Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation

Salisbury: Gillis Rail Trail Connector Opens

MassDOT Highway Administrator Frank DePaola joined state and local officials, as well as bicycling and walking advocates to celebrate Bay State Bike Week 2013 with the opening of the Gillis Rail Trail Connector in Salisbury. The connection links existing bicycling and walking paths in Salisbury and Newburyport.

“MassDOT is pleased to promote the healthy transportation modes of walking, bicycling and transit. The growing network of shared use paths in this region make it easier for residents and visitors alike to walk and bicycle in comfort and safety, and to connect with transit, such as at the Newburyport MTBA Commuter Rail station,” said Administrator DePaola.

The completion of the $1 million project adds a new piece to the Bay State Greenway, which is a growing network that hopes to establish 788 miles of bicycling facilities across the Commonwealth. So far, more than 150 miles have been established.

The project also supports MassDOT’s GreenDOT and Mode Shift policies, as well as the Healthy Transportation Compact. The policies and initiatives work to balance the needs of all transportation users, expand mobility, improve public health, support a cleaner environment and create stronger communities.

Later this year, MassDOT will begin construction to replace the Whittier Bridge on Interstate 95. While construction will use innovative, accelerated techniques to better accommodate vehicle traffic, the project also allows for the construction of the first separate shared use path for pedestrians and bicyclists on an Interstate in Massachusetts and will provide a direct bicycling and walking link to the park & ride facility on Route 133.

Bay State Bike Week: May 11-19

The Patrick-Murray Administration encourages residents to join their neighbors and colleagues to bicycle during Bay State Bike Week, May 11-19, 2013, which celebrates bicycle transportation. Bicycling organizations, neighborhood groups and local governments have planned hundreds of diverse community-based events across the Commonwealth to show that bicycling can be a fun, healthy, safe and sustainable travel choice. 

“I applaud the bicyclists who ride to school or work regularly, and I encourage more people to give it a try,” said Governor Deval Patrick. "Together, we can make Massachusetts a greener, healthier and more sustainable state by decreasing traffic congestion, cleaning the air and enabling people to get some exercise in the course of their busy daily lives.”

Massachusetts in 2013 has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as the 6th most “bicycle friendly” state. In addition, MassDOT remains the only state DOT in the nation to actively organize and lead a statewide Bike Week celebration. MassDOT partners with the statewide bicycle education and advocacy group MassBike, as well as MassRIDES, the Commonwealth’s statewide travel options program.

MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard Davey says “Bay State Bike Week is a great way for MassDOT and MassBike to kick off the springtime riding season, and encourage some new riders to give biking a try. And we deeply appreciate the work that each event organizer and community does to host events throughout the Commonwealth.”

In addition to community-wide events, the 11 Massachusetts Transportation Management Associations are presenting the 18th annual MassCommute Bicycle Challenge, a friendly competition among employers, schools and communities to see who can log the most miles by bicycle.

To learn more about Bay State Bike Week and for information about current bicycling projects in your area visit www.mass.gov/massdot/bike.

GreenDOT Plan Leads the Way: Sustainable Transportation

Over two years of research, collaboration, and public dialogue have gone into creating the GreenDOT Implementation Plan that provides the framework for embedding sustainability principles into core business practices at MassDOT.  This Plan fundamentally changes our priorities and choices across all elements of our transportation system, from facility operations to future project selection and design. 

The Plan builds off the GreenDOT Policy, established in 2010 with three primary objectives: reduce greenhouse gas emissions; promote the healthy transportation options of bicycling, public transit and walking; and support smart growth development.   The Plan references the many innovations already underway at MassDOT including:

• utilizing low emission transit vehicles,
• investing in hybrid light duty vehicles,
• retrofitting tunnel and traffic signal lights with energy efficient LED bulbs,
• issuing electric vehicle license plates,
• reducing mowing along state highways,
• and repaving roadways with warm mix asphalt. 

At the same time, the plan looks to initiate new ideas and aggressive measures to take our sustainability work to the next level. 

The Final GreenDOT Implementation Plan now includes our visionary statewide mode shift goal of tripling the share of travel in Massachusetts by bicycling, transit and walking by 2030.  With this mode shift goal, MassDOT will foster improved quality of life by enhancing our environment and preserving capacity on our highway network. Increased transit, bicycling, and walking options would absorb travel demand that contributes to highway congestion and limits economic growth.  We will also achieve positive public health outcomes by providing more healthy transportation options for all our communities.

To learn more, please view the GreenDOT Implementation Plan.

Bay State Greenway Signs Pilot: Pioneer Valley

The Massachusetts Bay State Greenway branding and family of identification and way-faring signs have been showcased at MassDOT’s Moving Together Conference and during Bay State Bike Week.   

Now you can see these signs appearing in the Pioneer Valley, as part of MassDOT’s Bay State Greenway sign pilot project to establish standards for installation.  This pilot project has successfully blended signage treatments for on-road and off-road facilities along with existing regionally named routes. 

Bay State Greenway signs raise the visibility of bicycling as a healthy transportation mode, support local businesses with bicycle tourism and allow our customers to better use existing facilities.  Use of the network also highlights the importance of funding future connections.  

Shown above is a Bay State Greenway Pioneer Valley sign mounted with the existing Franklin County Bikeway, a regional route also enabled by MassDOT. Completion of the Pioneer Valley signage pilot is expected by this spring, and MassDOT expects to see these signs coming to existing Bay State Greenway corridors across the Commonwealth.

Save the Date! Bay State Bike Week: May 11-19

Community groups and bicycling supporters in 2012 hosted more than 150 bicycling events across Massachusetts to celebrate Bay State Bike Week. These diverse, community-based events to show that bicycling can be fun, safe and healthy included organized bike rides, bike breakfasts and even a race to see which mode of transportation can provide the fastest work commute! The challenge pitted a bicycle against a car and transit, spanning a distance of three miles from Davis Square to Kendall Square. Which mode was the quickest? The bicycle of course!

This year, Bay State Bike Week will take place from Saturday, May 11^th thru Sunday, May 19^th.  For the first time, this celebratory week of bicycle friendly activities will include two weekends to extend the opportunity for even more bicycling events.

After last year's Bay State Bike Week, Massachusetts was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as the 3^rd most “bicycle friendly” state. Ranked 19^th in 2009, this was a significant accomplishment for Massachusetts!

Bay State Bike Week also plays a central role in MassDOT’s mode shift goals to triple the levels of bicycling, walking and transit users throughout the Commonwealth by 2030.

Bay Sate Bike Week Sponsors, MassDOT, MassBike and MassRIDES look forward to celebrating another successful Bay State Bike Week across the Commonwealth this May!  Specific event participation and registration information will be posted on the Bay State Bike Week website leading up to May 11^th.For more information, contact Becca Cyr at Rebecca.Cyr@state.ma.us

 

Safe Routes to School in Reading

MassDOT Highway Administrator Frank DePaola joined Reading local and school officials and parents for a ribbon cutting and student presentation to celebrate completion of pedestrian access and safety improvements surrounding the W.S. Parker Middle School campus.

The project was made possible by MassDOT using federal Safe Routes to School funds.

“MassDOT is committed to maintaining and constructing a safe and reliable roadway network for all its users. We are focused not only on drivers but also on the safety of bicyclists and even the youngest pedestrians,” said DePaola.

W.S. Parker Middle School’s new and enhanced infrastructure improves access and safety for students that walk and bike to school. MassDOT engineers constructed several hundred feet of new sidewalk and buffers along Washington Street. The project also included 650 feet of new sidewalk along Sunnyside Avenue, new wheelchair ramps, pavement markings, and traffic and pedestrian warning signs.

W.S. Parker Middle School students also participated in the new Safe Routes to School PhotoVoice® initiative in which they presented photos showing personal experiences walking and biking to school, including how MassDOT’s infrastructure improvements improved pedestrian safety in their community.  

W.S. Parker Middle School is one of 575 Massachusetts schools participating in MassDOT’s Safe Routes to School program.  Participating elementary and middle schools located in 165 communities throughout the Commonwealth receive year-round pedestrian and bicycle safety education instruction as well as engagement initiatives tailored to meet each school’s physical fitness, safety and environmental priorities.

To find out how your school can become a Safe Routes to School Partner, contact Samantha Fonseca-Moreira, samantha.fonseca-moreira@state.ma.us or visit Safe Routes to School on the web.

MassDOT Releases 21st Century Transportation Plan

The MassDOT Board and Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey today announced a plan for the next generation of transportation investment in the Commonwealth: The Way Forward: A 21st Century Transportation Plan.

The long-term financing plan shows that the state needs $684 million to operate the same system we have today. The plan calls for an additional investment in our transportation assets of $5.2 billion over ten years in road and highway repair in order to reduce the number of structurally deficient bridges and ease congestion on major arteries throughout the state; $3.8 billion to invest in existing transit services; and $275 million for Registry and airport maintenance.  These investments responsibly maintain the current transportation assets we have today.

In addition, the plan identifies a number of high-impact transportation projects across Massachusetts that, if built, will create thousands of jobs and spur economic development across the Commonwealth. In all, the plan identifies a $1.02 billion average additional need each year to create a 21st-Century transportation network.

“The plan released today is a stark, clear-eyed, non-partisan presentation of the facts,” said Governor Deval Patrick. “If we are serious about improving our transportation system for a generation, then we have to be willing to make the necessary investments. We must invest in transportation, not for the sake of transportation itself, but for the jobs and economic opportunity it creates.”

“Transportation is the enabling network of our economy, creating and supporting jobs in all regions of the Commonwealth,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray.  “The MassDOT Board has outlined how far we've come and how far we have to go to ensure a safe, reliable and regionally equitable transportation network.  Now we all need to work together to make this vision a reality.”

The plan addresses systemic budget deficits at the MBTA, MassDOT and the 15 Regional Transit Authorities, much of which has been caused by the debt burden related to the Central Artery.

“We have spent the last year engaging our customers, the business community and various stakeholders in a conversation about what kind of transportation system they want,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey. “What is clear is that we can’t afford the system we have today, much less the system we all want. This plan clearly articulates our vision for a 21st-Century Transportation system and the steps we must take to achieves that.”

Additional operating needs include:

MassDOT - $371 million in FY14; $4.4 billion over 10 years

The proposed new funding will allow MassDOT to end the decades-long practice of funding operating costs – personnel, rent, utilities, lawn mowing, etc – with borrowed funds. Currently, for every dollar MassDOT spends today on these items, it pays $1.76 in principal and interest costs. Appropriately paying for these items with operating funds will save the Commonwealth money over time and free up capital dollars to invest in infrastructure improvements.

The additional funding will also allow MassDOT to sufficiently fund its snow and ice operations at an appropriate level based on the average five-year cost and support and maintain its new capital investments.

Regional Transit Authorities -- $100 million in FY14; $1.1 billion over 10 years

This additional investment will allow the RTA’s to end the practice of borrowing, with interest costs, to fund annual operating costs by instead forward-funding each agency. Beginning in FY15, the additional $100 million will be used to expand RTA service by adding hours of operation, increasing frequency on existing routes and adding new service.

MBTA - $166 million in FY14; $3.2 billion over 10 years

This new investment will allow the MBTA to close its current and projected budget deficits, much of which is caused by the debt burden related to the Central Artery public transit commitments. Beginning in FY2014, $25 million in annual operating funds will also be available to provide modest service enhancements such as possibly expanding evening hours, restoring weekend service in areas that have been cut and improved customer service.

In addition to responsibly paying for our daily operations, the 21st-Century Plan calls for a $13 billion infusion of capital investment funds. These funds, which would supplement the Administration’s current capital investment plans, will allow MassDOT to address a backlog of deferred maintenance and improve current assets in order to reduce congestion on our roads, curb delays and minimize crowding on our trains and buses and improve customer service at our facilities.

In 2007, the Transportation Finance Commission issued a report pegging our maintenance funding gap at $15 billion to $19 billion over 20 years. The investment proposed in the 21st-Century Plan is an aggressive plan to eliminate that backlog.

The list of investments over 10 years is available after the break.

GreenDOT: "When the Rubber Hits the Road"

In true innovative GreenDOT style, MassDOT is making pavements more sustainable by recycling old rubber tires for use as part of the actual roadway.

This innovation benefits our customers, MassDOT’s bottom-line and environmental stewardship.

The new pavement uses 18% recycled ground tire rubber in the liquid asphalt binder, which recycles about 2.2 tires per ton of asphalt. In total, as many as 123,000 tires disposed of in Massachusetts will be incorporated into three paving projects on Rt 128 in Waltham, I-90 in Weston, and I-91 in West Springfield.

Even better, testing shows that rubber pavements are quieter than standard pavements and help make the road more resistant to rutting and cracking. This is good news for our customers and for MassDOT in reduced maintenance costs.

Since MassDOT started using this more sustainable pavement in 2008, more than 1,000,000 tires have been recycled statewide. Sustainability benefits go beyond just the life cycle cost and engineering performance to reduction in landfill waste, energy savings and reduced consumption of natural resources.

AASHTO: MassDOT "Leaner and Greener" Leader

MassDOT’s GreenDOT Policy and Implementation Plan were highlighted in this year’s “Leaner and Greener: Sustainability at Work in Transportation” report by AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

In 2001, AASHTO and the Federal Highway Administration created the Center for Environmental Excellence to promote environmental stewardship and encourage innovative ways to streamline the transportation project delivery process.

The Leaner and Greener Report showcases the steps transportation agencies including MassDOT are taking to speed up project delivery and cut costs while protecting and even improving environmental resources.

AASHTO categorized MassDOT’s Plan as “setting a leaner and greener leadership vision” and pointing to the plan as a model.   

Learn more about AASHTO's Center for Environmental Excellence.

GreenDOT Success: Porous Pavement Reduces Runoff

Another MassDOT GreenDOT success story is showcased at the Park and Ride facility in Whately- a porous pavement surface to reduce stormwater runoff.  

The Highway Division used a warm mix asphalt to construct the porous pavement in the parking areas.   This simple change achieves GreenDOT goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and stormwater volumes.

The porous pavement requires less energy to produce than conventional asphalt, and its manufacture and installation results in lower greenhouse gas emissions.  Porous pavement reduces stormwater runoff by allowing rain falling on the pavement to penetrate the surface, reducing the need for traditional stormwater treatment that can be costly and unsightly.

This is especially appropriate at a Park and Ride lot providing customers with transit connections and car pooling that reduce emissions and save time and money.

Customers and visitors to the Whately Park and Ride can check out the sign and learn more about the innovative green construction techniques used that demonstrate MassDOT’s GreenDOT commitment.

Visit GreenDOT on the web to view the Implementation Plan.