Montachusett Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

FITCHBURG CITY CLERK Mar 13 2024 4:09 pm MONTACHUSETT METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION (MMPO) MEETING Held Remotely via GoToMeeting.com Hosted by the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission 464 Abbott Avenue, Leominster, MA 01453 Minutes of February 21, 2024 Derek Krevat called the remote meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. I. Introduction SIGNATORIES PRESENT Derek Krevat, MassDOT OTP; George Kahale, MART; Glenn Eaton, MRPC; Rosemarie Meissner, Subregion 2; Tim Kilhart Subregion 3, Mark Piermarini, Leominster; Ann Sullivan, MassDOT; Phil Duffy, Subregion 4; MEMBERS AND GUESTS PRESENT Keyna Thomas, MART; Ben Breger, MassDOT District 2; Chris Klem, MassDOT OTP; Jared Duval, TEC; Neil Angus, Devens; Andrew Wang, MassDOT; Derek Shooster, MassDOT; Dick Kilhart, Athol; Beth Faxon, Townsend; Susan Templeton, Sen. Cronin STAFF PRESENT Brian Doherty; Sheri Bean; George Snow; Tyler Godin II. Public Comments There were no public comments. III. Approval of January 17, 2023 Minutes A motion was made to approve the January 17, 2023, MPO Meeting Minutes. The motion was made, seconded, and passed with one abstention. IV. Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan Update - Update by MassDOT OTP D. Krevat stated that there was no update at this time although the State is close to finalizing a draft plan and it is expected to be released for public comment over the next few months or so. V. Montachusett FFY 2024-2028 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) - Review comments and MPO Action related to TIP Highway Amendment #3 - Review comments and MPO Action related to TIP Transit Amendment #4 B. Doherty stated that MassDOT has notified the MPO that two projects need to be amended in FFY 2024 in the current FFY 2024-2028 TIP. Athol (608723) will see a change of funding category from CRRSAA to STBG, because of a ruling to avert a Congressional shutdown last June, all CRRSAA funds had to be obligated immediately or they would be lost. The amendment for Fitchburg-Ashby (612110) will push this project back one year into FY25 due to concerns about deliverability in FY24. The comment period for this amendment was Friday January 26, 2024 to Thursday February 16, 2024. There were no comments during the comment period. Montachusett Metropolitan 1 Minutes of February 21, 2024 Planning Organization  A motion was made to approve the TIP Highway Amendment #3. The motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously. B. Doherty presented DRAFT FFY 2024 Transit Amendment #4. MassDOT has notified the MPO of the need to add two Community Transit Grant awards to FFY 2024 of the 2024-2028 TIP. The comment period for this amendment was Friday January 26, 2024 to Thursday February 16, 2024. There were no comments during the comment period. A motion was made to approve the TIP Transit Amendment #4. The motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously. VI. Montachusett FFY 2025-2029 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) - Review of Project Statuses - Review of Transportation Evaluation Criteria (TEC) - Presentation on Project#612771 Winchendon-Intersection Improvements at Blair Square B. Doherty stated that MRPC is in the process of developing the FFY 2025-2029 TIP. He then presented the Transportation Evaluation Criteria (TEC) scoring sheet. This is how each TIP project is ranked. He also mentioned that there are two new projects listed in the TIP this year – Gardner – Shared use path construction, North Central Pathway Extension, and in Westminster – Roundabout construction at Rt. 2A at Bathrick Road and Depot Road. The current TIP project list with the TEC scores was then presented. We are waiting for more information for the two new projects in order to give them a TEC score so they don’t currently have a ranking. The projects with the highest scores tend to be the ones that we look for to assign to a TIP year but that’s not the only factor. Project readiness and cost are the most significant aspects of assigning a project a TIP year. Please reach out if you are a community that has a project that you feel deserves a higher TEC score. We are always updating the scores as more project information is received. At the March MPO meeting, we hope to present some different scenarios for TIP project years. The goal at this meeting is to choose the most appropriate scenario so that we can continue to develop the Draft TIP document to present in April. J. Duval from The Engineering Corp (TEC), who is the design consultant for Winchendon, presented on Winchendon project #602771 – Blair Square (Rt. 12/202) Transportation Improvements. The goals of the projects include promoting healthy transportation by improving bicycle and pedestrian mobility; improve traffic operations and increase vehicular safety along the corridor by removing medians, providing exclusive turn lanes, realigning intersections and improving sight distances; rehabilitate the roadway surface, provide consistent cross section while maintaining on-street parking, and enhance accessibility to the primary commercial section of the town; upgrade stormwater drainage system; and evaluate the need for traffic controls for bicycle/pedestrian crossings within the project limits. VII. Montachusett FFY Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) - - Review of Equity Analysis of Past Projects S. Bean presented the UPWP Equity Analysis. The equity analysis involves special populations and geographic equity analysis. The data being used for this analysis is 2018-2022 ACS five-year estimates. S. Bean gave an overview of the document and the analysis process. This analysis helps to determine which communities should be prioritized for future project requests. Montachusett Metropolitan 2 Minutes of February 21, 2024 Planning Organization  S. Bean noted that the UPWP project solicitation period ended on February 9th. There was a large number of requests received. The communities that submitted project requests were Ashby, Harvard, Leominster, Shirley, Townsend, and Westminster. At the March MJTC meeting we will go over the projects requests and put together a draft project listing along with the budgets for each project. VIII. Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation Plan - Review of Draft Plan - MPO Action – Release for 21-Day Public Comment Period S. Bean gave a presentation on the Coordinated Public Transit - Human Services Transportation Plan (CPT-HSTP). The CPT-HSTP documents the Montachusett Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MMPO) region’s unmet human-service transportation needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities. The CPT- HST Plan has been developed by the MMPO as a tool to help local transportation providers and communities improve transportation services, increase efficiency of service delivery, and expand outreach to meet growing needs. This plan is required by Federal transit law in order for a region to access the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 funding. These plans must be developed and approved every four years through a process that includes participation by seniors, individuals with disabilities, representatives of public, private, and nonprofit transportation and human services providers and other members of the public that utilize transportation services. It provides a framework to guide the investment of existing transportation resources and the acquisition of future funds. A motion was made to release the document for a 21-day public comment period that will start on Friday, February 23, 2024 and end Friday, March 15, 2024. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. IX. March MPO Meeting - The March meeting will be in person at MRPC offices. B. Doherty stated that the next MPO meeting will be held in person at the MRPC offices on March 20th. The reason that this meeting will be in person is because the Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation, Monica Tibbits-Nutt, will be Chairing the meeting. Having a quorum is very important. We hope that everyone can make an effort to attend this in person meeting. X. Updates - MassDOT Highway Division District 3 - A. Sullivan gave an update on project 604499. She stated it is currently at 75% and 100% is due March 1st and the Right of Way plans have been accepted. Another update was given on project 608189, a bridge in Fitchburg. That project is now at 100% and the PS&E is due April 9th. Another update was given for Route 31 Fitchburg Ashby project 612110 which was just amended off the tip for readiness, it is at 25% design stage and should be ready to be placed in a later year. The final update was for the Fitchburg Leominster Twin City rail trail Phase 2 (609411). That project is at 100% and the PS&E is due mid-March. District 2 - B. Bregar gave an update on project 608723 in Athol on Crescent Street. This project is at 100% design with PS&E due in April and the current advertisement date is 6/29/24. Project 613167, a project for Athol, Phillipston, and Templeton, was advertised December 30, 2023, and the bid opening is today (2/21/24) so more updates on that will be provided at the March MPO meeting. For FY25, project Montachusett Metropolitan 3 Minutes of February 21, 2024 Planning Organization  612151, Athol bridge replacement, is at pre-25% design which is due in July. For FY26, project 608424, the reconstruction of Rt. 68 and 202 to the Phillipston town line. This project is at 75% design and 100% design submission is due August 25th of this year and the current advertisement date is 1/10/26. As noted earlier in the meeting, there has been a cost increase to $12mil. but this might need further updating once the 100% design is submitted. - Transit G. Kahale gave an update for MART. As part of the Fair Share program, MART has implemented several new services – a new bus route in Gardner (Route 3) that runs every 30 min. connecting the shopping centers and Heywood Hospital and just this month (February) MART added more frequent service on the inter-city route between Fitchburg/Leominster and Gardner. Saturday service was also expanded through the inter-city route and the Winchendon Link. Sunday service was also added to the Athol/Orange bus route and they hope to add more Sunday service to Fitchburg/Leominster as well as more frequent service to Worcester and Boston. Also, MART is currently running a fare free service for all it’s fixed route system up until 3/30/24. - Montachusett Joint Transportation Committee (MJTC) B. Doherty stated the next MJTC meeting is March 13th at 2:30 pm and will be held remotely. Updates for the TIP & UPWP will be discussed as well as review of the Coordinated Plan. B. Doherty presented the Future of Mobility handout. The handout gives information on an upcoming meeting on 2/29 that will work towards creating a Transportation Master Plan for the region. All interested individuals and organizations are encouraged to attend. - Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) G. Eaton mentioned that MRPC has recently posted a position for a Transportation Planner. G. Eaton then discussed the Commonwealth One Stop Grant Program. Community leaders should be aware of this program as often times their community is eligible for several grant opportunities. XI. Administrative Matters - Next MPO Meeting The next meeting is scheduled for March 20th , 2024, at 1:00 pm in person at the MRPC offices. XII. Adjournment There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 2:11 p.m. Montachusett Metropolitan 4 Minutes of February 21, 2024 Planning Organization DOCUMENT/EXHIBITS PRESENTED AT MEETING MPO 2 21 2024 Agenda 3 MPO 1 17 2024 Minutes 5 DRAFT FFY 2024 Highway Amendment #3 Summary 5 DRAFT FFY 2024 Transit Amendment #4 Summary 5 Int Parties Draft TIP Amendment #3 1 17 2024 5 Int Parties Draft TIP Amendment #4 1 17 2024 6 FFY 2025 2029 TEC Scores 6 TEC Template 6 TIP 25-29 Updated Target Section Projects 7 DRAFT UPWP Equity Analysis 8 DRAFT CPTHST Plan Update 1_18_24 9 NCM Anchor Collaborative Montachusett Metropolitan 5 Minutes of February 21, 2024 Planning Organization