CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS REGONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

Transportation Planning Committee Meeting Minutes

March 25, 2010

At the Commission Offices, 2 Washington Square, Union Station, 2nd Floor, Worcester, MA 01604-4016

Attending:

Chairperson: Robert Hassinger, Grafton

Jeffrey Howland, New Braintree

Philip Joinville, Auburn

John F. Knipe, Jr., Shrewsbury

Commission Chairperson: James R. Bates, Jr., Upton

Staff:

Lawrence B. Adams, Executive Director

Mary Ellen Blunt, Transportation Program Manager

Bill Moisuk, Principal Planner

Judith C. Pearson, Administrative Assistant

1.Introductions

Chairperson Hassinger opened the March 25, 2010 Transportation Planning Committee (T-Committee) at 6:01 P.M. and he asked for around the room introductions.

2.Approval of the February 25, 2010 T-Committee Minutes

Upon a motion by Phil Joinville, duly seconded by Jeffrey Howland, the members unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the February 25, 2010 T-Committee as presented.

3.Announcements of General Interest

Ms. Blunt announced that SAFETEALU authorization has been extended to December, 2010 with the assumption that it is a full funding for the next nine months. She also reported that there is a smaller Stimulus package passed which has not filtered down to the region as yet.

4.CMMPO Business

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) ’10-’13 draft Amendment #3

Ms. Blunt reported that the draft Amendment #3 to the ’10-’13 TIP was passedby the CMMPO. It contained changes to bridge projects in the region.

Review of March CMMPO Meeting/Work of Advisory Committee

Ms. Blunt stated that the CMMPO began discussing the Regional Transportation Plan’s goals and objectives adding that the CMMPO Advisory Committee had met prior to the CMMPO and had developed a number of Regional Transportation Plan objectives which were submitted to the CMMPO. She reported that Mass DOT expressed that the themes were too prescriptive and MassDOT suggested that the staff to the CMMPO ask the public for general input to commuting problems and transportation issues. In light of time and fiscal constraints, Ms. Blunt stated that staff needed more definition, i.e. how can funding be balanced with needs. She added that the CMMPO sent the issue back to the Advisory Committee to get conversation started to determine themes, thoughts and ideas such as security, ITS, to be presented to the public and stakeholders.

She told the members that at the CMMPO Advisory Committee meeting on March 24, 2010, a “mini-charette” was held to help with the development of themes to present to the CMMPO. She then presented the themes that the CMMPO devised, including:

  • Fiscal Constraint
  • Restore and maintain all types of infrastructure
  • Equity
  • Transportation Security
  • Data Inventories
  • Access to transportation services and infrastructure: better connectivity
  • Livability
  • Decrease SOV demand
  • Technology
  • General public and stakeholders involvement
  • Regional Planning

Mr. Bates stated that the CMMPO expressed that transportation improvements must be attainable, i.e. dollar value.

Phil Joinville asked about a specific intersection of Southbridge Street that needed attention. Mr. Moisuk responded that this issue would be a small item under the theme of develop and maintain all types of infrastructure such as streets, railroad corridors, bike and pedestrian paths and their conjunctions.

Ms. Blunt then spoke about the Gateway Project in the City of Worcester, specifically located in the Southbridge Street, Cambridge and Canterbury Streets and McKeon Road area. She added that Mr. Joinville’s comment about the area of Southbridge Street was not an isolated incident but a travel path moving into the City which would also affect other modes of transportation such as freight because of the facility on Southbridge Street. She stated that all improvements tied into a larger picture to be included in the twenty year plan.

Mr. Moisuk discussed transit funding, bicycling, transportation education, road building and CMRPC staffing to complete the RTP. He stated that staff needs to determine what the general themes and preferences are. Ms. Blunt added that although roadways are important, it’s important to define what piece of roadways need attention such as signal coordination, using technology to move people through roadways, assessment of roadway pavement, and priority of roadways (safety, congestion). She stated that patterns of transportation in the region are that travelers are coming in from the west (with some stopping in the City) going through to the east, moving east from where people are residing. She added that the Worcester Mobility Study is trying to address this issue along with an alternative connector at Route 56.

Ms. Blunt then stated that staff will collapse the draft regional transportation Plan themes from the CMMPO Advisory Committee along with some “tweaking” of the original goals. Mr. Moisuk added that over time, staff will set priorities.

Ms. Blunt then discussed scenario planning that was done in the last RTP, which included attempts to garner public opinion. She added that there was a lot of discussion regarding multi-modal transportation improvements in the last RTP and there was no plan in place for prioritizing money. Ms. Blunt stated that the costs for projects had increased significantly with less money available.

Mr. Moisuk added that the RTP should provide for different modes of transportation which connect to one another adding that roadway projects with these connections will be favored over those that do not. Ms. Blunt stated that in the Bike/Ped plan, staff will be examining how regional, state, and locally funded projects can be utilized to achieve the overall goal of more access for bikes and pedestrians. She then discussed how transit ridership has increased for the third straight year.

Mr. Moisuk informed the members that the Plan does not exclusively deal with TIP-funded projects but also directs work assignments for RPA staff.

5.By-Law Review

Ms. Blunt directed the attention of the members to the handout that included the changes to the Transportation Planning Committee Bylaws. Mr. Adams stated that the Commission as a whole, is reviewing all the bylaws and needs input from all the standing sub committees.

The members discussed at length the makeup of the T-Committee; technical, Commission and Ex. Officio members.

Mr. Bates stated that he was happy with the bylaws as presented. Mr. Hassinger stated that the Chair of the T-Committee should be elected by its members. Ms. Blunt replied that change would require a change in the Commission’s bylaws since the Commission’s bylaws state that the Chairs of the standing committees are appointed by the Commission Chair.

Upon a motion by John F. Knipe, Jr., duly seconded by Jeffrey Howland, the members voted to recommend the Transportation Planning Committee Bylaws to the Executive Committee as presented. Mr. Hassinger opposed the vote.

6.Adjournment

Upon a motion by John F. Knipe, Jr., duly seconded by Phil Joinville, the members unanimously voted to adjourn the March 25, 2010 T-Committee at 7:01 P.M.

Respectfully submitted,

Judith C. Pearson

Administrative Assistant