Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation

MassDOT Irene Saturday Update: Tolls Waived Sunday

As part of our efforts to keep the state's transportation system open and safe throughout the weekend storm, MassDOT will waive all cash and electronic tolls on I-90, Tobin Bridge, and Ted Williams Tunnel from Midnight tonight through Sunday at 10pm.  

MassDOT, MBTA and Massport will have staff and equipment available for storm response throughout the duration of the storm event. 

The MBTA, MassDOT Highway Division and Massport will monitor services and conditions throughout the storm and report any disruptions.  The MBTA and MassDOT Highway Division have assigned additional staff to their Operations Centers to track the latest information. 

Helpful web links are listed below:

Mass.Gov latest state information on Hurricane Irene 

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Preparedness Tips. 

Check the MBTA Website for service updates.

Additional resources including a link to Live Traffic Cameras are available on MassDOT’s Traffic and Travel Resources page.

 

MassDOT Irene Prep

MassDOT will concentrate its efforts on keeping the state’s roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and transit systems open and safe throughout the storm for emergency vehicles and travel. 

MassDOT, MBTA and Massport will have staff and equipment available for storm response throughout the duration of the storm event. 

The MBTA, MassDOT Highway Division and Massport will monitor services and conditions throughout the storm and report any disruptions.  The MBTA and MassDOT Highway Division have assigned additional staff to their Operations Centers to track the latest information. 

Helpful web links are listed below:

Mass.Gov latest state information on Hurricane Irene

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Preparedness Tips.

Check the MBTA Website for service updates.

Additional resources including a link to Live Traffic Cameras are available on MassDOT’s Traffic and Travel Resources page.

Safety Tips

If you must be on the road during the storm, please follow these safety tips:

Watch for Inoperative or Missing traffic lights or signs

Except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic control signal, every driver approaching an intersection should come to a complete stop before entering the intersection.

Beware of live wires

Do not, under any circumstance, drive over a downed electrical line.

Avoid flooded streets

Do not travel down a road submerged in water. Underlying currents could carry your vehicle away and your car could stall, trapping you in rising floodwaters. The flooded area may contain dangers such as debris, tree branches, or power lines that are not visible.

Watch for windy conditions

Windy conditions adversely affect all vehicles; in windy conditions, your best course of action is to slow down. Strong gusts can blow a car, cyclist or motorcyclist off course. Gusty wind can be one of the trickier driving conditions, especially when it is rapidly changing direction and intensity.

Check your vehicle

Make sure your tires are in good condition and be sure to have a full tank of gas.

MassDOT Employees: Making a Difference

Posted by Jeff Mullan, MassDOT Secretary & Chief Executive Officer

For some time now, we have heard from a lot of people about transportation reform – about how it is going and where it is going.  I am glad for it because it reinforces the importance of what we did to create MassDOT and what we are doing to make it better.

You should all know that the key to success lies in your performance.  Wait times at the RMV are down, customers at the T and on our other transit systems have more and better information on service than they ever have had before, our highway program is winning national recognition for innovation and is completing more projects than ever before, and the attention our airports are getting for the role they play in transportation and the economy has never been higher.  There are many more examples of where MassDOT’s performance is making a difference in people’s lives.  There are too many to list.  Suffice to say that every bit of any success MassDOT has is because you are doing your jobs. 

I believe that a big part of management’s role is to give you guidance on the mission and empower you to do your job and to pursue your careers.  That’s why I say that we are ONE transportation organization focused on SAFETY and CUSTOMER SERVICE.  If you are working with your colleagues on common issues without regard to silos, if you are paying attention to your own safety and to the safety of the general public, and if you are putting the customer first, you are doing your job and you are a transportation reformer.  Thank you.

Moving Together 2011: October 12

You are invited to register now for the Moving Together 2011 Conference, scheduled for Wednesday, October 12, 8:30am-4:30pm, at the Boston Sheraton Hotel, 39 Dalton Street.
 
Moving Together 2011, the Commonwealth’s annual statewide walking and bicycling conference will focus on  “Advancing Healthy Transportation with GreenDOT.”

GreenDOT is the Massachusetts Department of Transportation sustainability policy that establishes promotion of the healthy transportation modes of walking, bicycling and transit as a top goal. 
 
Last year’s Moving Together attendance doubled to 300 people that included local & state officials, community leaders & board members, planners, transportation engineers, landscape architects, public health & environmental professionals, advocates, educators and consultants who were all focused on bicycle and pedestrian transportation.

Register now for Moving Together, the premier venue to collaborate, learn, advocate and network on healthy transportation in the Commonwealth.  For more information and to see the workshops visit the Moving Together 2011 website or mass.gov/baystateroads.

Paratransit Transportation Commission to Meet

Governor Deval Patrick in April signed an Executive Order establishing a Commission to examine and offer suggestions to improve/reform Community, Social Service and Paratransit transportation.

The first meeting of the Commission is scheduled as follows:

Thursday August 25th, 3:30-5:00pm, Gardner Auditorium, State House

As people’s transportation needs change, so do their expectations of their public transportation system.  As a result, the demand for services keeps growing, costs continue to rise and resources remain limited. The goal of the Commission is to develop detailed recommendations for reform and maximize efficiencies in the provision of these critical services utilized by persons with disabilities, persons with low incomes, persons with Limited English Proficiency, and seniors and visitors to the Commonwealth.

The Executive Order established a Commission of 16 members.  The Governor’s office, through their outreach to State agencies and their partners, along with consulting industry leaders in various transportation areas, suggested names of people across the Commonwealth who possess the expertise listed in the Order for the Governor’s review. The Commission is co-chaired by MassDOT Secretary Mullan and Health & Human Services Secretary Bigby. The 16 members include:

Jeff Mullan - MassDOT Secretary and CEO
Dr. JudyAnn Bigby - Secretary of Health and Human Services
Coleman Nee - Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Ann Hartstein- Secretary of Elder Affairs
Jay Gonzalez - Secretary of Admin & Finance
Ron Marlow- Assistant Secretary of Admin & Finance for Access and Opportunity
Richard Davey- General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Francis Gay and Thomas Cahir- Representatives for the Regional Transit Authorities
Francisca Fajana- One member with Civil Rights background
Judith O'Connor - One representative of a Council on Aging
Jini Fairley and Denise Karuth - Members representing Paratransit users
Mohammed Khan and Will Rodman- Members with expertise in Paratransit service delivery and operations
Linda Guiod - One member with extensive experience in human services

Six listening sessions will also be held throughout the state to allow for the general public to speak to Commission members about their experiences regarding community, social service and paratransit transportation. Dates for these sessions will be posted and publicized as soon as they are available on the Executive Order web page. 

Green Line Extension Update and Public Meetings

Posted by Kate Fichter, Green Line Extension Project Manager

As many of you know, MassDOT and the MBTA recently announced a new schedule for the completion of the Green Line Extension project.  The new schedule, which is included in our annual Status Report to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, estimates that the Green Line Extension will now open for passenger service during the period 2018-2020. 

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold two public meetings on the same day to discuss and take public comment on the annual Status Report:

Tuesday, September 13, 1:00 PM

Tuesday, September 13, 5:00-6:00pm

Washington Street Conference Center, 2nd Floor, Rooms A, B, & C MassDEP, One Winter Street, Boston

The 5:00 PM public meeting will be extended after 6:00 PM as needed to allow for all interested parties to present testimony.   This public notice provides detailed information about the meetings.

Since the submission of the annual Status Report, MassDOT and the MBTA have heard from many of you with concerns and questions about the future of the Green Line Extension project.  We understand these concerns and want to emphasize that MassDOT and the MBTA are in no way choosing to delay the Green Line Extension project at this point.  The new schedule reflects what we believe to be a realistic and reasonable assessment of how long the project will take to complete from its current point of development, given the many complex, interrelated, and time-consuming tasks remaining.  We are not slowing the pace of our work or reducing our commitment to seeing the project through.  Rather, we want to share with the public our latest understanding of the project status and what we believe will be required to open the Green Line Extension to passengers.

As we described in the Status Report, MassDOT and the MBTA are not satisfied with the current anticipated schedule for the Green Line Extension project.  In the service of improving the anticipated schedule, MassDOT and the MBTA have called for the creation of a small Steering Group to consider ways to improve the schedule.  The Steering Group will begin its work in September.  We will, of course, keep the greater Green Line Extension community informed of the ideas and progress that emerge from the Steering Group process.  In the meantime, we are working hard each and every day to move the project forward.

Over the next six months, MassDOT and the MBTA anticipate a number of important milestones in the development of the Green Line Extension project, including:

• Public release of the federal Environmental Assessment, to be coupled with a public hearing and other opportunities for public comment.

• Public meetings on the design of the extension of the Somerville Community Path and the light rail vehicle support facility.

• Additional public meetings on the design of the Green Line Extension stations.

• Submission of a full application for funding from the federal New Starts program.

As always, information about the project is available at the Green Line Extension website.

A list of specific questions and concerns and answers is available after the break.

Davis Appointed Acting MBTA General Manager

MBTA General Manager Richard Davey today announced that Jonathan Davis will become the acting MBTA General Manager and MassDOT Rail and Transit Administrator when Davey assumes the role of Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of MassDOT on September 2nd.  

Serving for more than ten years as the T’s Deputy General Manager and Chief Financial Officer, Davis directs the financial management and accounting functions of the Authority, manages the operating and capital budgets, and oversees the collection of all revenue.  As the MBTA’s senior financial advisor, Davis provides financial counsel to the General Manager and the Board of Directors.

Prior to coming to the MBTA in 1995, Jon worked in the private sector for 25 years at H.P. Hood, Inc.  At that organization, he held various positions: Vice President and Controller, Vice President Operations Planning, Vice President MIS and Treasurer, and Corporate Controller.  He received his MBA at Babson College and his BS at The Defiance College.

 

Mullan: MassDOT Thankful for Support

Posted by Jeff Mullan, MassDOT Secretary & CEO

One thing I have learned in my time at MassDOT is the importance the media plays in our organization and in state government in general.   Reporting influences how people perceive the job we are all doing, and I know that many of you care deeply about it.  Rich Davey and I are spending a lot of time talking with many of you, members of the media, and our customers about the state of transportation at the moment.  Many of you have told us that you would like to read and hear more positive news about all the good things that are happening in transportation.

Last night, Rich and I were on WBZ radio.  We took a lot of calls - every one of them was thoughtful, and most were very positive.  We heard from people who were concerned about commuter rail, The Ride, and lights that are out on our state highways.  We were glad to take the calls because it shows that people care.  We also had several callers who wanted to talk about the Big Dig.  One said he was a “critic of the critics” of the Big Dig, making the point that the highway system in Boston is much improved, the downtown area is much more accessible and pleasant, and the trip to Logan is a breeze – all due to the construction of the Project.  Others were concerned about the condition of the tunnels.  I think people appreciate the conversation and are grateful to know that the tunnels are safe and to learn what we are doing about it every day to keep them that way.

We all move people and goods and help others do the same every day.  The fact that the media is focused on what we all do every day reinforces to me the importance of our work.  We need to be thankful for that coverage and respect the work that they need to do.  After all, we all know that there are things in our organization that we need to do better.  At the same time, I know and want all of you to know that there are lots of people all over the Commonwealth who value the work we are doing, who respect it, and who are thankful for it.  We should be thankful for that.

RMV Agreement: Korean License Conversion

MassDOT RMV has entered into a reciprocal agreement with the Republic of Korea to convert valid Korean licenses, equivalent to a Class D, to Massachusetts Class D licenses. 

Upon conversion, the Korean license must be surrendered to the RMV to be stored at the Korean consulate.

As part of this agreement, a Massachusetts resident who moves to the Republic of Korea will also be allowed to convert his/her Massachusetts license to a Korean license.

To convert a Korean license, you must:

Be at least 18 years of age
Meet the Massachusetts residency requirements
Meet the RMV’s identification requirements
Provide a Korean driving record indicating that you are currently licensed to operate a passenger motor vehicle

This driving record is only available in the Republic of Korea.  If you do not have one, you cannot convert your Korean license and will need to take a written test and a road test.

If the driving record has any points due to driving offenses, the Korean consulate will provide an addendum to the driving record to explain each driving offense.  You must present this along with the driving record.   Procedures are listed after the break.

Weymouth Route 53 Improvements Underway

Work is underway along Route 53 in Weymouth at the intersection of Middle Street and Winter Street.

The MassDOT $2.3 million federally-funded project will reconstruct two Route 53 Middle Street intersections, at Washington St and Winter St. 

The work will include new pavement, new sidewalks, updated traffic lights and signals and improved accessibility for pedestrian traffic.

August work includes drainage, excavation, and sidewalk removal.  Temporary accessibility ramps will be installed during the construction. The project began in July 2011 and is expected to be completed in August 2012.   For the latest information on the project and any traffic impacts, visit the Weymouth Route 53 web page.