Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation

RMV Registar Highlights AAA Saturday Registry Services

MassDOT RMV Registrar Rachel Kaprielian will greet customers tomorrow morning, Saturday, September 29, as they arrive to renew licenses and registrations at the Saugus AAA branch. The visit highlights the RMV/AAA partnership that provides the only Saturday Registry services in the Commonwealth.

“This program is central to MassDOT’s ongoing commitment to improving customer service,” Kaprielian says.

The Registrar will be joined by AAA President and CEO Mark Shaw to hear from North Shore residents on the AAA-RMV partnership in operation at six AAA branches in the Commonwealth since 2010.

With demand for license renewals statewide expected to peak in the next two months, the number of license renewal requests has quadrupled in the past year at the AAA branches offering the service in  Boston, Saugus, Worcester, Framingham, West Springfield and South Dennis. The AAA branches provide RMV license and registration  renewal services weekdays from 9am-5pm, and Saturday from 9am-1pm.  The Boston location is closed Saturday.    

The RMV first partnered with AAA SNE in 2009, piloting a license and registration renewal program in Newton and Worcester.  In 2010, the program expanded to include the six Massachusetts branches now offering renewals.

Numerous services including license and registration renewals are also available at the RMV virtual branch online.

Springfield: 1st MassDOT "Your Vision Our Future" Meeting

MassDOT will kick off a series of statewide public meetings tomorrow, Thursday, September 27, in Springfield, engaging with residents, community leaders and business owners to discuss the future of transportation in the Commonwealth.

The meeting is scheduled as follows:

Thursday, September 27, 6-8 pm, Springfield Technical Community College One Armory Square, Building 2, Scibelli Hall Theater, Springfield

Legislation passed in August requires the Department to host at least six public meetings in advance of developing a long-term financing plan for the state’s transportation system next year. To ensure that all regions of the Commonwealth are represented, MassDOT will hold 15 meetings.

Representatives from each division of MassDOT – RMV, Highway, Aeronautics and MBTA/Rail and Transit – will be available to answer questions and provide information.

An informational website is available at: http://www.mass.gov/massdot/yourvisionourfuture

Those who are unable to attend the meetings but wish to submit comments can do so at yourvisionourfuture@dot.state.ma.us

Fitchburg: Rindge Road Improvements

MassDOT Secretary & CEO Richard A. Davey today joined Fitchburg Mayor Lisa A. Wong, state and local officials at the $1.1 million Rindge Road Improvement Project, funded through the Small Bottleneck Grant Program.

“MassDOT, on behalf of the Patrick-Murray Administration, is proud to partner with the community of Fitchburg on this important project. These kinds of smaller-scale investments are often overlooked but are incredibly important to communities,” said Secretary Davey.

The Fitchburg Rindge Road project extends 2.5 miles from Route 31 at the John Fitch Highway toward the Ashby town line. The project includes pavement reclamation and markings, drainage improvements, guardrail upgrades, and sidewalk resurfacing. Construction started in late August and is expected to wrap up by the end of October.

The City will be reimbursed through MassDOT's Small Bottleneck Grant Program once the roadway improvements are complete. The Small Bottleneck Program provides communities with funding and technical assistance to complete roadway improvement projects valued at or about $1 million that do not score high enough to qualify for federal funding but make significant improvements for the local economy, quality of life, safety and/or commute times.

Projects in Fitchburg, Sandwich, Westhampton and Newburyport received Small Bottleneck Grants in 2012.

Scott Appointed MBTA General Manager

The MassDOT Board of Directors today voted to appoint Beverly A. Scott as General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and MassDOT Rail & Transit Division Administrator.  A 30-year transportation veteran, Scott will be the first female general manager of the MBTA.

 

Scott currently serves as Chief Executive Officer & General Manager for MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Transit Authority in Atlanta, Georgia, the 9^th largest public transit system in the country. She has held the position since 2007.  Her prior experience in public transportation leadership spanning more than 30 years includes Chief Executive Officer & General Manager of the Sacramento Regional Transit District in Sacramento, California, and General Manager of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority in Providence.

 

“I am excited to join the rest of the Board in approving Beverly Scott’s appointment and look forward to working with her,” said MassDOT Secretary & Chief Executive Officer and MassDOT Board member Richard A. Davey.  “Her vast expertise in transit management is the right fit at a critical time as we manage our transportation challenges in the Commonwealth.  I know Bev shares our fundamental priorities of safety and customer service at the T.”  

 

The unanimous vote to appoint Scott came following the Board’s public interviews today with candidate finalists Scott and Dwight Ferrell. In all, 106 applications were received for the position, with 22 applicants forwarded to the Preliminary Screening Committee.

 

“On behalf of the Board, I also wish to express appreciation to our other finalist, Dwight Ferrell, as we had the privilege of interviewing two outstanding candidates today,” said Davey.  

 

Beverly Scott graduated Magna cum laude with a Bachelor Arts degree from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee and received a Ph.D. in Political Science with a specialization in Public Administration from Howard University, Washington, D.C.

 

Scott will receive a 3-year contract and an annual salary of $220,000. In addition, her compensation package, details to be negotiated, will be line with the recommendations from the 2011 Crosby Report of the Quasi-Public Authority Compensation Review Commission.  Scott will finish her term at MARTA in Atlanta and is expected to join the MBTA by the start of 2013. 

 

Current MBTA Acting General Manager Jonathan Davis will return to his position as Chief Financial Officer upon Scott’s arrival.

“I want to thank current MBTA Acting GM Jonathan Davis for absolutely outstanding leadership at the T during the past year and for his many years of prior service, and we are fortunate to retain Jon’s wise counsel going forward.”

MassDOT Statewide Transportation Conversation

MassDOT will kick off a series of statewide public meetings next week, engaging with residents, community leaders and business owners to discuss the future of transportation in the Commonwealth.

Legislation passed in August requires the Department to host at least six public meetings in advance of developing a long-term financing plan for the state’s transportation system next year. To ensure that all regions of the Commonwealth are represented, MassDOT will hold 15 meetings.

“Every person in the Commonwealth has a stake in our transportation system,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey. “Whether someone drives, walks, takes public transit or rides their bike, there is rarely a day that goes by that they don’t interact with the system. These statewide discussions are intended to allow the users of our system to share their ideas, thoughts and proposals for improving and paying for our transportation network for many years to come.”

Representatives from each division of MassDOT – RMV, Highway, Aeronautics and MBTA/Rail and Transit – will be available to answer questions and provide information.

The first meeting will be held as follows:

September 27, 2012 6-8 PM:  Springfield Technical Community College One Armory Square, Building 2, Scibelli Hall Theater, Springfield, MA 01105

An informational website for residents will be active next week. Those who are unable to attend the meetings but wish to submit comments can do so at: yourvisionourfuture@dot.state.ma.us.

The complete list of meetings is available on the web at http://www.mass.gov/massdot/yourvisionourfuture and after the break.

MassDOT Celebrates Bridge Opening

MassDOT Highway Division Administrator Frank DePaola today joined state and local officials for the ribbon cutting ceremony and reopening of the Whipple Road Bridge that connects Wilmington and Billerica and also serves Tewksbury.

The $170,000 MassDOT project rehabilitated the locally-owned bridge, which closed in March 2010 following significant flood damage.   

“Rebuilding transportation infrastructure across the Commonwealth means addressing projects both large and small in scope but always of critical importance to their local communities,” said Administrator DePaola.  “I am pleased to be here today to see the results of our collaboration with local and state leaders in reopening this bridge.”

Following the March 2010 flood damage that closed the Whipple Road Bridge, the local communities were unable to fund the necessary repairs.  MassDOT hired contractor Kodiak Construction to rebuild the bridge, with the communities jointly paying approximately $10,000 of the cost.

Bridge rehabilitation began in June and the bridge reopened to traffic today.

Safe Routes to School Program: 500 Partners

MassDOT today announced that the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Program has passed a historic milestone – the enrollment of its 500^th Safe Routes Partner School. This is the first statewide Safe Routes to School Program to achieve this level of active participation.

“MassDOT is excited to recognize Massachusetts as the first state to recruit 500 Safe Routes to School Partners. This achievement is a testament to the Commonwealth’s unique Safe Routes to School program structure, the efforts of program staff, and the commitment of our communities to make walking and bicycling safer and more widely used travel modes for our school children,” says MassDOT Highway Administrator Frank DePaola.

Approximately 230,000 students in grades K-8 in 147 communities now benefit from Massachusetts Safe Routes to School pedestrian safety initiatives and outreach education services.  The 500^th Partner School is the city of Woburn, which enrolled all ten of its elementary and middle schools with a combined student population of 3,351 students.

Safe Routes to School, by MassDOT's MassRIDES travel options program, provides to schools year-round pedestrian and bicycle safety education instruction.  Schools are also eligible to receive infrastructure improvements that enhance student accessibility and safety.  

The Safe Routes to School Program is a key component of the Healthy Transportation Compact, an initiative of the Patrick-Murray Administration's historic transportation reform measure.

In 1969, 48 percent of American students walked or bicycled to school, but as of 2009, only 13 percent of children walk or bicycle to class. Safe Routes to School promotes walking and bicycling as a physically active, safe and sustainable transportation option for children and families. 

MassDOT and MassRIDES are determined to continue expanding the Safe Routes to School program. To find out how your school can participate, contact Samantha Fonseca-Moreira, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Statewide Coordinator, samantha.fonseca-moreira@state.ma.us.

State Rail Network Progress

Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray this week released a progress report, “Transforming the Rail Network for Economic and Community Development”, describing accomplishments achieved as a result of the historic agreement with CSX Corporation.

“Transportation is the enabling network of our economy – it’s about getting people and businesses from one location to another,” said Lieutenant Governor Murray. “I have worked closely with many critical partners and stakeholders to advance the CSX agreement and invest in improved freight and commuter rail service. This progress report outlines how our rail system is evolving across the state, and simultaneously highlights the need to have continued conversations to enhance economic and community development in impacted regions.”

Improving the state’s transportation infrastructure has been a key priority of the Patrick-Murray Administration. As part of the Massachusetts State Rail Plan, the Administration has strategically invested close to $1 billion in the state’s rail system through competitive grants, public funds and private sector capital. These investments, some ongoing, represent the most significant improvements in the Commonwealth’s rail system as a whole in decades.

The historic agreement with CSX Corporation offers significant impacts to freight and rail service in Central Massachusetts, Metrowest, Western Massachusetts, Boston and South Coast regions.  The compact is being finalized in two parts, beginning with an initial closing in June of 2010, which set in motion the permitting processes and infrastructure work needed to allow for the relocation of CSX operations. 

The second closing, scheduled for early October will complete the full transaction.  Details after the break.

Bourne Bridges Honor Staff Sergeant Pucino

MassDOT Highway Division Administrator Frank DePaola today joined Senate President Therese Murray along with state and local officials and family members in Bourne for the dedication of the Staff Sergeant Matthew A. Pucino Bridges. 

Governor Deval Patrick in July signed legislation designating the bridges in honor of Staff Sergeant Pucino, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009 when his mounted patrol unit was attacked with an IED.

“MassDOT is pleased to do its part in honoring Staff Sergeant Pucino and commemorating his service with the naming of these bridges,” said MassDOT Highway Division Administrator DePaola.

MassDOT created markers bearing the new designation of the Sagamore overpasses spanning U.S. Route 6 that cross over Meetinghouse Lane and the Scenic Highway.

Weymouth: MassDOT Employee O'Donnell Honored

MassDOT, state and local officials today joined the family of the late Stephen T. O’Donnell to dedicate a stretch of Route 53 in Weymouth the Stephen T. O’Donnell Memorial Highway.

O’Donnell, a long time MassDOT employee, passed away two years ago today, September 14, 2010.  O’Donnell’s career included years in Highway leadership and as a key contributor to the creation of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s historic Accelerated Bridge Program.

O’Donnell was also instrumental in Transportation Reform of 2009, breaking down barriers and integrating stand alone agencies to form the current MassDOT Highway Division.  He also served as Commissioner of Public Works in the City of Quincy.

“Steve’s memory lives on in the Highway Division as an exemplary engineer and public servant,” said MassDOT Highway Administrator Frank DePaola.

The Memorial Highway runs along Washington Street in Weymouth (Route 53) from the Hingham town line to Broad Street, a length of approximately three miles.  

O’Donnell was a graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology and a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps.