|
Regional Planning
<br />Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)
<br />ROLE of MAPC: As the regional planning agency repre-
<br />senting 101 communities in the metropolitan Boston area,
<br />including Lexington, to serve as a forum for state and local
<br />officials to address regional issues. Council members collab-
<br />orate in the development of comprehensive plans and rec-
<br />ommendations in areas of population and employment,
<br />transportation, economic development, regional growth and
<br />the environment. MAPC is one of the 17 members of the
<br />Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization, which carries
<br />out the federally mandated transportation planning process
<br />for the region. MAPC is also the federally designated eco-
<br />nomic development district for the region, responsible for
<br />creating an annual economic development plan. The Council
<br />provides technical assistance and professional resources in
<br />land use, the environment, housing, transportation, water
<br />resources management, economic development, demograph-
<br />ic and socioeconomic data, legislative policy, and inter -local
<br />partnerships which strengthen the efficient and effective
<br />operation of local governments.
<br />APPOINTED by the Selectmen as MAPC Lexington
<br />Representative: Richard Canale.
<br />MAPC Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal
<br />Coordination (MAGIC).
<br />ROLE of MAGIC: As one of MAPC's eight subregions, to
<br />discuss and work on issues of inter -local concern. Lexington
<br />is in the Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal
<br />Coordination (MAGIC) subregion. Other MAGIC towns
<br />are: Acton, Bedford, Bolton, Boxborough, Carlisle,
<br />Concord, Hudson, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Stow, and
<br />Sudbury. MAGIC participates in The Boston Metropolitan
<br />Planning Organization through its membership on the
<br />Regional Transportation Advisory Council.
<br />APPOINTED by the Selectmen as MAGIC Representatives:
<br />Jeanne Krieger and Richard Canale.
<br />Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization
<br />(MPO)
<br />ROLE of Boston MPO: Comprising seven state /regional
<br />agencies, six elected municipalities, the City of Boston, the
<br />Regional Transportation Advisory Council (ex- officio), the
<br />Federal Highway Administration (ex- officio), and the
<br />Federal Transit administration (ex- officio), to consolidate
<br />transportation planning for a large portion of eastern
<br />Massachusetts for a variety of transportation modes and
<br />facilities, and to carry out the federally mandated trans-
<br />portation planning process for the region. The Boston MPO
<br />is responsible for producing three key Certification
<br />Documents: Regional Transportation Plan (RTP),
<br />Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and Unified
<br />Planning Work Program (UPWP).
<br />Regional Transportation Advisory Council
<br />ROLE of Regional Transportation Advisory Council: To
<br />provide public policy advice to the Boston MPO members
<br />on regional transportation issues and specific MPO actions.
<br />The Council is composed of 60 representatives from cities
<br />and towns, MAPC subregions, professional transportation
<br />and planning associations, advocacy and advisory groups,
<br />transportation providers, and various state and regional
<br />agencies. Lexington is one of the eleven Town members.
<br />APPOINTED by the Selectmen as Lexington's
<br />Representative to the Regional Transportation Advisory
<br />Council: Gail Wagner.
<br />HIGHLIGHTS:
<br />• MAPC completed the final planning phase of
<br />MetroFuture: Making a Greater Boston Region, a multi-
<br />year, collaborative approach to develop a regional plan.
<br />MetroFuture is incorporating public participation, data
<br />analysis and cutting -edge technology to create a vision for
<br />the metropolitan Boston region and a strategy to get us
<br />there. The Lexington MAPC representative is contributing
<br />to the design and structure of this process as a member of
<br />the Steering Committee.
<br />• MAPC and the Central Transportation Planning Services
<br />are conducting a corridor study of the Concord Avenue /
<br />Trapelo Road corridor in Belmont, Lexington, and
<br />Waltham under the auspices of the Metropolitan Planning
<br />Organization. This project will evaluate the transportation
<br />impacts of alternative future development patterns in the
<br />corridor.
<br />• MAPC submitted, along with the four towns, a Federal
<br />Highway grant application of $138,020 to create a
<br />Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for The Battle Road
<br />Scenic Byway. The grant was approved.
<br />• MAPC initiated a program offering communities reim-
<br />bursement funds on a wide array of bicycle parking equip-
<br />ment. Lexington is being reimbursed for ten high quality
<br />bike racks that are being placed throughout the town.
<br />• MAPC, funded by the Boston Region Metropolitan
<br />Planning Organization, has updated the Regional Bicycle
<br />Plan.
<br />• MAPC provided Lexington with planning data and analy-
<br />ses including population, employment and household
<br />forecasts.
<br />• Through MAGIC, Lexington Stakeholders collaborated
<br />with state and federal legislators and aides in articulating
<br />mutual goals and strategies including Municipal financing
<br />and tax policy, zoning /land use reform including status of
<br />local control and smart growth, and statewide /regional
<br />transportation planning.
<br />• MAGIC discussed potential impacts of regional develop-
<br />ment proposals within the area.
<br />continued on next page
<br />Page 60 2007 Annual Report, Town of Lexington
<br />
|