Boston Region MPO Releases Draft Amendment 5 to the Transportation Improvement Program for Public Review
 
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is seeking public comments on a proposed amendment to the Transportation Improvement Program and Air Quality Conformity Determination (TIP) for federal fiscal years (FFYs) 2010–2013. The TIP is the planning document that outlines the highway and transit projects programmed to receive federal funding in the 101-municipality area of eastern Massachusetts that composes the MPO region. The proposed amendment pertains to the FFY 2010 element of the document.
 
The proposed amendment would result in the following changes to the TIP:

• •  The addition of several projects to be funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds
• •  An update of cost estimates for three roadway projects
• •  The specifying of projects to be funded in the MPO’s Clean Air and Mobility Program
• •  A revision to the list of bridge projects
• •  The addition of two enhancement projects and two transit projects
• •  The revision of funding totals for several transit projects and programs
• •  The removal of a multipurpose trail in Boston
• •  The addition of an earmark for an alternatives analysis of the possible consolidation of stations on the Fitchburg Line in Belmont to reflect an administrative modification to the MPO’s FFY 2010 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)

For details, including the text of the proposed amendment and of the UPWP administrative modification, refer to the MPO’s website, www.bostonmpo.org. For the TIP amendment, click on the “TIP” link and then on “Draft Amendment 5.”  For the UPWP text, click on the “UPWP” link and then on “FFY 2010 UPWP.”
 
Copies of the amendment may also be obtained by contacting MPO staff at the addresses listed below. Copies are free of charge and, upon request, will be made available in CD, print, and accessible formats.
 
The 30-day public comment period on this proposed amendment began on Monday, June 7, and has been extended until Tuesday, August 10, at 5:00 PM. Written comments must be received by the MPO by the close of the comment period. They may be sent via any of the following addresses or methods:
 
By mail: 
David Mohler, Chair
Transportation Planning and Programming Committee
State Transportation Building 
10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150 
Boston 02116-3968  
 
Email:  publicinformation@bostonmpo.org 
Fax:  (617) 973-8855 
TTY:  (617) 973-7089
 
The MPO’s Transportation Planning and Programming Committee is planning to take action to finalize the TIP at its meeting of August 19, 2010. The meeting will be held in Conference Rooms 2 and 3 of the State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, Boston; it will begin at 10:00 AM. Members of the public are invited to attend and to voice their comments at this meeting. 

 
The Boston Region MPO is responsible for conducting regional transportation planning and for programming federal capital funding in its area. The MPO members include transportation and planning agencies and organizations, and municipalities.