Meeting Notes – July 9, 2009
In attendance:
Alan Slavin, Co-Chair; Deirdre Healy, Co-Chair; T. K. Roy; Nathan Byrnes; Susan Jennings; Jerry Blitefield; Marguerite Zarrillo; Tanja Ryden; Bonne DeSousa; Marina Dippel; Paul Mission; Louise Hardiman
There was a discussion of the possible role and outcomes of the Southeastern Massachusetts Council on Sustainability.
The role of the SEMCOS is to:
• Demonstrate leadership.
• Form a compelling, positive vision that provides access to all, and links transportation with economics and land use. Move towards the vision.
• Be a source of connections and information for all stakeholders.
• Be a credible voice and champion for the region. Innovation, leadership, and initiative will be rewarded by discretionary funds to achieve goals.
• Support policy changes for sustainable transportation.
• Provide advocacy, outreach and education re: sustainable actions.
• Build a To Do List.
One of the most rewarding outcomes could be getting all municipalities to work together.
Vision
• Access is available to everyone in the community.
• Negative impacts on the environment and climate change are reduced.
Goals
The short-term vision includes cars. Start an educational campaign about the economics of driving. The long-term vision involves smart growth land use policies that will result in less fuel consumed and other benefits to the environment, our lives and our communities. (The structure of New Bedford’s Plan with recommendations for Government, Institutions/Businesses, and Individuals was mentioned as a good format to follow.)
• The region no longer exports people for jobs.
• Rail – passenger and commercial
- Rail is a way to stimulate a coordinated transportation system
- Connect the region with Boston
- Partner with communities looking at land use (South Coast Rail Study)
• Short Sea Shipping
• East-west connection
• Coordinated bike path
• Improve community based transportation, bringing existing resources together to fill gaps for transportation-disadvantaged
• Smart Growth policies leading to less fuel consumed, and positive effects on climate and the environment
Actions
• Find a springboard for pilot funding, e.g. short sea shipping.
• Develop a list of policy change recommendations.
• Develop best practices
• Education and Outreach (billboards, CATV, video meetings, You Tube and streaming video, give video to schools)
• Structured incentives for employers, businesses, individuals (e.g. extra mileage reimbursement based on number of people in car; guaranteed ride home, preferred parking spaces, reduced parking permit cost, reduced cost to develop parking).
• Create resources for making public transportation or carpooling more attractive.
• Establish Transportation Management Associations
• Better promotion of MassRides programs in region
• Redesign commercial strips (e.g., Route 6 in Dartmouth)
• A Coordinated Plan for the Region: discussion about municipal vs. volunteer involvement. Find someone from each municipality with the energy to step up and shepherd it through.
• Computer based matching for carpool/rideshare/smart jitneys
• Mobility Management: includes education, incentives, best practices to support more sustainable use of transportation infrastructure.
• Local visits with muncipalities to gain face-to-face information re: needs around sustainability, transportation, etc. as part of Regional Transportation Plan effort.
• Bring in large companies with freight issues as partners (Ocean Spray, Sysco, Sid Wainer, Titleist…)
• Get youth involved to help advocate.
Barriers to reaching goals
• Tax structure encourages “dumb” growth.
• Transportation needs increased revenue and a dedicated revenue source.
• Lack of state/federal long-term commitment and comprehensive plan for transportation.
• Car culture: car = freedom
• Getting representation from all municipalities, especially decision makers about how infrastructure grows. How to get them to the table, to be partners, to buy into sustainability.
Next Meeting
• July 30, 2009 at 3:30 PM at the SRPEDD Office, 88 Broadway, Taunton, MA 02780, 508-824-1367
• Ideas for who we want to hear from at future meetings (Mass Rides, EOT, Kristina Egan, new Mass. Sustainability Transportation Planner, Kristin Decas – tell us what we should advocate for to support Short Sea Shipping, etc.)
• Ideas for website – register for use of working group forum.
• Indicators?