3. Presenters:
• Changing DOT Culture
– Trey Joseph Wadsworth, MRP and Rachel Bain,
MPA , Mass. Department of Transportation
• It’s How We Roll – Student Research in
Manchester, CT Transit Study
• - Rebecca Townsend, PhD, Manchester
Community College
• Transit Service Development in Suburban
Communities
– Bethany Whitaker, Nelson Nygaard

5. GETTING TO YES:
New techniques in transportation planning
Changing DOT culture:
“But we’ve always done it this way!”
Office of Performance Management and Innovation and
Office of Transportation Planning
September 21, 2012
5

6. GETTING TO YES:
New techniques in transportation planning
►Overview
Reform
Challenges
Performance management
Innovation
Getting to yes

7. GETTING TO YES:
New techniques in transportation planning
►2009 transportation reform
One transportation system
One multimodal agency
Moving people safely & reliably

8. GETTING TO YES:
New techniques in transportation planning
►Challenges
Fewer resources
Growing infrastructure needs
Unmet mobility needs
How is MassDOT rising to
our challenges?
Innovation + accountability

9. GETTING TO YES:
New techniques in transportation planning
►Performance management
GreenDOT example
Planning for performance
Performance management framework first
Not just a wish list of sustainability initiatives/projects
Enhanced collaboration when stakeholders think
delivering planning objectives from outset

10. GETTING TO YES:
New techniques in transportation planning
►Performance management
GreenDOT example
Internal External Performance
Sustainability
collaboration / collaboration / Plan management
research, state of the
plan plan publication framework
practice identification
development refinement developed
Lesson learned
Make meaningful plans by thinking about how to
deliver and measure the planning outcomes first
Sustainability Internal
Performance External
research, state collaboration / Plan
management collaboration /
of the practice plan publication
framework developed plan refinement
identification development

11. GETTING TO YES:
New techniques in transportation planning
►Innovation
VMS example
Not in the project, but the planning
Coordination of staff
Executive level support
Internal planning + accelerated delivery
Lesson learned
Step outside the typical bureaucratic process
Think about your project planning differently

12. GETTING TO YES:
New techniques in transportation planning
►Getting to yes
Challenge bureaucracy
Question your planning process or framework
Enhance your stakeholder collaboration
Get your leadership involved
Transfer/replicate success
Never let a success stop at the end of a project
Push successes into new areas

13. GETTING TO YES:
New techniques in transportation planning
►Thank you!
■ Rachel Bain, MPA
Deputy Directory of Innovation
Office of Performance Management & Innovation
rachel.bain@state.ma.us / 617-973-7365
■ Trey Joseph Wadsworth, MRP
Sustainable Transportation Planner
Office of Transportation Planning
trey.wadsworth@state.ma.us / 617-973-7344

15. Getting to Yes:
New Techniques in Transportation Planning
It’s How We Roll:
Student Research in the
Manchester, CT Transit Study
Rebecca M. Townsend, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Communication
RTownsend@ManchesterCC.edu 860-512-2685

16. Under-
heard
THE RATIONALE
What are
their needs?
COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS
“HARD
TO Theoretical Foundation:
PLANNERS
REACH” Ethnography of Communication

17. CC Students conduct group deliberation of
transportation issues
With Whom? Social network; ‘hard-to-reach’ /
under-heard community groups
Where? @ groups’ preferred locations
When? Before/During/After a
regularly scheduled meeting
Why? For academic credit/community
service learning

18. Who are CC students?
Of All U.S. Undergraduates 44% There are
First-time freshmen 43% 1600+
Native American 55% community
colleges
Asian/Pacific Islander 45%
in the U.S.
Black 44%
Hispanic 52%
Data on Community Colleges is from the American Association of Community Colleges website.

19. FAST FACTS @ MCC Nationally
*Source: National Center for Educational Statistics
Students 7500 7,675,000* or 44%
1st Generation 25% 42%
Apply for fin. aid 55% 59%
21 or younger 55% 39%
22-39 33% 45%
40+ 11% 15%
Minorities 30% 37%
Graduates stay in
85% n/a
state

20. Preparing
• Reading
• Guest Lectures
• Research
• Ethics

22. IAP2 Code of Ethics
Especially…
PURPOSE.
ROLE OF PRACTITIONER.
TRUST.
OPENNESS.
ACCESS TO THE PROCESS.
RESPECT FOR COMMUNITIES.
ADVOCACY, for the P2 process, not for any outcome

23. Student Activities
• Deliberative, democratic discussions (participant
listening, storytelling & weighing of variables)
• Survey
• Large-scale community forums
• Student-community group presentations
• Report back
• Meals

24. Transcript Segments (FTA)
1. Moderator: Were any of you aware that you could contact
someone about transportation needs? To give your voice?
Response: Yeah, on the back of the bus they have the number.
Response: Oh, they have numbers on the back?
Response: Yeah, if you have a complaint you can call.
Response: I think I have to be someone important for them to
listen.
2. Moderator: You are important.
Response: No, I mean, like important to them.

25. New Dimension Christian Center
1. Lo que a mi en realidad me preocupa es
1. What in reality worries me is that since
que como para la hillside no hay there is no transportation to Hillside at
transportacion de noche, si la gente hace night, if people have a routine of taking the
un horario especifico todos los dias de bus everyday at the same time, they are
cojer la guagua en el mismo sitio, se exposed to that- a shameless delinquent
exponent a que un delinquent sin
harms them. Because last week a young
verguenza le haga dano. Porqie la
semana pasada, una joven que me visita, lady that visits me had been taking the bus
llevaba cojiendo la guagua por un mes for a month consecutively from
consecutive de Manchester a Downtown, Manchester to downtown, and a man
y un hombre por poco la viola. Que la almost raped her, he had been following
venia siguiendo por un mes. He was her for a month. He was harassing her for a
harassing her for a month.
month.
2. Mod.: Wow. So si hubiera mas seguridad…
2. Mod.: Wow, so if there was more safety…
3. Porque ella tiene que esperar los
horarios. Las espera, la espera.
3. Because she has to wait for the schedule,
4. Mod.: Porque la guagua no va tan
it’s the wait, the wait.
frequentemente, y esta mas largo tiempo 4. Mod: Because the bus doesn’t go as
en la parade. frequently and there’s a longer wait at the
5. El hombre ya la venia mirando. It was a stop.
very bad experience. 5. The man had already been watching her. It
was a very bad experience. (FTA)

26. Student-Facilitated Discussion
50 facilitators abided by the IAP2’s Core Values & Code of Ethics
16 “hard-to-reach” groups participated (est. 100-160 people)

27. Community Groups
1. Veterans O.A.S.I.S group
9. Buckland Hills Mall shoppers
2. Beginner Guitar Class 10. National Society of Black
3. Computer Repair and Share Engineers
Club 11. Black Student Union
4. Cardio Express 12. MCC Student Study group
5. Edi’s Pizzeria 13. English 066 class
14. Manchester Health
6. Green Club
Department
7. BOT 111 (Keyboarding) class 15. Hartford residents
8. Central CT State U group 16. East Hartford residents

28. • More direct routes
• Reduce overcrowding
• More frequent service
• Run later
• Be on time
• Be friendly
• Cleaner
• Lower fare costs
• Student Bus Passes
• Rural service
• Assist disabled (signage)
• More stops
• Weekend service
• Correspond with class
schedules

29. Benefits & Lessons Learned:
1. Partnerships strengthened
2. “Trust gap” bridged
through the use of
students’ social networks
3. P2 is more deliberative &
inclusive
4. Interest & involvement
amplified; costs reduced
5. Student leadership abilities
& civic involvement
increased
Limits/Requirements
-Faculty and College support
-Planning agency patience
-

31. This image cannot currently be display ed.
This image cannot currently be display ed.
Getting to Yes
Transit Service Development in Suburban
Communities
Southern New England Chapter American Planning Association
NelsonNygaard Associates
September 21, 2012

32. Transit Service Development in Suburban
Communities
Transit Enhancement Grant Study
– Strengthen connections along the Knowledge Corridor
– Focus on local service and circulation
– Intent to create pilot projects
– Led by the Capitol Region Council of Governments
Three suburban Hartford communities
– Windsor
– Enfield
– Manchester
32

33. Town of Windsor – TMA Feasibility Study
33

34. Suburban Transit Services – Windsor CT
Large employment corridor –
“Day Hill Road”
– Estimated
Located along I-91 Corridor
Regional bus network
– CTTRANSIT Express Bus
– Connections via Park and Ride
Planned rail station
Active Business Community
34

35. Town of Enfield – Transit Feasibility Study
35

36. Suburban Transit Services - Enfield, CT
Located along I-91 Corridor
Regional bus network
– CTTRANSIT Express Bus
– Pioneer Valley Regional
Transportation Authority
Planned rail station
– But not in the first round
Local Dial-a-Ride Service
Transit needs
– Local circulation
– Connections to regional service
36

37. Suburban Transit Services - Enfield, CT
Success through leveraging assets
Integrated with Federal and State programs
– Thompsonville Transit Center
– New Freedom (FTA 5317) Grants
Local Support, Partnerships and Work
– Enthusiasm, dedication, & perseverance
• Led by Departments of Economic Development and Aging
• Participation from lots of local partners
– Asnuntuck Community College
– CTTRANSIT and PVTA
37

38. Suburban Transit Services - Enfield, CT
38

39. Town of Manchester – Manchester Transit
Study
39

40. Suburban Transit Services – Manchester CT
Located along I-84
Corridor
Existing transit service
from CTTRANSIT
– Express/Flyer Service
– Local Service
Service oriented to
downtown Hartford
and Buckland Hills
Buckland Hills
– Major retail destination
– Park and Ride facility
40

41. Suburban Transit Services – Manchester CT
Needs Assessment
– Demographic analysis
– Service analysis
– Survey tools – online and with riders
• Trade-off component
– Manchester Community College
Competing Priority vs. Competing Priority
Provide service to as many areas as possible vs. Focus service on areas where demand is greatest
Provide less frequent daytime service in order to start vs. Start service later and/or end service earlier in order to
service earlier and/or end service later provide more frequent daytime service
Provide many/frequent stops (shorter walks but slower vs. Consolidate/limit the number of stops (longer walks
service) but faster service)
Provide less frequent weekday service in order to vs. Provide less weekend service in order to provide more
provide more weekend service weekday service
41

42. Manchester Ridership – All Routes (Weekday,
Inbound)
42

43. Manchester Ridership – All Routes (Weekday,
Inbound)
43

44. Manchester CT – Transit Needs
Local connections between Buckland Hills, downtown
Manchester and Manchester Community College
Circulation around Buckland Hills Area
Cleaner, more simple service
44

45. Suburban Tranit Services – Manchester CT
45

46. Suburban Tranit Services – Manchester CT
46

47. Suburban Tranit Services – Manchester CT
47

48. Conceptual Service Design
“Less is More” Concept
– Less coverage, but
simplified, easier to use
service
– More direct, faster routing
– Coordinated schedules
DRAFT concept only
– Ideas being brought to
public in early October
48

49. Town of Windsor – Windsor TMA Study
49

50. Planning for Future Transportation Needs
How do we meet future transportation demands and keep
the Windsor Corporate Area as competitive as possible?
50

51. TMA Programs
EcoPass Programs Carpool Community
Car Sharing
Corporate Shuttles Corporate Bike Shares Guaranteed Ride Home

52. Suggest Phased Approach
Chamber Transportation Management Initiative
– No Direct Cost / Some Opportunity Cost
– Informal Task Force
– Short-Term (2012-2013)
Employer-Based Services
– Medium Cost
– Informal Task Force with Official Representation
– Mid-term (2014-2016)
Formal Transportation Management Association
– High Cost
– Formal Dues Paying Member Association
– Long-Term (2017-2020)
52

53. Lessons from Hartford Communities
53

54. Suburban Service Development
Leverage Existing Assets
– Services and Infrastructure
• Existing regional service
• Existing regional infrastructure
– Park and ride lots
• Planned transportation facilities and services
• Also, local service (Dial-a-Ride)
– Staff Enthusiasm and Commitment
• Town staff and their relationships
• Institutional partners
– Transit operators
– Community colleges
– Human services
54

55. Suburban Service Development
Develop Markets and Create Gravity
– Enfield Community Shuttle
• Oriented towards transit dependent
• Links local and regional services
• Positions community for train station
– Manchester Hub Concept
• Simplifies local service and makes it more useful
• Builds and strengthens suburb to suburb connections
• Creates local distribution network that supports local and regional
travelers
– Windsor TMA
• Need is on the horizon
• Phased strategy will assure future TMA when time is right
55

56. QUESTIONS?