Board of Directors Meeting

1.         The meeting was called to order at 6:10 p.m.

2.         The minutes of the previous regularly scheduled Board meeting (8 Feb. 2006) and the special Board meeting (27 Feb. 2006) were accepted as written.

3.         Officers’ and Others’ Reports.

            A.        President Rick Arena spoke with David Gunn, former President of Amtrak, whom we have planned as an Annual Meeting speaker.  We will have a meeting date next week.

            B.         Past President Fred R. Moore:  Unfortunately, this is the last time we’ll be able to use this facility.  In addition, I am going to be shifted to a night work shift, so I shall not be available.

                        We spent a lot of time on the Framework for Advocacy.  We did that concretely for the MPO [the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization] last month.  We played by the rules.

            C.        Ernest Loewenstein presented a draft of the next newsletter.  There was a comment by Rick:  It is important for us to keep in touch with the membership.  Tasks were apportioned to flesh out the newsletter.  This must go out with the membership mailing.

            D.        Vice President Romin Koebel had a discussion with Barry Steinberg about the Urban Ring.  Romin had attended the Urban Ring Citizens Advisory Committee meeting.  Barry will have to make a condensed Indigo Line concept paper that people can react to.

            E.         Christopher Beland:  In terms of transit projects, we should show priorities.

            F.         Rick Arena:  We should re-connect with our membership and let our members know what the possibilities are.  STEP (Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership) can get people out, but APT can’t.  Barry Andelman:  We were able to do this, but do not do it now.  This newsletter should stimulate people to activity.  Rick:  This is not going to happen with one newsletter.  It may require three or more.  Vincent Dixon:  There should be a coupon in the newsletter soliciting questions, comments and suggestions.  There should also be a vocabulary issue between the general public and transportation professionals.  Take the concepts and reduce them to less complicated terminology.  Maybe a glossary in a newsletter.

            G.        Romin:  On Friday at MIT, James O’Leary (formerly General Manager of the MBTA) made a presentation.  He spoke about the relationship between Paul Revere Transportation and the T.  He is also involved in maintenance for the MBTA Commuter Rail through the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad  (MBCR).

            H.        Rick:  We should advertise Car-Free® in Boston in our newsletter.

            I.          Barry Steinberg:  An APT advertisement should be placed in the Boston Globe on the same page as Starts & Stops.  Vincent:  You have to ask for “placement’.  They charge for it.

            J.          Vincent:  APT should (as appropriate) issue opinion statements on transit topics.  From our existing thoughts, take a short statement, put it in quotable prose, and send it to the news media.  Bob:  This is strikingly different from a policy paper.

            K.        Barry Andelman (Past President):  Why are we here?  I have been here for twenty years because I want APT to be in a position such that a problem getting here could be addressed.  So that committees could be re-energized, so that APT can look at things from a global view and systematically change it.  Chris Beland:  I met with the full-time employee of “Transit Works”:  They have focus groups on Charlie Card deployment.  They are interested in collaborating with us.  They have ‘foot soldiers’.  The organization is funded by local business organizations.  Barry A.:  We have to tell people we still exist.

Rick and Chris:  Write an article for the newsletter.

4.         Rick:  Thanks to Fred R. Moore for his many years of service to APT.

5.         The meeting adjourned 7:56 p.m.