Draft Memorandum for the Record

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization

Unified Planning Work Program Committee Meeting Minutes

November 7, 2024, Meeting

1:00 PM–1:15 PM, Zoom Video Conferencing Platform

Derek Krevat, Chair, representing Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Secretary of Transportation and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT)

Decisions

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) Committee agreed to the following:

• Approve the minutes of the May 9, 2024, meeting
  
  
• Endorse Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2025 UPWP Amendment One and waive the 21-day public comment period

Materials

Materials for this meeting included the following:

1. May 9, 2024, Meeting Minutes (pdf) (html)
2. FFY 2025 UPWP Amendment One (pdf) (html)
3. FFY 2025 UPWP Amendment One Redline (pdf)
4. FFY 2025 UPWP Amendment One Appendices (html)
5. FFY 2025 UPWP Amendment One Memo (pdf) (html)

Meeting Agenda

1. Introductions

See attendance on page 4.

2. Public Comments

There were none.

3. Action Item: Approval of May 9, 2024, Meeting Minutes

Vote

A motion to approve the minutes of the meeting of May 9, 2024, was made by the SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee (Rachel Benson) and seconded by the Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville) (Tom Bent) The motion carried. The following members abstained: MBTA Advisory Board (Hanna Switlekowski).

4. Action Item: FFY 2025 UPWP Amendment One—Dave Hong, MPO Staff

Dave Hong, MPO staff, presented FFY 2025 UPWP Amendment One, which includes the addition of five grant-funded studies:

• 2023 Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant
• City of Boston’s Greening Chelsea Creek Waterfront
• City of Cambridge’s Bicycle Pedestrian Crossing of the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line
• City of Everett’s Uniting Neighborhoods and Transit Opportunities
• City of Lynn’s River Works Reimagined
• City of Everett’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Planning and Demonstration Grant

D. Hong gave an overview of the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods studies, shown in Table 1.

Table 1
FFY 2025 UPWP Amendment One: RCN-funded Studies

FFY = Federal Fiscal Year. RCN = Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant. UPWP = Unified Planning Work Program.

D. Hong gave an overview of the SS4A grant study, shown in Table 2.

Table 2
FFY 2025 UPWP Amendment One: SS4A Grant-funded Studies

FFY = Federal Fiscal Year. SS4A = Safe Streets and Roads for All. UPWP = Unified Planning Work Program.

Discussion

Josh Ostroff, MBTA, asked staff to clarify if the request included waiving the 21-day public comment period.

D. Hong clarified that the request does include waiving the 21-day public comment period.

Derek Krevat, MassDOT, expressed support for all the grant funding that is supporting projects in the Boston region and stated that Amendment One is indicative of all the project proponents’ efforts on the grant applications.

Vote

A motion to endorse FFY 2025 UPWP Amendment One and waive the 21-day public comment period was made by the Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville) (Tom Bent) and seconded by the City of Newton (David Koses) The motion carried.

5. Members’ Items

D. Krevat stated that he will no longer be chairing the UPWP Committee starting in December 2024 or January 2025. D. Krevat stated that he has taken on a new role in the MassDOT Office of Transportation Planning and that Chris Klem, MassDOT, will be taking over D. Krevat’s position. D. Krevat expressed appreciation for being able to chair the UPWP Committee and discuss ways to improve the region’s studies.

6. Next Meeting

To be announced.

7. Adjourn

A motion to adjourn was made by the Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville) (T. Bent) and seconded by the MBTA Advisory Board (Hanna Switlekowski). The motion carried.

Attendance

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Welcome. Bem Vinda. Bienvenido. Akeyi. 欢迎. 歡迎

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