 MPO Products and Programs
The following are MPO work
products and programs produced and operated by MPO staff that support the 3C
transportation planning process for the Boston region.
- MPO Certification Documents:
- Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
- Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
- Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
- Congestion Management Process (CMP)
- Air Quality Conformity (AQ)
- Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services
Transportation Plan (Coordinated Plan)
- Public Engagement Plan (PEP)
- MPO Title VI Report
- Language Assistance Plan (LAP)
- Freight Plan
- MPO board agendas, presentations, and meeting minutes
- MPO committee agendas, presentations, and meeting
minutes
- MPO work scopes and final products
- Agency-funded work scopes and final products
6.2 MPO Certification Documents
Prior to bringing a work product
to the MPO board, staff complete a number of quality assurance checks
internally before sharing these products with the MassDOT MPO liaison (or
appropriate MassDOT staff), who reviews and approves the product for presentation
to the MPO board. Most product reviews are completed by the MPO liaison or
specialized MassDOT Office of Transportation Planning (OTP) staff. While the
goal is to provide three weeks are provided for
this review, most products are turned around more quickly. The work products
are as follows:
- MPO certification documents (specifically the LRTP,
TIP, AQ, Coordinated Plan, PEP, Title VI Report, LAP and Freight Plan)
- These certification documents are developed in
consultation with and approved by the board.
- Each document is led by a staff project or program
manager.
- MPO certification documents (specifically UPWP and
CMP)
- The UPWP is developed in consultation with and
reviewed by the UPWP Committee before approval by the full board.
- The CMP is developed in consultation with and
reviewed by the CMP committee before approval by the full board.
- Each document is led by a staff project or program
manager.
Unfunded
project lists
The Boston Region MPO shall maintain two lists
of unfunded projects: a First Tier Projects list and a Universe of
Projects list. These lists shall be compiled by the Boston Region MPOfor
information purposes and shall be included annually in an appendix to the
TIP.
6.3 MPO Board Agenda Setting and
Meeting Minutes
- Agenda setting
- Developing agenda items
1.
At any meeting of the Boston Region MPO or in
communication with the chair or vice chair or their designees, a member of the
board may request an item to be considered on a future board meeting agenda.
2.
At least four to six weeks before a scheduled
board meeting, MPO staff solicit potential agenda items from other staff and
include the items on a running list of potential future agenda items.
3.
At least three to four weeks before a
scheduled board meeting, MPO staff solicit potential agenda items from the
chair and vice chair or their designees
4.
MPO staff develop a draft list of agenda
topics, including the following:
a)
Standard items, such as MPO meeting minutes,
introductions, chair’s report, executive director’s report, etc.
b)
Items solicited from staff, the chair or their
designee, and vice chair or their designee, as well as requests heard from
board members over that time period
c)
The time allowed for each item is set in
coordination with the presenters
- Reviewing agenda items
1.
MPO staff schedule agenda-setting meetings
with the chair or their designee, as well as relevant review staff (currently
the MPO liaison staff at MassDOT OTP) and the vice chair or their designee,
where agenda items are reviewed and approved, typically 10 days before the MPO
meeting.
2.
Materials relevant to any agenda items are
submitted to MassDOT OTP staff to allow time for them to review materials on
behalf of the chair. These items include work scopes, reports, meeting minutes,
etc.
3.
Meeting agendas are determined during this
meeting, and staff then proceed with internal processes to review and post
agendas as decided at the planning meeting.
- Posting agendas
1.
MPO staff shall follow Massachusetts Open
Meeting Law, publishing the agenda and other meeting materials online and
through email at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. MPO staff shall
strive to publish meeting notices and any readily available materials one week
in advance of the meeting.
- Presentations
- Staff shall prepare presentations based on a
template. Where materials from individuals or agencies outside of MPO
staff are to be incorporated into the staff-produced presentation slides,
staff shall request the completed presentation slides be delivered at
least 48 hours in advance of the MPO board meeting.
- Slides for each meeting shall include the following
introductory slides to be read by the presiding officer of the meeting:
1.
Date of the meeting
2.
Notice of Nondiscrimination
3.
Participation Guidelines
4.
Accessibility Statement
- Meeting minutes
- MPO staff drafts meeting minutes in a timely fashion
to comply with the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
- Once meeting minutes are completed and have gone
through an internal MPO review process, they are shared with the MassDOT
MPO liaison for review at least one week in advance of the planned MPO
board meeting.
- Comments and feedback from the MPO liaison are then
incorporated into the minutes.
- Staff shall strive to post MPO meeting minutes one
week in advance of a planned MPO board meeting where they are presented
for approval by the board.
- Meeting minutes must be approved by the MPO board
every 30 days or by the third meeting after the minutes were taken,
whichever is later, as outlined by the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
6.4 MPO Committee Agenda and Meeting
Minutes
- MPO committee agendas
- Agenda topics are solicited and determined by the
committee chair and the MPO staff assigned to work with the committee.
For example, the UPWP program manager is designated to work with the
chair of the UPWP Committee.
- MPO committee agendas are reviewed and approved by
the designated MPO committee chair before being posted. Staff shall
strive to post committee agendas at least one week before a scheduled
meeting.
- Presentations
- Staff shall prepare presentations based on a
template. Where materials from individuals or agencies outside of MPO
staff are to be incorporated into the staff-produced presentation slides,
staff shall request the completed presentation slides be delivered at
least 48 hours in advance of the MPO committee meeting.
- Slides for each meeting shall include the following
introductory slides to be read by the presiding officer of the meeting:
1.
Date of the meeting
2.
Notice of Nondiscrimination
3.
Participation Guidelines
4.
Accessibility Statement
- MPO committee minutes
- MPO staff drafts meeting minutes in a timely fashion
to comply with the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
- MPO committee minutes are reviewed and approved by
the committee chair.
- Staff shall strive to post draft minutes at least one
week before a scheduled meeting where they are presented for approval by
the committee.
- Like MPO board meeting minutes, committee meeting
minutes must be approved by the MPO board every 30 days or by the third
meeting after the minutes were taken, whichever is later, as outlined by
the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.
6.5 MPO Study Work Scopes and Final
Products
- If some portion of an intended MPO work scope, such as
research to develop a methodology, is needed before a work scope can be
completed, as much as 10 percent of a project budget may be spent on a
work scope.
- Staff draft work scopes and work products, complete
internal reviews, and send work scopes and work products to the MPO
liaison at MassDOT OTP for review, ideally three weeks before the MPO
meeting. This timing allows for review within two weeks and one week
advance posting for the MPO board. When appropriate, the MPO staff and
liaison may identify relevant technical staff at MassDOT and/or the MBTA
to review the material before submission to the MPO board.
- The MPO liaison at MassDOT OTP and other relevant
MassDOT staff review and provide feedback to be incorporated before
materials are finalized. While being reviewed, staff add the work scope or
work product to the list of items to be considered at the agenda-setting
meeting.
- Determination as to whether and when each item is
presented is decided at the MPO board agenda-setting meeting.
- Staff shall strive to post final work scopes or work
products one week in advance of the MPO board meeting.
- Board members discuss and vote to approve work scopes.
6.6 Agency-Funded Studies and
Technical Analyses
Similar to MPO work scopes and
final products, the process for agency-funded studies only differs as follows:
- Staff draft work scopes and work products, complete
internal reviews, and send the materials to both the funding agency and
the MPO liaison at MassDOT OTP for review, ideally three weeks before the
MPO board meeting.
- The funding agency and MPO liaison at MassDOT OTP, and
in some cases other relevant MassDOT staff, review and provide feedback to
be incorporated before the materials are finalized.
Section
7—MPO Executive Director Hiring Process, Evaluation, and Compensation
7.1 MPO Executive Director Hiring
Process
Upon the departure, retirement,
dismissal, or other nature of exit of the
executive director, the process
for recruiting and hiring shall include the
following steps:
- The MPO board members shall establish a search
committee by majority vote. The search committee shall consist of the
following representatives unless voted otherwise: the MPO chair, the MPO
vice chair, a representative of the fiduciary agency (MAPC), the chair of
the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, the chair of the
Administration & Finance Committee, and two municipal or subregional
representatives on the board, or any designees of those entities.
- The search committee shall meet, discuss, and produce
a memo to the Boston Region MPO board with the following content:
- Recommendation for designating an acting executive
director(s) and the associated interim salary adjustment.
- Description of the hiring process, which can include
a recommendation concerning any deviations from or supplement to the
process described in this Operations Plan.
- Recommendation to solicit private consultants, or
not.
- Recommendation for any subset of the search committee
members or their designees to carry out parts of the recommended process,
including candidate screening as well as first and second interviews
1.
In making these recommendations, the search
committee will prioritize diverse representation on interview teams.
- Recommendation for designating a staff liaison to
keep records, provide consistent communication with candidates, and
inform staff of the process as appropriate.
- At the same time, the search committee or their
designees shall draft a job description for the executive director.
- At a minimum, the committee shall seek input from
both MPO board members and MPO staff about desired qualities and
qualifications via surveys implemented by the staff liaison or another
method.
- The search committee shall include a salary range to
be advertised that is in alignment with the agency’s compensation plan.
- The Boston Region MPO board shall discuss and vote to
approve by majority vote the search committee’s memo and executive
director job description to be posted.
- The search committee or their designees shall revise
the memo and/or job description as directed by the board and confirm the
accuracy of the organizational chart.
- The organizational chart shall be updated with
support by the staff liaison if an acting executive director is named or
other updates are needed.
- A job announcement shall be prepared based on the
agreed-upon content of the job description with the support of MPO staff
if needed.
- The search committee or their designees and fiduciary
agent (MAPC) shall confer on the posting and advertising of the position,
including the allocation of funds for paid advertisements and/or
recruitment expertise. The committee shall work with the staff liaison to
post the job on the Boston Region MPO website and circulate it to
appropriate professional associations, academic institutions, and job
websites throughout the country.
- The search committee or its designees shall draft
interview questions and evaluation forms to be utilized in two interview
rounds. The questions and evaluation forms shall be submitted to the staff
liaison for record-keeping.
- The staff liaison shall collect and disseminate
applications through Neogov or the current software used by the fiduciary
agent for managing job posting and recruiting. The search committee or its
designees shall review all resumes and applications, including an initial
screening to separate qualified and unqualified candidates, and select
candidates to interview. The staff liaison shall catalog all applications
received.
- Interview Round 1:
- The Round 1 interviewers designated by the search
committee shall meet initially either in-person or virtually to discuss
the upcoming interviews and confirm the interview questions and
evaluation form.
- With scheduling support from the staff liaison, the
interviewers shall carry out the interviews either in person or
virtually.
- The interviewers shall meet after the interviews to
discuss recommendations for second-round interview candidates, which
shall be shared with the full search committee.
- The interviewers shall submit completed interview
notes and evaluation forms to the staff liaison to support their
recommendation.
- The search committee or its designees shall advise the
staff liaison on providing process updates to MPO staff as feasible,
including the expected timeframe for completing second-round interviews.
The search committee or its designees shall work with the staff liaison to
inform first-round candidates whether or not they were selected for a
second round as well as to schedule the second round.
- Interview Round 2:
- The Round 2 interviewers designated by the search
committee shall meet initially either in-person or virtually to discuss
the upcoming interviews and confirm the interview questions and
evaluation form.
- With scheduling support by the staff liaison, the
interviewers shall carry out the interviews in person. Finalists from out
of state will be offered 50 percent reimbursement of travel and lodging
costs for their trip to Boston, to be paid by the Central Transportation
Planning Staff.
- The interviewers shall meet after the interviews to
discuss recommendations for second-round interview candidates. These
recommendations shall be shared with the full search committee.
- The interviewers shall submit completed interview
notes and evaluation forms to support their recommendation to the staff
liaison.
- The search committee shall share its recommendation
for finalist(s) with the MPO board and work with the staff liaison to
schedule the finalist(s) attendance at an MPO board meeting. The full MPO
board shall have the opportunity to interview the finalist(s). The MPO
board shall make a hiring decision by majority vote after speaking with
the finalist(s).
- The search committee shall share the MPO board
decision with the staff liaison. The search committee or its designees
shall work with the staff liaison to develop an offer letter and negotiate
if necessary. The search committee shall report to the MPO board as needed
if the offer is not accepted and an alternate finalist must be considered.
- The search committee shall work with the staff liaison
to communicate with unsuccessful finalist(s) and inform MPO staff of the
hiring decision.
7.2 MPO Executive Director Evaluation
The performance of the MPO
executive director shall be evaluated annually, with an adjustment implemented
on the same cycle as the rest of MPO staff, effective the beginning of the
state fiscal year (SFY) on July 1.
- The process for performing an evaluation of the MPO
executive director shall be as follows:
- In May, the executive director shall complete an
evaluation form consistent with the process used by MPO staff or as
otherwise directed by the consensus of the chair, vice chair, and chair
of the A&F Committee or their designees.
- In May or June, the Executive Director shall meet
with the chair, vice chair, and chair of A&F Committee or their
designees to discuss the evaluation form, including the performance of
the prior year and goal-setting for the coming year.
- The Chair, vice chair, and chair of A&F Committee
or their designees shall confer on a salary adjustment for the executive
director, unless otherwise dictated by an employment contract. That
recommendation shall be shared with the executive director, who shall
then share with the director of finance for budgeting purposes, by June
15.
- If this schedule is not feasible in a given year, any
salary adjustment for the executive director shall be effective as of the
start of the SFY, even if that date has passed.
- The evaluation form and recommended salary adjustment
shall be provided to the director of finance for record-keeping.
- The evaluation of the executive director shall assess
progress towards goals established in the prior year’s evaluation for the
coming SFY.
- The goals shall be established through the evaluation
form submitted each year (typically in May) in advance of salary
adjustments and reviewed and updated in consultation with the A&F
Committee quarterly.
- At each quarterly check-in, when the A&F
Committee meets to discuss the operating budget of the staff to the MPO,
the executive director shall report on their progress towards achieving
goals and objectives and offer any suggestions for revising or eliminating
any of these goals.
- If needed, the A&F Committee may submit
recommended updates to the annual goals identified in the evaluation
form.
7.3 MPO Executive Director
Compensation
The range for compensating an
executive director shall be based on compensation benchmarking updated every
three years. Benchmarking may occur through a consultant-led process.
- Central Transportation Planning Staff has established
a Compensation Plan establishing grades and associated salary ranges for
all jobs at the agency, including the executive director. The Compensation
Plan was initially published in 2022 based on a compensation consultant’s
2021 market analysis and benchmarking of those jobs.
- The salary ranges are typically updated every year by
a small percentage based on a minimum assessment.
- Upon hiring an executive director or at a minimum
every three years after hiring an executive director, a more thorough
benchmarking shall be conducted to update the Compensation Plan and
ensure that the executive director, in addition to staff as a whole, are
compensated fairly and competitively. The benchmarking may be based on
the following:
1.
A consultant-led market analysis
2.
Surveying of relevant salaries by staff and
board members
- Every three years, staff shall develop a cost
estimate and determine the viability for updating the benchmarking for
all jobs or a subset at the agency, including the executive director. The
estimate for the level of benchmarking shall be included in an annual
operating budget approved by the A&F Committee.
- At least every six years, benchmarking shall be
conducted for all jobs at the agency.
- Staff performance shall be evaluated annually by their
supervisors and adjustments recommended at the discretion of the executive
director with any approvals required through contracting or other legal
obligations. In addition, the executive director’s salary shall be
reviewed and adjusted after the benchmarking process as well as the
evaluation process described in Section 7.2.
- The MPO board, as the appointing authority, may at
the time of hiring or at any point in the future decide to offer the
executive director a multi-year employment and compensation agreement, or
opt to hire or maintain the executive director as an employee at will.
- The executive director is FLSA-exempt.
- The recommended and approved (if required through
contractual obligations) staff salary adjustments, including the executive
director’s adjustment, shall be shared with the A&F Committee during
annual budget deliberations if feasible. If this timing is not feasible,
this information will be shared with the committee when they have been
approved for the SFY.
Section
8—Agency Information Sharing
8.1 General Information Sharing
- After approval of the TIP, MPO staff shall contact
implementing agencies for all projects and communicate the process by
which they shall keep the Boston Region MPO staff informed of project
status on a regular basis. Project status information supports MPO
planning and programming to enable the Boston Region MPO to identify
issues that could cause a project to be deferred or extended into a
subsequent fiscal year. On request, the implementing agencies shall submit
this information to the Boston Region MPO chair or their designee and
staff for coordination and for distribution to the MPO members by MPO
staff. More information about this process is included in Section 8.2.
- MPO staff shall work with the implementing agencies
and others to gather and proactively provide MPO board members with
relevant financial information pertaining to the primary 3C-planning
documents—the UPWP, TIP, and LRTP—to assist MPO board members in the 3C
planning process.
- Board members shall not vote on items if relevant or
requested information about the topic of the vote is not shared by
relevant agencies, either directly or through MPO staff, at least 48 hours
in advance of the meeting where the vote takes place. MPO staff shall
ensure that such relevant information is shared with board members. MPO
staff will notify relevant agencies of requests for information as early
as practicable, with a goal of requesting information with two weeks
notice of the meeting posting deadline. If information is not adequate for board members to
make a well-informed vote, the vote may be postponed until such
information is provided. This policy is intended to ensure that board
members and staff have enough time to review new information to inform
questions and discussion at the next board meeting. As with public comment
periods, the MPO may waive this requirement by two-thirds majority vote in
emergency circumstances, such as when there is a need to take immediate
action to protect public safety or take advantage of an extraordinary
funding opportunity.
8.2 TIP Project Information Sharing
- MPO staff shall attend or review notes from MassDOT
Highway Division’s weekly Priority of Projects (PoP) meeting to receive
project readiness updates related to TIP projects advertising in the
current fiscal year. MPO staff shall collect readiness status updates in a
document that shall be shared with the MPO at least 48 hours in advance of
quarterly updates to the board (or more frequently if requested by the
board). At quarterly meetings, where staff share project updates,
implementing agencies shall be invited for the purpose of addressing any
questions which may arise. Meetings shall take place by the end of each
quarter (Q) of the federal fiscal year: by December 31 (end of Q1), March
31 (end of Q2), June 30 (end of Q3), and September 30 (end of Q4).
A.
Process for MassDOT and MPO Staff
1.
Each quarter, through the MPO meeting
agenda-setting process, MPO staff and MassDOT
OTP shall identify a date to presenthost
a Quarterly Readiness Update to be presented at
an MPO board meeting.s
by MPO staff through the agenda-setting process.
2.
MPO staff shall compile
a list of regional target funded projects with comments or questions to be relayed
by MassDOT OTP to MassDOT Highway Divisionanswered by MassDOT.
3.
MassDOT Highway Division shall
circulates this
list to MassDOT Highway District Planning and Development staff (Districts 3,
4, 5, and 6) to address the questions
from board members and MPO staff.
4.
MassDOT Highway District Planning staff shall
respond to the inquiries above and
provide additional information, such as projects at risk of delay or other relevant
planning factors to share within
the list. Such factors may include but are not limited to those
below:
a.
New project
b.
Cost increase greater than 10 percent
c.
Cost decrease
d.
Shift funds
e.
Move project
f.
Remove project
g.
Scope change
5.
MassDOT OTP and MPO Staff shall
verify the project updates.
MassDOT OTP will submit any and ask
follow-up or clarifying questionsclarifyingication
questions toof
MassDOT Highway as needed.MassDOT StaffHighway
Division may ask that the MPO
staff to reach out to a project
proponent to provide status updates should they have difficulty finding an
answer to a question, such as why a project’s design may not be
advancing on the agreed upon schedule.
6.
MPO Staff shall present
the annotated project list to the MPO Board at the scheduled MPO meeting to
provide information and solicit questions to be addressed at a later meeting.
- Process
for MBTA, MWRTA, CATA, and MPO Staff
1.
The MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities shall
provide members of the board a list of candidate TIP projects for regional
target funding, including project name, scope, readiness, cost and match, and
description. In order for these projects to be considered for regional target
funding and evaluated using the scoring criteria, they should be provided at
least four weeks in advance of programming scenario development in early March.
Other transit projects shall be provided such that they may be incorporated into
the draft TIP prior to the release of the document for public comment.
2.
The MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities shall
update the board twice annually at an MPO board
meeting - once in February and again in September -
at the MPO board meeting of MBTA and RTA
projects with regionally prioritized funds,
- to include project status on scope, cost (highlighting any
change above 10 percent since its programming
above 10%), and delay to keep the board informed of progress on
investments.
3.
The MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities shall
provide staff with a list of obligated projects in December of each year to
review how projects fared in the previous fiscal year.
- At the end of the federal fiscal year in September
(Q4), per the MOU, state agencies (primarily MassDOT and MBTA) shall
provide MPO staff with more detailed
information on project status of all TIP projects that were programmed for
completion in the prior fiscal year and may have been advertised for
construction. MPO staff
shall
present this information and the relevant agencies
shall be present to answer questions on the information
presented by MPO staff.
- Before the board votes on the new TIP (typically in Q2
or early Q3), state agencies shall offer a full summary of how projects
fared in the previous fiscal year. This summary shall be shared with MPO
staff to be distributed to the MPO board. The state agencies shall be
present to answer any questions on information presented by MPO staff.
This summary must be provided before asking the Boston Region MPO board to
vote on the new TIP.
- MPO staff shall
develop and maintain a Universe of Projects, documented in Appendix A of
the TIP. This shall include information on the project proponent and
status. The Universe of Projects is presented to the MPO board in
November.
- Based on the results of project evaluations.
MPO staff shall develop a First-Tier List of unfunded priority projects
for consideration for programming.
- In addition to quarterly updates, MPO staff shall
share relevant project and financial information with the MPO board on an
as-needed basis.
- As necessary, MassDOT OTP and Boston MPO staff shall
coordinate to produce TIP Adjustments and Amendments for projects in the
current or next fiscal year for MPO members’ review and approval.
- MPO staff shall coordinate with project stakeholders
and share relevant project information with related municipalities and
stakeholders with the goal of preventing projects from being deferred to a
subsequent fiscal year if not necessary.
- Boston Region MPO staff shall have primary
responsibility in representing the MPO communicating with and informing
local governments regarding transportation funding and for collecting
local input to the Boston Region MPO. All members of the Boston Region
MPO, however, shall have a role in informing local governments about
transportation funding
aid and the programming process
and in considering local input to the Boston Region MPO.
- MassDOT OTP and Boston Region MPO TIP program manager
and capital programming planner (or other relevant staff) shall meet at
least monthly to exchange financial and project readiness updates on
projects in all years of the TIP.
- The TIP Process, Engagement, and Readiness Committee
shall also play a role in reviewing and discussing additional information
needed for the TIP as described earlier in this document.
8.3 LRTP-RELATED INFORMATION SHARING
- The
MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities shall provide financial information
required for LRTP development by March of the year of LRTP endorsement,
particularly from Appendix F - Financial Report (that for example includes
- MBTA Proposed Capital Spending, Projected MBTA Operations and
Maintenance Revenues and Costs).
- MassDOT, the MBTA, RTAs, and
the MPO will meet during the development of and
or initial
throughout the publication
period of their long range plans - e.g. Program for Mass Transportation
(PMT), MassDOT Beyond Mobility, and MPO’s Long Range Transportation Plan
(LRTP) to coordinate on opportunities for alignment and cooperation.
8.4 Federal Funding Assumptions
- MPO staff shall attend quarterly financial update
meetings held by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning
Agencies (MARPA) and MassDOT to obtain updates on federal funding
assumptions. This includes the annual meeting of MARPA when the federal
funding information on obligation authority is shared with MARPA. MPO
staff shall use that information to develop the constrained TIP.
- In each TIP year, the state will propose its
priorities for non-High Priority Projects, mega-projects, statewide
infrastructure, change orders, planning, statewide CMAQ expenditures, and
other items as needed. The estimated cost of these will be subtracted
from the estimates of federal obligation authority of the state to show
the estimated amount available for federal funding for MPO targets in the
state. This amount and the state match for this funding will be allocated
among the MPOs based on the MARPA formula. The Boston Region MPO share of
available federal and non-federal aid has provided the Boston Region MPO
with 42.97 percent of available funds since 1991. This will be termed the
TIP Target. The resulting targets, federal and state funding levels, and
projects and programs and their cost estimates will be discussed with the
Boston Region MPO and other members of MARPA at a meeting early in the
TIP development process of each year. Boston Region MPO staff shall
accompany MAPC to these MARPA consultation meetings. The state will be
responsible for explaining the derived targets and providing additional
information as requested.
- Accelerated Bridge Program
1.
The Boston Region MPO
shall be informed of the commitments to Accelerated Bridge Program funding. All
bridges leveraging federal aid via this program shall be listed in the
appropriate TIP element. There shall continue to be a section in the TIP that
details the amount of federal aid returning to the federal government for
payment on this program until such time as full obligation repayment is
received.
- Road and Bridge Program
1.
The Boston Region MPO
shall have the ability to program projects for federal and non-federal aid. The
ability to include non-federal funds in a TIP does not in any respect imply the
application of federal standards, regulations or related requirements to
state-funded projects, programs or initiatives. The fiscal year shall be from
October 1st to September 30th for both federal and non-federal aid.
MassDOT Highway
Division shall be responsible for administering the road and bridge elements of
the TIP, which includes meeting the requirements for implementing them. These
requirements include acquiring right of way, obtaining necessary permits and
completing design review before or during the federal fiscal year in which
projects are programmed so that they can be advertised in the federal fiscal
year in which they are programmed.
- MPO staff shall annually and as-needed share federal
funding assumptions, narrative guidance, and financial program targets to
MPO members regarding the primary 3C-planning documents. This information
shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Expected future federal highway funding for
Massachusetts
- Planned debt repayments
- State matches for remaining federal highway funds
- Funding for statewide highway, planning, and
pass-through items
- Formula for distributing remaining funds to regional
planning agencies
- Federal discretionary grant opportunities
- Financial risk factors, such as inflation
Section
9—Maintenance of Operations Plan
Every four years following the
federal certification review process, or at the discretion of a majority vote
of board members, the Operations Plan shall be reviewed in full and modified as
needed. Revisions to this Operations Plan may be discussed in committee formats
such as the A&F Committee, but revisions shall be reviewed by the MPO board
and approved with a majority vote.
Appendix—Timeline
Month
|
General
|
TIP-Specific
|
October
|
●
Start of new federal fiscal year (Oct
1)
●
MPO seat nominations due by early
October
●
MAPC and/or MBTA Advisory Board hosts
a forum for the electorate to meet representatives of candidate communities
(can be virtual)
●
MAPC staff send ballots for open MPO
seats to chief elected officials (mid-October)
●
Ballots are due the day before the
MAPC Fall Council Meeting
●
New MPO members announced at MAPC Fall Council Meeting (late
October)
|
●
State agencies provide staff with
information or present information on project status and outcomes for TIP
projects scheduled in the prior FFY
●
MPO staff and the MPO Board discuss
and decide on the TIP development process for the upcoming TIP in the first
quarter of each federal fiscal year
●
MPO staff develop and shares with
the and MPO Board a TIP Development Memorandum describing the FFY process for developing the TIP,
●
The MPO board reviews and if desired
begins an update to the TIP selection criteria (Oct–Jan)
|
November
|
●
New MPO members (four municipalities
annually) start terms (Nov 1)
●
The MPO holds an Annual Meeting,
where new members are introduced
●
Vice chair nominations occur one
meeting before the Vice-chair elections take place, either before or
at the Annual Meeting depending on whether the Annual Meeting is held on the
first or second meeting of the month.
●
Vice-chair shall be elected for a
one-year term at the second MPO meeting of the month by majority vote
●
The MPO shall review committee slates and appoint committee
members. (Ad hoc committees and task forces may be appointed at any time
during the year at the discretion of the Chair or through a motion and
majority vote)
|
●
MPO staff presents a project universe
for the next year’s TIP to the MPO Board
●
MPO staff publishes TIP
project-selection criteria, application of the criteria in project
evaluations, and the Universe of Projects for the TIP
|
December
|
●
MassDOT cooperatively develops the
statewide federal aid and non-federal aid highway funding estimate with MARPA
and MPO staff
|
●
MPO staff post obligated project
lists which summarize how projects fared in the previous fiscal year
before asking the MPO to vote on the new TIP.
|
January
|
At the
annual MARPA meeting:
●
MassDOT presents and explains the
funding estimate, providing additional information as requested
●
MassDOT proposes its priorities for
projects with costs that will be subtracted from the federal obligation
authority of the state
|
●
|
February
|
|
●
MPO staff present the TIP target funds for the TIP being
developed, using the federal and non-federal aid amount and the state match
announced at the MARPA meeting
●
MPO staff shares MassDOT’s priorities for projects with costs
that will be subtracted from the federal obligation authority of the state
presented at the annual MARPA meeting.
|
March
|
|
●
MPO staff and MassDOT staff present
TIP project readiness updates to the MPO Board.
●
MPO Board selects a final programming
scenario for the TIP in development.
●
State agencies (MassDOT, MBTA, RTAs)
provide staff with information or present prioritization process and project
information for non-target funded projects to be included in the TIP (late
March or early April, before the MPO Board votes on the new TIP)
|
April
|
●
MPO Board and MPO staff review the MOU,
which shall be reviewed every year, beginning in April
|
●
MPO staff produce a draft TIP
document
to be voted to be released for public review
|
May
|
●
MPO Board or staff circulate the
latest MOU document to the municipalities of the MPO
|
●
MPO Board endorses the TIP
|
June
|
●
Every four years, MPO Board approves
the Long-Range Transportation Plan and Coordinated Public Transit–Human
Services Transportation Plan
|
|
July
|
|
|
August
|
●
The MPO Board adopts an annual UPWP for the region
●
MAPC staff sends correspondence
inviting nominations for open MPO seats (4 annually), due in late October.
|
|
September
|
●
End of Federal Fiscal Year on
September 30
|
|
Other Required MPO Documents Not Approved Annually:
While they are not annual documents, and may not fit into
this framework, the board must approve the:
● Long-Range
Transportation Plan (LRTP) - updated every four years, typically approved by
MPO in June.
● Public
Engagement Plan (PEP) - updated as needed. Can be approved anytime of the year
by the MPO.
● Title
VI Program - typically updated every three years or when MassDOT Office of
Diversity and Civil Rights (ODCR) requests . Can be approved anytime of the
year by the MPO.
● Coordinated
Public Transit–Human Services Transportation Plan - updated every four years,
typically in conjunction with the LRTP and approved by MPO by the end of that
federal fiscal year.
● Congestion
Management Process (CMP) - no set time frame to
update, updated
“periodically”. The last report was updated in 2012 .
Agenda setting and minutes:
● At
least four to six weeks before a scheduled Board meeting, MPO staff solicit
potential agenda items from staff and include them on a running list of
potential future agenda items
● MPO
staff solicit potential agenda items from the Chair and Vice-chair at least
three to four weeks before the meeting
● OTP
review of materials to be submitted to board (work scopes, reports, meeting
minutes, etc.) complete before the Thursday before the meeting that the
materials are relevant for.
● MPO
meeting minutes, which must be approved within the next three meetings or 30
days from the date of the meeting, whichever is later
Ongoing Items Throughout the Year:
●
Implementing agencies submit project status information and other
issues of interest to the Boston Region MPO Chair and MPO staff for
coordination and distribution to MPO members
●
MPO staff shall annually and as-needed share federal funding
assumptions, narrative guidance, and financial program targets to MPO members
regarding the primary 3C-planning documents. This information shall include,
but is not limited to:
o
expected future federal highway funding for Massachusetts
o
planned debt repayments
o
state matches for remaining federal highway funds
o
funding for statewide highway, planning, and pass-through items
o
formula for distributing remaining funds to regional planning
agencies
o
federal discretionary grant opportunities
o
financial risk factors, such as inflation
●
The MOU states that the MPO shall provide the Regional
Transportation Advisory Council with information and analysis in the form of
reports, briefings, and discussion concerning their plans, programs, and
priorities so that the Advisory Council can carry out its functions in a timely
fashion
●
The MOU also states that "members shall support the Advisory
Council by individually rendering institutional support and also by attending
the Advisory Council meetings, as practical."
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.