Draft Memorandum for the Record

Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization
Unified Planning Work Program Committee Meeting Minutes

April 17, 2025 Meeting

2:00 PM–3:15 PM, Zoom Video Conferencing Platform

Chris Klem, 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:

Materials

Materials for this meeting included the following:

1.     FFY 2026 UPWP Discrete Study Scenarios (PDF) (HTML)

2.     Draft FFY 2026 UPWP Discrete Study Ideas for Discussion (updated) (PDF) (HTML)

Meeting Agenda

1.    Introductions

See attendance beginning on page 5.

2.    Public Comments

There were none.

3.    Agenda Item–FFY 2026 UPWP Discrete Study Scenarios–Olivia Saccocia, MPO Staff

O. Saccocia presented the four discrete study scenarios that MPO staff developed ([PDF] [HTML]). For descriptions of each study, please see the Draft FFY 2026 UPWP Discrete Study Ideas for Discussion (PDF) (HTML).

She also explained several changes that were made to two study descriptions based on the feedback that the UPWP committee provided at the April 3 meeting.

S. O Saccocia said that staff clarified that study M-4, Multimodal Bottleneck Detection for the Region, will proactively identify and address safety risks for vulnerable road users and provide recommendations for safety improvements in multimodal bottleneck areas. This study will also produce insights that will contribute to Transportation Improvement Program project scoring.

S. O Saccocia also said that staff clarified that the outcome of study E-1, Representing the Experience of Limited Mobility Individuals, will be a technical memo, which will identify data gaps and potential analysis strategies that will enable MPO staff to better analyze the quality of destination access for individuals with limited mobility within various aspects of the agency’s planning work.

Discussion

Len Diggins (Regional Transportation Advisory Council) expressed support for Scenario 3. He stated that the MPO would gain important insights about mobility options for the region’s elderly population from study E-1. He also explained that he was interested in study M-4 because it takes a proactive approach to addressing safety for vulnerable road users.

Julia Wallerce (Metropolitan Area Planning Council) asked how the scope for study L-1 would be scaled down from $70,000 to $50,000. Rebecca Morgan (MPO Staff) responded that the study could be priced at $50,000 if MPO and Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) staff collaborated on this study together. She also explained that the data exploration part of this study could be started this year so that the study could be completed in FFY 2026 within the $50,000 budget.

David Koses (Town of Newton) and Jen Rowe (City of Boston) both expressed support for Scenario 3. D. Koses explained that he favors study E-1 because it is something that the MPO has not explored before. J. Rowe stated that they liked how the results of study M-4 would clearly benefit other MPO work.

Steve Olanoff (Three Rivers Interlocal Council) expressed support for study A-1. He stated that this study would yield useful results, especially for small communities in the region. He explained that it’s important for communities to have a coordinated approach to pedestrian-scale lighting.

D. Koses also expressed support for study A-1. He suggested that the committee could consider a different scenario that includes A-1, E-1, and P-9, all priced at $50,000.

C. Klem asked if staff could clarify how study P-9 would build off the FFY 2025 discrete study on roadway pricing. Annette Demchur (MPO Staff) explained that the proposed P-9 study would specifically focus on effective strategies for communicating about roadway pricing. C. Klem expressed support for this study since roadway pricing is currently a relevant topic in transportation.

S. Olanoff stated that he disliked study M-4 because he did not think it would be useful to municipalities in the region. He explained that the study would simply identify multimodal bottleneck areas. S. Olanoff expressed support for the new scenario, A-1, E-1, and P-9.

J. Rowe asked if staff could clarify how the results of study A-1 would connect to other MPO work. They stated that this study would be stronger if municipalities were encouraged to use the results of the guidebook to build pedestrian-scale lighting infrastructure through the MPO’s Community Connections program, for example. A. Demchur explained that the MPO could consider incorporating the findings of A-1 in the Complete Streets Program evaluation criteria, however, staff do not plan to revise these criteria until the next Long-Range Transportation Plan is developed. R. Morgan explained that, in addition to providing a guidebook for Boston-region communities, the findings of A-1 would be used by MPO staff when conducting technical assistance projects.

Tom Bent (Inner Core Committee) stated that he had conflicting opinions about A-1. He explained that this study may be duplicative, as there are preexisting resources about lighting guidance from MassDOT and the City of Boston. However, he liked how the study would focus on sidewalk lighting in addition to roadway lighting.

T. Bent expressed concern about study P-9. He stated that it may not be worth funding if the federal government does not approve a roadway pricing proposal for Boston. A. Demchur explained that a roadway pricing proposal wouldn’t likely be approved in the near future, and the purpose of the study is to prepare now for an eventual roadway pricing proposal.

L. Diggins asked why study A-1 was limited to small and medium-sized communities. Seth Asante (MPO Staff) explained that the proposal was originally developed to focus on smaller communities since large municipalities in the region typically have lighting guidelines already. S. Asante stated that large communities may also benefit from this study and staff will look to revise the scope of this proposal. T. Bent also stated that several municipalities have started to attach electric vehicle charging stations to municipal-owned lighting poles, and he suggested that staff consider this when developing the guidebook.

T. Bent suggested that staff revisit study M-2 next year. J. Wallerce explained that MAPC staff have also been working to acquire Transportation Network Company (TNC) data, and C. Klem agreed that after the data becomes available, the MPO could potentially refine the scope of the study and consider it next year.

Vote

A motion to include A-1: Pedestrian-Scale Lighting Guide for Small- and Medium-Sized Communities, E-1: Representing the Experience of Limited Mobility Individuals, and P-9: Roadway Pricing: Stakeholder Analysis, each at $50,000, in the FFY 2026 UPWP was made by the Three Rivers Interlocal Council (S. Olanoff). The motion was seconded by the Inner Core Committee (T. Bent). The motion carried.

4.    Members’ Items

L. Diggins requested that MPO members have a meeting with the agency’s general council, and Tegin Teich (Executive Director) stated that first, MPO staff will need to determine how that meeting may be structured. T. Teich stated that she will follow up about this after the committee meeting.

J. Wallerce stated that MAPC is hosting a webinar on the e-cargo bike resource webpage that MAPC recently released and invited committee members to join and share the invite.

5.    Next Meeting

The UPWP Committee will meet next on May 29, 2025, to review the draft FFY 2026 UPWP.

6.    Adjourn

A motion to adjourn was made by the MBTA Advisory Council (Hanna Switlekowski) and seconded by the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (L. Diggins). The motion carried.

 

Attendance

Members

Representatives

and Alternates

Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Office of Transportation Planning)

Chris Klem

MBTA Advisory Council

Hanna Switlekowski

Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Julia Wallerce

Regional Transportation Advisory Council

Lenard Diggins

At-Large City (City of Newton)

David Koses

City of Boston (Boston Transportation Department)

Jennifer Rowe

Inner Core Committee (City of Somerville)

Tom Bent

Three Rivers Interlocal Council alternate (Town of Westwood)

Steven Olanoff

SouthWest Advisory Planning Committee (Town of Wrentham)

Rachel Benson

 

Other Attendees

Affiliation

Alison Felix

Metropolitan Area Planning Council

Janet Hobbs

 

Ben Muller

MassDOT

Thomas O'Rourke

Three Rivers Interlocal Council (Town of Norwood)

Melissa Santley

MassDOT

Jon Seward

 

 

MPO Staff/Central Transportation Planning Staff

Tegin Teich, Executive Director

Seth Asante

Priyanka Chapekar

Abby Cutrumbes Heerema

Annette Demchur

Emily Domanico

Jenn Emiko Kaplan

Hiral Gandhi

Shravanthi Gopalan Narayanan

Dave Hong

Elena Ion

Adriana Jacobsen

Ethan Lapointe

Lauren Magee

Erin Maguire

Rose McCarron

Rebecca Morgan

Dorcas Okaidjah

Gina Perille

Olivia Saccocia

Sam Taylor

 

 

CIVIL RIGHTS NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

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

 

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