Board of Directors Meeting

1.         Officers’ reports:

            A.        Fred R. Moore, President:

                        (1)        Tomorrow there is to be a meeting of the Service Standards Technical Advisory Council.

                        (2)        At the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (RTAC) meeting today, a couple of items came up:

                                    Franklyn Salimbene [of the Washington St. Corridor Coalition] and Jeremy Marin of the Sierra Club remarked that the T lies through their teeth.  Any statistic that is refuted is ignored.  They selectively use information.  They also use information that contradicts their reports, but don’t release this.  Salimbene did this on Arborway.  Re the subway tunnels on Tremont Street.  They say these are dangerous.  The proposed Silver Line Phase III would cut through the [inactive] subway tunnel and fill it with concrete.  The point about bureaucracy is when you demolish their counterargument, they come up with another one about why they can’t do something.

                                    Fred had a conversation with Jeremy Marin, and asked him to keep us (APT) in mind for the future so we can participate in similar initiatives.

            B.         Romin Koebel, Vice President:

                        There was a meeting of the Central Artery Environmental Oversight Committee re the Rose Kennedy Greenway.  To walk along the Greenway or to cross it will be difficult.  Romin said that the Greenway as a pedestrian way is going to be impractical.  He suggests we bring back [architect] Christian Menn and design an elevated boardwalk and sell this concept to Walk Boston.

                        Herb Pence and Romin have been advocating the North-South Streetcar.  Romin has also been attending the Mayor’s Task Force meeting on the subject.

            C.        Richard Arena, Vice President:

                        Regarding rail:  There are issues inside the T as to priorities.  Essentially, the Romney Administration is surprised as to the high level of Fall River/New Bedford support.

                        Re the Urban Ring, the idea of Phase II is getting killed.  But Phase III is very expensive.  Everyone is politically positioning themselves about running for Governor, so let’s do other projects now.  There are no new federal or state dollars now.

                        Rick is also involved in the National Corridors Initiative.

            D.        Barry D. Andelman commented about APT officer business cards being in process.

            E.         John Hostage, Treasurer.

                        We have received roughly $2000 in dues.   We have however had much higher expenses.  Comment by Rick Arena:  We should send out dues statements earlier in the year.  We should also have reports to the membership at least quarterly.  This should interface with our budget.  JH:  We received a payment from Rubel BikeMaps today.  Barry Andelman will check on the status of Rubel payments.

                        A letter arrived from a member commenting about our “excellent book”.

                        John was in Norway.  Oslo built an east-west link twenty years ago, comparable to our proposed North-South Rail Link.  Also, they built a new high speed rail line to their airport.

            F.         Barry M. Steinberg, Clerk.

                        The next meeting of Move Massachusetts is devoted to the Fairmount Line.  We have to have a stance on certain issues:  Fred:  Regarding freight clearances, we cannot have more ‘burning bridge’ designs.  Rick:  Can low platform be used with commuter rail?  Do they have to be high platform stations?  Barry Andelman:  In New York City, there are metal sliding devices that come out from the high platform to narrow the gap between the cars and the platform.  Fred:  We want to preserve these options.

2.         Motion made and seconded to accept the minutes of the previous meeting (10 Aug 2005) as written.  Passed.

3.         New Business:  Discussion of A Framework for Thinking—A Plan of Action, the proposed Romney Administration transportation policy statement, which is still in the process of public comment.  On Sept. 27, there will be two sessions of a meeting at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square about this, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Comments:  Fred:  This is long in generalisms and lofty ideals.  There is a lot of pandering to highway expansion in the language of safety improvements.  Rick:  But no dollars.

Talking Points:

Transit-oriented development is NOT going to happen, to be followed by transit.  It works the other way.

We need to expand the transportation envelope.  “Commuter rail” serves as a satellite parking lot for Boston.  But it should serve as “regional rail”.

Rick:  Rather than slamming highways, we should be positive about rapid transit and commuter rail.

Fred:  When they plan more capacity for highways, they don’t look at the commuter rail alternative.

We don’t want ‘burning bridge’ designs.  This is to be seen on rail trails.  These trails are bike-hostile.  They are used as linear parks, not transportation.

Fred:  Greenbush does not expand the destination envelope.  This is a key term.

There are three kinds of commuter rail stations:

• Those serving local commerce districts.  Examples:  Winchester Center, Lynn, and Salem.
• Residential center.  Examples:  Montserrat, Campello, Melrose Highlands, and North Billerica.
• Interceptor parking:  These are near major highways.  Examples:  Route 128, Kingston, North Beverly, and Anderson RTC.

We promote reverse-commuting.  To do this, we need incentives to local developers.

The State Implementation Plan (SIP) commitments to the Central Artery:  The T is losing their credibility that they can get anything done, because they are not actually getting things done.

We need engineering standards for rails with trails to take best advantage of the synergy between walking, cycling and mass transit.  We have to work on a public comment in writing.

We like light rail lines.

We support “bus rapid transit” as rapid transit.  It has to have a dedicated right of way, grade separated, with prepayment stations, not an operation on public streets.  We don’t oppose it per se.  And remember, it is a “bus”, not a “BRT vehicle”.

We want electrification of railroads.

4.         The next meeting will be on Thursday, Oct. 20.

5.         The meeting adjourned 8:10 p.m.