Cape Cod MPO endorses MassDOT’s PM3 reliability, congestion and emissions targets

The Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization on March 27 voted to endorse the state of Massachusetts’ system performance targets for reliability, congestion and emissions (PM3), following a presentation by Raissa Kwame of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Kwame described PM3 measures — level of travel-time reliability on interstate and non‑interstate roads, truck travel-time reliability (TTTR), and emissions reductions for CMAQ-funded projects — and explained MassDOT’s approach to setting 2024 and 2026 targets after excluding atypical pandemic years from trend calculations. She said the 2024 interstate reliability target is 74% and the 2026 target is 76%, with non‑interstate and truck-index targets set to improve modestly from prior baselines.

Members asked whether region-specific targets would be more useful for Cape Cod. Staff explained MPOs may adopt state targets or set region-specific targets but that Cape Cod’s limited project portfolio makes adopting statewide targets the practical approach; endorsing statewide targets also enables their inclusion in the Regional Transportation Plan and the TIP. Harold Mitchell moved to accept the targets; Pamela Hasner seconded, and the motion passed on a roll-call vote of present members.

The endorsement means the targets will be included in the MPO’s near-term planning documents; staff said they would continue to bring region-level congestion and congestion‑management details back to the MPO for discussion. The vote was procedural endorsement of state targets rather than adoption of a Cape-specific target set.