Overview. Background Current CIC Project

Transcription

1 Overview Middlesex 3 Coalition - Community Innovation Challenge (CIC) Grant FY2015 Middlesex 3 Transportation Management Association (M3 TMA) and Transportation and Workforce Development Coordinator The Middlesex 3 Coalition is requesting community support to apply for a FY2015 Community Innovation Challenge (CIC) Grant. This funding would be used to create a Middlesex 3 Transportation Management Association (M3 TMA) and to hire a Transportation and Workforce Development Coordinator to assist businesses, developers and community groups in the towns of Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Lexington, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Westford and the city of Lowell. The M3 TMA will create a system to address and coordinate transportation resources as well as link workforce development needs with available workforce and educational resources. A critical component of this grant will be the hiring of a Transportation and Workforce Development Coordinator who will serve as a point of contact linking businesses, developers and community groups to both transportation and educational resources. Overall, the estimated costs of the M3 TMA and Workforce Development Iniatitive are $139,400 and are detailed below. Background Current CIC Project In 2013, the Coalition was generously awarded a FY2014 CIC Grant of $147,000 from the Office of Administration and Finance for transportation coordination and improvements in Billerica, Burlington, Bedford, Chelmsford, and Lowell. This funding is currently being used to: Create an inventory of current transportation services, Evaluate the effectiveness of the existing services, Determine the need for additional transit by meeting with area businesses, stakeholders, and community leaders Develop a marketing plan to educate the public about the current transportation programs in the region, Coordinate the existing transportation resources in the towns of Billerica, Burlington, Bedford, Chelmsford, and the city of Lowell. While work on the FY2014 grant is still in progress, the early results are very positive. Over the last seven months, leadership within the Middlesex 3 communities have been working together to evaluate transportation resources within the region and determine gaps in the transportation system. Through outreach and coordination meetings, it has been determined that there is a strong desire to provide more transportation options. These meetings have included companies, office developments and educational institutions, such as EMD Serono, Lahey Health, Cross Point Towers, E Ink, The Davis Companies, irobot, BioM, New England Executive Park, Nordblom, Middlesex

2 Community College, UMass Lowell and The MITRE Corporation as well as community groups in the Middlesex 3 municipalities. Based on the information received through these outreach efforts as well as ongoing data collection including employee zip code analyses, there is a clear focus from businesses and community groups that increasing transportation options in the region is a priority. Common themes among these meetings included: Providing predictable last mile connections for employees to get to and from work, Enhancing transportation systems that enable companies to recruit new employees from the Boston/Cambridge area, and retain valued employees, Offering green transportation initiatives that meet environmental goals. As a result of this research and outreach, the Middlesex 3 Coalition Board of Directors seeks to establish the M3 TMA under the umbrella of the Middlesex 3 Coalition. The M3 TMA will become a self-supporting transportation organization by year two, as interest in membership from area businesses has been strong. In concert with these efforts, E Ink has established a shuttle service to provide transportation linkage from Cambridge and Boston to their offices in Billerica. The shuttle service is anticipated to be expanded and falls under the umbrella of the M3 TMA. In addition to the E Ink shuttle service, Lahey Health has agreed to contribute $100,000 as part of a mitigation agreement with the Department of Environmental Protection. These funds are provided as matching dollars for businesses in the Middlesex 3 service area who wish to participate in a shuttle program and join the M3 TMA. Each business may receive up to $20,000 to participate in a 12 month trial shuttle service. This mitigation agreement aims to decrease vehicle emissions and air pollution by encouraging shuttle usage for businesses, employees, and residents as an alternative to single occupancy vehicles. According to DEP regulations, these funds can be used solely for shuttle services and not for operating expenses of the TMA. Proposed CIC Project The Middlesex 3 Coalition is seeking FY2015 CIC Grant funding to take the next steps in creating a regional Transportation Management Association. This proposal includes all nine Middlesex 3 Communities, as the Coalition has expanded its geographic borders to include Lexington, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro and Westford as well as the original five communities of Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, and Lowell. Coordination of transportation resources and outreach with the four new communities will be addressed as part of the M3 TMA. This work will be done as part of the job responsibilities of the Transportation and Workforce Development Coordinator. Also, it should be noted that two of the Middlesex 3 communities have existing TMAs in place within their communities. Westford participates in CrossTown Connect and Lexington has shuttle service to Hayden and Hartwell Avenues through the Route 128 Business Council TMA. Our TMA will serve to

3 complement these existing associations and provide needed linkages between the transportation network including these TMA services. The Middlesex 3 Coalition believes that the M3 TMA will be a more resourceful and effective organization if the TMA Director also provides workforce development resources. It is logical that the M3 TMA incorporates the resources of a workforce development coordinator as access to and retention of a high quality workforce is a key reason businesses are interested in alternative modes of transportation. Businesses are concerned with environmental impacts, demands on the current infrastucture, parking concerns and the like. However, access to and retention of a high quality workforce has emerged as the primary reason businesses in this region are willing to invest time and money towards a Transportation Management Association (TMA). Therefore, it is logical for the TMA Director to incorporate workforce assistance, as it would provide a more efficient level of service and provide additional resources to the area companies. The role of the Transportation and Workforce Development Coordinator will include: Engaging with the MBTA, LRTA, MART, and private carriers to improve connections to, and promote the use of, all modes of public transportation; Collaborating with participating employers to establish on-site commuter programs, developing programs designed to meet each employers specific needs based on feedback from the employer, including the training of Employee Transportation Coordinators; Designing and conducting promotional events and activities to encourage employees of member companies to rideshare (carpool, vanpool, or take public transportation); Serving as the primary contact for outside agencies such as the MassCommute, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, MassRIDES, or others as necessary on transportation matters, participate in meetings of these organizations as needed; Working with local, state and federal officials where necessary, to implement programs to help reduce traffic congestion in the area; Coordinating existing transportation services; Addressing employment concerns and matching employer needs with the available workforce development resources; Introducing businesses to available educational resources within Middlesex 3 Communities; Working with the Middlesex 3 Workforce Development Committee to coordinate initiatives, tasks and outreach efforts among the educational and workforce development resources, including UMass Lowell, Middlesex Community College, Northeastern University (Burlington), Shawsheen Technical High School, Nashoba Valley Technical High School, Greater Lowell Technical High School, Minuteman Technical High School, Greater Lowell Career Center, Greater Lowell Workforce Investment Board, the Career Place, Metro North Regional Employment Board as well as the local primary and secondary schools, etc.; Assisting with the coordination and applications for Massachusetts Workforce Training Grants;

4 Coordinating between businesses and educational / workforce development instiutions for interships, externships, career days, in-kind and other donations, and other means to coordinate participation. During year one, the Transportation and Workforce Development Coordinator will focus on outreach to businesses throughout the nine communities. This will be done in part through outreach with CoStar contacts. In addition to funding the Transportation and Workforce Development Coordinator, the CIC grant funding to establish the M3 TMA will include start up costs for services, marketing and administrative expenses. Details are outlined in the attached budget.

5 Estimated Revenue *Member Dues and Mitigation Requirements from Communities START-UP PHASE Ends 12/2014 YEAR 1 CIC FY 2015 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000 $80,000 MassCommute TMA Assistance $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 CIC Grant YR 2 $139,400 TOTAL REVENUE SOURCES $139,400 $100,000 $110,000 $120,000 $130,000 * Year 2 Estimate: ten (10) members contributing $50,000 to M3 TMA for membership dues; Years 3-5 Estimate: Two (2) new members per in additional revenue per year OPERATING EXPENSES Estimated Administrative Expense START-UP PHASE YEAR 1 CIC YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5 FY 2015 TMA Director and Workforce Development Coordinator (w/benefits) FY2014 CIC Grant $70,000 $70,000 $70,000 $80,000 $90,000 Support Staff FY2014 CIC Grant $4,000 $3,000 $4,000 $5,000 $6,000 Middlesex3 Staff FY2014 CIC Grant $30,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 Financial Review (CPA AUDIT) N/A $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 Office Lease(in-kind) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Travel FY2014 CIC Grant $1,000 $1,500 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 Ridematching Software N/A N/A N/A $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 Guaranteed Ride Home FY2014 CIC Grant $250 $250 $250 $250 $250 Misc.(office expenses) FY2014 CIC Grant $250 $250 $500 $500 $500 TOTAL ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES $107,500 $87,000 $91,250 $102,250 $113,250 Estimated Marketing Expense Develop Logo/Marketing Materials FY2014 CIC Grant $5,000 $3,000 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 Big Contacts Database FY2014 CIC Grant $2,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 CoStar N/A $8,400 $0 $0 $0 $0 Bike Promotion FY2014 CIC Grant $1,000 $500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 Commuter Events FY2014 CIC Grant $1,500 $2,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 Promotions/Incentives FY2014 CIC Grant $2,000 $1,000 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 Mass Commute Dues $0 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 TOTAL MARKETING EXPENSES $19,900 $11,500 $16,000 $16,000 $16,000 10% Contingency N/A $12,000 TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES $139,400 $98,500 $107,250 $118,250 $129,250

6 FY15 Community Innovation Challenge Grant Middlesex 3 Coalition Application Sign on behalf of the Applicants: Applicants must submit documentation of demonstrated support for the proposed initiative and grant application from each participating entity through the local support documentation form at the end of the application. Please refer to the chart below to determine who should sign your application. Town with a Board of Selectmen Town with a Town Council Cities Regional school district Regional planning agencies and councils of governments Special municipal districts Counties Board of Selectmen (The chair or Town Manager may sign for the Board, provided that evidence shows that the Board authorized the Town Manager or chair to sign on behalf of the Board). Town Manager/ Administrator Mayor, unless charter designates some other local office to be chief administrative or executive officer (i.e. City Manager). M.G.L. Ch. 4 Sec. 7 School Committee (The chair or superintendent may sign for the committee, provided that evidence shows that the committee authorized the chair or superintendent to sign on behalf of the committee) Executive Director Directors or equivalent Commissioners FY15 Application Deadline: October 10, 2014

7 FY15 Community Innovation Challenge Grant Middlesex 3 Coalition Application Duplicate this page if space needed for additional signatories FY15 Application Deadline: October 10, 2014