Draft Memorandum
TO: Administration and Finance Committee of the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
FROM: Tegin Teich, Executive Director, Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS)
RE: SFY 2026 Operating Budget for CTPS
This memorandum outlines the proposed $8,240,000 state fiscal year (SFY) 2026 operating budget for the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS). The Administration and Finance Committee members will be asked to vote on forwarding this budget to the full Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) board for approval.
CTPS DIRECT EXPENSES
Direct expenses are costs that can be directly attributed to a specific project or contract. Expenditures for the following direct expenses are funded directly through contracts. Some expenditures charged to the contract may require prior approval from the contractor.
1.1 Direct Labor/Salaries $3,320,000
Based on current revenue projections and the associated work program, approximately 60 professional positions are expected for SFY 2026. Additionally, the budget accounts for other staff members, including per diem employees and field personnel. A merit and promotional pool has also been allocated for salary increases.
1.2 Information Technology (IT) Equipment $66,500
The MPO contract funds IT equipment costing more than $5,000 per item. The SFY 2026 budget includes a network switch replacement ($20,500) and a replacement of CTPS’s in-room power distribution unit ($46,000).
1.3 Consultants $651,000
CTPS intends to collaborate with a range of consultants to support and enhance project-related tasks. These tasks involve engaging consultants for the development of TDM27 to provide critical expertise and institutional knowledge; leveraging route-sending data and geospatial analysis to build a routable mobility network; and specialized consulting for both the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP) and Mobility, Access, and Transportation Insecurity (MATI) grants. Also, CTPS will partner with Design Principles for the redesign of the Boston Region MPO’s internal and external websites, and engage consultants for work related to the Federal Transit Administration’s STOPS model and a diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) assessment. These partnerships are aimed at ensuring technical quality, strengthening project execution, expanding capacity, and advancing key strategic initiatives.
1.4 Conferences and Travel (Project Related) $45,000
The budget sets aside funds for staff to attend important industry conferences related to project work, sponsored by various organizations including the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Transportation Research Board, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and other local and national organizations. This line item covers registration, travel, and accommodations related to these conferences and seminars. It also includes travel expenses for project-related work, client meetings, and collaboration with other agencies, such as for data collection and site visits. These travel opportunities are essential for professional development and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.
1.5 Translations and Interpretations $16,000
This budget line item covers the cost of translating the MPO’s vital documents and hiring interpreters for meetings. This ensures that key information is accessible to all stakeholders and that meetings are inclusive, supporting effective communication and participation.
1.6 Membership Dues for Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) $26,000
AMPO is the transportation advocate for metropolitan regions and is committed to enhancing MPOs’ abilities to improve metropolitan transportation systems. The organization provides a forum for members to discuss policy updates, provide advocacy support, share technical expertise, and participate in committee opportunities, peer-to-peer networking events, and educational development.
1.7 Other $45,500
Unexpected or unusual expenses related to project work are usually covered under the "Other" direct cost line item. This year, these costs include renewing a data-recording subscription for equipment related to supporting the Active Transportation Planning Program ($7,500), purchasing air quality monitoring technology to support the Transportation Impact Mitigation Program ($2,500), providing incentives for engagement activities ($27,000), printing public outreach materials for the MPO work ($1,000), catering for quarterly MPO board meetings ($2,500), and addressing any other unforeseen project expenses that may arise during the fiscal year ($5,000).
2 CTPS INDIRECT EXPENSES AND OVERHEAD RATE
Overhead or indirect costs are not directly linked to a specific product, project, or service. Instead, they support the agency's overall operations and typically remain relatively constant.
The overhead rate represents a percentage of direct labor costs allocated to cover general administrative expenses that cannot be directly attributed to specific projects. This encompasses expenses such as rent, utilities, administrative staff salaries, office supplies, and other indirect costs essential for CTPS's general operation. The provisional overhead rate for SFY 2026 is 122.59 percent.
2.1 Paid Time Off (PTO) Benefits $1,075,000
PTO benefits include paid leave for holidays, sick days, accrued vacation, family leave, discretionary time, and administrative leave (such as office closures, bereavement, and jury duty).
2.2 Administrative Salaries $1,400,000
Administrative salaries encompasses the wages of staff dedicated to the agency's day-to-day operations. It covers tasks such as general group or cross-group collaboration, resource planning, development and maintenance of the operating budget, recruitment activities, and human resource-related tasks, including onboarding, off-boarding, training, and annual evaluations. Additionally, this budget line item includes staff time allocated to internal communications, working group activities, and strategic planning activities for the agency.
2.3 Medical Insurance $135,000
Health and life insurance benefits are offered to CTPS employees through the Commonwealth’s Group Insurance Commission, with CTPS covering part of the premium. Costs are variable due to the range of health plans, memberships, and premiums. Additionally, CTPS pays a portion of premiums for retired staff.
2.4 Workers’ Compensation $4,000
CTPS employees are covered for workplace injuries by a workers’ compensation policy held by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). This line item represents CTPS’s contribution to the premium.
2.5 Unemployment $3,000
CTPS is self-insured for unemployment compensation and is fully responsible for benefits paid to terminated or furloughed employees. This budget includes funds for former staff, temporary special project employees, and field staff who may be eligible.
2.6 Medicare/FICA Insurance $68,000
CTPS contributes a portion of employee salaries for employees to the Social Security Administration for Medicare.
2.7 Medical Security Trust $5,000
This state-mandated cost covers medical benefits for the unemployed and includes a portion of Massachusetts Health insurance for previous employees.
2.8 Short-term Disability $18,000
CTPS provides a short-term disability insurance program for eligible employees, fully paid by the employer.
2.9 Tuition Assistance $3,000
CTPS offers a 50 percent reimbursement for annual tuition costs, up to $1,500 per person.
2.10 Training $43,000
This line item covers the cost of training programs on software use, application, development, project management, and communication skills.
2.11 Transit Subsidies $75,000
CTPS reimburses employees for public transit commuting expenses, up to $225 per month.
2.12 General Supplies and Equipment $23,750
This line item includes office supplies, equipment, and furniture, as well as depreciation costs for these purchases.
2.13 IT Equipment, Software, and Software $479,500
This budget covers purchasing and leasing IT equipment, maintenance contracts, software licenses, and subscriptions.
2.14 Premises $323,000
This line item includes office and storage space lease costs, work area renovations, and physical plant maintenance. Rent at our current office space is estimated at $320,000, with an additional $3,000 for potential maintenance.
2.15 Recruitment and Job Advertisements $15,000
CTPS advertises career opportunities through various outlets, including industry publications, metropolitan and national publications, academic institutions’ career sites, and online channels. This line item also covers consulting services for recruiting assistance for highly technical positions that are challenging to fill. Additionally, to support a successful nationwide search for candidates, CTPS reimburses a portion of relocation expenses for newly hired employees moving from out of state to the Boston area.
2.16 Professional Services—Legal $15,000
This line item includes fees for legal services such as personnel visa sponsorships and other legal needs.
2.17 Professional Services—Compensation Planning $7,500
CTPS is dedicated to ensuring fair compensation for all employees across the organization by following the guidelines outlined in the Compensation Plan, which also aims to ensure compliance with the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act. Furthermore, this plan outlines how employees can progress toward their career objectives.
2.18 Temporary Help $2,000
This line item covers the cost of hiring temporary staff as needed.
2.19 Conference and Travel (Administration) $15,000
This line item includes registration fees, travel reimbursements, and other related expenses for administrative-related conferences and seminars.
2.20 Annual Memberships $3,000
CTPS reimburses professional organizations' annual membership fees, up to $300 per staff member. This line item also covers a portion of the Bluebikes annual membership fee.
2.21 Subscriptions and Publications $8,750
This line item covers the costs of technical publications, manuals, newsletters, and subscriptions, including the State House News Service, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, and Shutterstock.
2.22 Printing Services $500
This line item includes professional printing services for documents, presentation boards, and informational booklets.
2.23 Fiduciary Agent Fee $335,000
MAPC will receive payment, capped at 6.5 percent of the CTPS payroll, for providing administrative services specified in the Fiduciary Agent Agreement.
2.24 Miscellaneous and Staff Events $10,000
This line item covers unforeseen costs during the fiscal year ($5,000) as well as staff engagement events ($5,000).
CENTRAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING STAFF SFY 2026 REVENUE PROJECTIONS JULY 1, 2025 - JUNE 30, 2026 Contract SFY 2026 Description Budget Direct Costs Salary and Overhead Start Date End Date Salary and Overhead Direct Costs Total 3C PL & Section 5303 3C PL and 5303 FFY 2025 $6,166,117 $550,600 $5,615,517 10/1/24 9/30/25 $1,592,000 $193,500 $1,785,500 MD-Directed 5303 FFY 2025 $352,367 $0 $352,367 10/1/24 9/30/25 $40,000 $0 $40,000 3C PL and 5303 FFY 2026 $6,313,820 $583,000 $5,730,820 10/1/25 9/30/26 $4,292,500 $250,000 $4,542,500 MD-Directed 5303 FFY 2026 $357,896 $0 $357,896 10/1/25 9/30/26 $260,000 $0 $260,000 MPO Subtotal $6,184,500 $443,500 $6,628,000 MassDOT/Other SPR Projects 2024 - 2025 $440,000 $0 $440,000 10/1/24 9/30/25 $180,000 $0 $180,000 SPR Projects 2025 - 2026 $440,000 $0 $440,000 10/1/25 9/30/26 $305,000 $0 $305,000 MassDOT On-Call Projects $400,000 $0 $400,000 3/19/23 12/31/25 $15,000 $0 $15,000 MassDOT Title VI $95,000 $0 $95,000 01/27/2020 1/31/27 $10,000 $0 $10,000 MassDOT Subtotal $510,000 $0 $510,000 MBTA Transit Service Data Collection $595,000 $269 $594,731 10/1/22 9/30/25 $45,000 $400 $45,400 MBTA FY 2024 and 2025 Title VI Program $197,964 $1,000 $196,964 6/1/24 5/31/26 $20,000 $0 $20,000 MBTA FY 2025 National Transit Database $234,184 $300 $233,884 8/19/24 2/28/26 $65,000 $0 $65,000 Rider Oversight Committee Support $31,342 $0 $31,342 09/15/2021 6/30/26 $17,000 $0 $17,000 MBTA Bus Shelter Maps $21,183 $0 $21,183 11/26/24 11/30/26 $10,000 $0 $10,000 MBTA Map Support $18,000 $0 $18,000 3/31/25 3/31/28 $6,000 $0 $6,000 Mapping for MBTA Bus Network Redesign $100,000 $0 $100,000 TBD TBD $25,000 $0 $25,000 MBTA FY 2026 National Transit Database $248,692 $300 $248,392 07/01/2025 12/31/26 $155,000 $100 $155,100 MBTA 2026 Triennial Title VI Program $165,962 $1,000 $164,962 06/01/2025 10/1/26 $125,000 $1,000 $126,000 Ferry Service Equity Analysis $62,000 $0 $62,000 03/01/2025 6/30/25 $20,000 $0 $20,000 MBTA Subtotal $488,000 $1,500 $489,500 Other Mobility, Access, and Transportation Insecurity (MATI) $149,956 $89,956 $60,000 8/1/24 7/31/25 $7,500 $5,000 $12,500 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP) $1,001,100 $600,000 $401,100 11/01/2024 6/30/26 $200,000 $400,000 $600,000 Other Subtotal $207,500 $405,000 $612,500 Total $7,390,000 $850,000 $8,240,000
CENTRAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING STAFF SFY 2026 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET JULY 1, 2025 - JUNE 30, 2026 1 2 3 4 5 6 Line Item Approved SFY 2025 Budget Projected Year-End SFY 2025 Expenses Proposed SFY 2026 Budget Proposed SFY 2026 vs. Projected SFY 2025 Proposed SFY 2026 vs. Approved SFY 2025 1 Direct Labor/Salaries $3,350,000 $3,060,000 $3,320,000 8% -1% 2 Other Direct Costs $1,490,600 $743,089 $850,000 14% -43% 3 Information Technology (IT) Equipment $55,000 $45,635 $66,500 46% 21% 4 Consultants $1,265,000 $562,259 $651,000 16% -49% 5 Conferences and Travel (Project-Related) $45,000 $43,000 $45,000 5% 0% 6 Translations and Interpretations $25,000 $15,500 $16,000 3% -36% 7 AMPO Membership Dues $24,000 $23,195 $26,000 12% 8% 8 Other (Incentives, Printing, Unanticipated) $76,600 $53,500 $45,500 -15% -41% 9 Annual Indirect Costs $4,030,000 $3,692,730 $4,070,000 10% 1% 10 Indirect Timesheet Costs $2,310,000 $2,180,000 $2,475,000 14% 7% 11 Paid Time Off (PTO) Benefits $1,050,000 $950,000 $1,075,000 13% 2% 12 Administrative Salaries $1,260,000 $1,230,000 $1,400,000 14% 11% 13 Employee Insurance $234,500 $202,220 $233,000 15% -1% 14 Medical $140,000 $120,000 $135,000 13% -4% 15 Workers' Compensation $6,500 $3,200 $4,000 25% -38% 16 Unemployment $3,000 $20 $3,000 -- 0% 17 Medicare/FICA $70,000 $62,000 $68,000 10% -3% 18 Massachusetts Unemployment Health Insurance $5,000 $4,000 $5,000 25% 0% 19 Short-term Disability Insurance $10,000 $13,000 $18,000 38% 80% 20 Employee Benefits and Other $130,000 $107,000 $121,000 13% -7% 21 Tuition Assistance $5,000 $0 $3,000 -- -40% 22 Training and Professional Development $50,000 $40,000 $43,000 8% -14% 23 Transit Subsidy $75,000 $67,000 $75,000 12% 0% 24 General Supplies and Equipment $22,500 $19,200 $23,750 24% 6% 25 Office Supplies $5,000 $4,000 $5,000 25% 0% 26 Office Equipment $5,000 $2,500 $2,500 0% -50% 27 Postage $500 $0 $250 -- -- 28 General Equipment Lease $1,000 $800 $1,000 25% 0% 29 General Equipment Maintenance $1,000 $500 $1,000 -- 0% 30 Depreciation Expense $10,000 $11,400 $14,000 23% 40% 31 IT Supplies, Equipment, and Software $455,000 $433,000 $479,500 11% 5% 32 IT Equipment $36,000 $30,000 $42,500 42% 18% 33 IT Supplies $10,000 $6,000 $7,000 17% -30% 34 Internet and Telephone $50,000 $55,000 $55,000 0% 10% 35 Software Contracts and Subscriptions $359,000 $342,000 $375,000 10% 4% 36 Premises $428,000 $318,500 $323,000 1% -25% 37 Office Maintenance and Repair $8,000 $1,500 $3,000 100% -63% 38 Office Rent and Storage $420,000 $317,000 $320,000 1% -24% 39 Recruitment $41,000 $12,500 $18,000 44% -56% 40 Recruitment/Job Advertisements $36,000 $11,000 $15,000 36% -58% 41 Relocation Expense $5,000 $1,500 $3,000 100% -40% 42 Professional Services $32,000 $39,000 $24,500 -37% -23% 43 Professional Services - Legal $15,000 $24,000 $15,000 -38% 0% 44 Professional Services - Personnel $15,000 $15,000 $7,500 -50% -50% 45 Temporary Help $2,000 $0 $2,000 -- 0% 46 Conference and Travel (Administration) $20,000 $15,000 $15,000 0% -25% 47 Conference and Travel (Administration-related) $20,000 $15,000 $15,000 0% -25% 48 Professional Fees $11,000 $10,000 $11,750 18% 7% 49 Annual Memberships $3,000 $2,500 $3,000 20% 0% 50 Subscriptions and Publications $8,000 $7,500 $8,750 17% 9% 51 Reproduction $1,000 $310 $500 61% -50% 52 Printing Services $1,000 $310 $500 61% -50% 53 Other Costs $345,000 $356,000 $345,000 -3% 0% 54 Fiduciary Agent Fee - MAPC $335,000 $335,000 $335,000 0% 0% 55 Staff Engagement Events $0 $0 $5,000 -- -- 56 Miscellaneous $10,000 $21,000 $5,000 -76% -50% 57 Total Annual Costs $8,870,600 $7,495,819 $8,240,000 10% -7% 58 Overhead Rate 120.30% 120.68% 122.59%
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.