Association for Public Transportation, Inc.

Fred Moore: At today’s Freight Committee meeting there was a full house: Representatives of CSX, Mass. Central, New England Central, Bay Colony, freight forwarders, Massport and the Central Transportation Planning Staff. We discussed rail issues and double-stack freight service. We at APT would like carload freight operation to expand in the Boston metropolitan area and have more terminal deliveries by rail as opposed to highway delivery.

Railroads should have open access freight rights to the MBTA-owned railroad lines. The State should rehabilitate the railroad lines they own.

Barry Steinberg: The Lechmere Viaduct is to be closed for about a year beginning some time between the beginning of March and May for construction of both a new connection with the Green Line at the new North Station subway ‘super station’ and also making way for highway ramps where the existing viaduct is being supported by temporary structures. This is not a desirable situation, necessitating busing along the line for a year. To make the best of an awkward situation, we should speak with the officials in charge to push the construction of the proposed new Lechmere Station on the opposite side of O'Brien Highway at the same time the line is closed. The thoughtless way would be to put the line back together, just in time to close it again for the construction of the new Lechmere, which among other things would make the extension of the Green Line to Medford possible.

1. The meeting was called to order at 6:17 p.m. Minutes of November 2003 were accepted as read. Minutes of December were accepted as amended.

2. Reports

See the introduction to these minutes.

There was correspondence from the Sky Train Corp. about overhead suspended railway technology.

Regional Transportation Advisory Council. Fred spoke about the rails to trails movement. Rail trails are in reality linear parks, not transportation lines. To illustrate this, the rail trails are neither illuminated at night nor is the snow plowed in winter. This view dovetails with our stance at the Freight Committee.

Miller and Mohler of the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction said that the only new rail trail development will be as part of a regional system, not as local, unconnected lines.

The RTAC presentation was tweaking the criteria for the triage of transportation projects, i.e. there are more proposed projects than ever can be built, but criteria are applied to these proposals. This is a work in progress, coming from Doug Foy [the Secretary of Transportation and Construction]. A new metric has been introduced: Will the quality of transit become better? Not just how many people will you take out of cars.

Barry Steinberg: We have made ourselves very useful to Move Mass., of which we as an organization have become members. Typically there are influential representatives of major development players in the Boston area in attendance.

We have made a detailed submittal to the MBTA Capital Investment Program study. The T replied to many specific items. In fact, at the public meeting where we presented the major items of this report verbally, General Manager Mulhern after the meeting explained the rationale behind one proposal personally to Barry.

Ernest Loewenstein: The question arises—What do these efforts profit APT? We are not big players at these organizations. I would be happier if APT looked at things from the bottom up, that is from the standpoint of the rider. We should be a thorn in the site of the T. We don’t have to worry about the great budget issues.

Romin Koebel has been attending meetings of the Mayor’s Task Force on the Central Artery. He submitted a paper to the Governor, Mayor and others advocating keeping part of the Central Artery up and to use it as a promenade. He was invited to the Transportation Issues in Major U.S. Cities Committee of the Transportation Research Board in Washington.

A bridge would be useful to maintain the continuity of the promenade, which as designed would be sliced up by intersecting streets.

He also attended a session on bus transit-oriented development.

3. New Business: Planning for the APT Annual Meeting and a venue.

Fred is trying to get Herb Pence and Arnold Pinsley. Pinsley has a wide variety of transit experience. We need a date and a venue. He would prefer the middle of May. John Hostage suggested the Transportation Building or the Boston Public Library or the Cambridge Public Library in Central Square. Barry Steinberg should check on the Masonic Building via Bradley Clarke of the Boston Street Railway Association. The meeting should be centrally located, near a rail station and easily accessed.

4. Old Business: Framework for Advocacy.

Ernest discussed the "Three Prongs of Advocacy": (1) Capital projects and long range planning; (2) transit operations and (3) public outreach for education and for strategic alliances with other advocacy groups. We are dwelling too much on vast capital plans rather than day-to-day transit operations. Fred: This is public outreach. Romin: I would like people to come in to the city in other than commuting hours and attract them to the Walkway.

5. Upcoming Meetings and Public Comments:
Romin: A meeting of the Mayor’s Task Force tomorrow.
The next APT Board meeting on 11 Feb. 04.

6. The meeting adjourned 7:48 p.m.