cambridge, massachusetts: an evaluation of current transportation planning policies
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Cambridge, Massachusetts: An evaluation of current transportation planning policies. Evaluation Points. Goals Planning for desired outcomes Providing access Mode priority Mode selection. Community development: Environmental and Transportation Planning Quality of life - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts:Massachusetts:
An evaluation of current An evaluation of current transportation planning transportation planning
policiespolicies
Evaluation PointsEvaluation Points GoalsGoals Planning for desired outcomesPlanning for desired outcomes Providing accessProviding access Mode priorityMode priority Mode selectionMode selection
Transportation PlanningTransportation Planning
Community development:Environmental and Transportation
PlanningQuality of lifeEnvironment and climateTransportation policy
Public safety:Traffic, Parking and Transportation
EnforcementParking , Pollution controlIntersection, bike lanes
Planning for SustainabilityPlanning for Sustainability
Goal:to promote a healthy environment
•non-auto transportation•Energy efficiency•renewable energy sources
Highest priority in Highest priority in walking, biking and walking, biking and multimodalism multimodalism
Planning for SustainabilityPlanning for Sustainability
Traffic calming Safety for pedestrian
Morse elementary school
Delineated bicycle laneSafety for bicyclists
A major principle guiding transportation planning in this city is safety for pedestrians and bicyclists
Planning for SustainabilityPlanning for SustainabilityMixed land use patternIncreasing accessibility
Harvard Square
Removing vehicle lanes/ expanded sidewalks
Senses of city
Central square
Planning for SustainabilityPlanning for SustainabilityAt construction siteAt construction siteThe plan must provide a The plan must provide a
temporary sidewalk, and temporary sidewalk, and often a bicycle lane, even often a bicycle lane, even in a parking or travel lane in a parking or travel lane must be removed.must be removed.
Parking and Transportation demand managementEach large employer is required to have a plan for helping its worker commute by means other than SOV
Policies for futurePolicies for futureInvestment in Parking and transportation demand management
regional employment pattern that take advantages of areas well served by transit to and from Cambridge.
sense of the street; it has a policy to protect the minor arterials with residential character whenever possible.
Developed PublicationsDeveloped Publications Cambridge Pedestrian Cambridge Pedestrian
PlanPlan VTROVTRO Cambridge Growth PolicyCambridge Growth Policy Traffic CalmingTraffic Calming Transportation Demand Transportation Demand
ManagementManagement Citywide Growth Citywide Growth
ManagementManagement Citywide RezoningCitywide Rezoning
Cambridge Pedestrian PlanCambridge Pedestrian Plan
Policies and Guidelines for Facilities
Design Standards for Physical Improvements
Encourage Walking as Alternative
Action Plan to Reduce Auto Travel
VTRO and Growth PolicyVTRO and Growth Policy Clean Air Act 1990Clean Air Act 1990 Growth Policy Growth Policy
Document (1994)Document (1994) Policy 14-Policy 14-Increase the Increase the
cities investment in cities investment in Transportation Demand Transportation Demand Management to promote non-Management to promote non-single occupancy vehicle forms single occupancy vehicle forms of transportation and assist of transportation and assist Cambridge Employers, both Cambridge Employers, both Individually and Collectively, in Individually and Collectively, in developing such programs for developing such programs for their employees and operationstheir employees and operations
Transportation Demand Transportation Demand ManagementManagement
Improve Mobility Improve Mobility and Accessand Access
Reduce PollutionReduce Pollution SafetySafety Reducing Drive Reducing Drive
Alone TrafficAlone Traffic
Land Use and TransportationLand Use and Transportation Citywide Growth Citywide Growth
Management (1997)Management (1997) Citywide Rezoning Citywide Rezoning
(2001)(2001) Policy 15-Policy 15-Enact Land Use Enact Land Use
Regulations that encourage transit and Regulations that encourage transit and other forms of non-automobile mobility other forms of non-automobile mobility by mixing land use, creating a pleasant by mixing land use, creating a pleasant and safe pedestrian, bike environment, and safe pedestrian, bike environment, and restricting high density and restricting high density development to areas near transit development to areas near transit stationsstations
Cambridge PriorityCambridge Priority Priority should be given to Priority should be given to
cleaner, cheaper, more efficient cleaner, cheaper, more efficient modes of transportationmodes of transportation• WalkingWalking• BikingBiking• BusBus• SubwaySubway
Cambridge Policy: To promote Cambridge Policy: To promote the use of non single occupancy the use of non single occupancy vehicles / Encourage all non-vehicles / Encourage all non-automobile forms of automobile forms of transportationtransportation
Achieved through:Achieved through:• Employer incentive programsEmployer incentive programs• Bike lanesBike lanes• Transit fundingTransit funding
Bicycle/Shared LanesBicycle/Shared Lanes Bicycle lanes Bicycle lanes
give dedicated give dedicated lanes to bicycle lanes to bicycle traffictraffic
Shared lanes Shared lanes treat bicycle treat bicycle same as an same as an automobileautomobile• Bike cheaper Bike cheaper
and cleanerand cleaner
Transportation Demand Transportation Demand Management PlansManagement Plans
Employers sponsor programs to Employers sponsor programs to reduce use of single-occupant reduce use of single-occupant vehiclesvehicles• Free access to EZRideFree access to EZRide• Transit/vanpool subsidiesTransit/vanpool subsidies• Pre-tax deduction of transit faresPre-tax deduction of transit fares• Shower and locker facilities for Shower and locker facilities for
pedestrians/bicyclistspedestrians/bicyclists• Carpool preferential parkingCarpool preferential parking• Secure/waterproof bicycle parkingSecure/waterproof bicycle parking
Supported by the City of Supported by the City of CambridgeCambridge
Central SquareCentral Square
Diversity of ModesDiversity of Modes Private CarPrivate Car ZipCarZipCar MBTA BusesMBTA Buses EZRide ShuttleEZRide Shuttle Red & Green LinesRed & Green Lines BikeBike WalkWalk
Diversity of ModesDiversity of Modes Are the options Are the options
being used?being used?
Transportation Transportation Demand Demand Management Management aims to further aims to further reduce use of reduce use of Single Single Occupancy Occupancy VehiclesVehicles
Effective Effective Transportation Transportation
PlanningPlanning
Plans that are GOOD in Plans that are GOOD in CambridgeCambridge
Broadly Defined GoalsBroadly Defined Goals Energy GoalEnergy Goal
Non-auto TransportationNon-auto Transportation Energy EfficiencyEnergy Efficiency Renewable Energy SourceRenewable Energy Source
Land Use and Urban DesignLand Use and Urban Design ConnectivityConnectivity
Increase Bicycle UseIncrease Bicycle Use Safer Lane DesignsSafer Lane Designs Convenient Parking (Alewife Station, Racks near Convenient Parking (Alewife Station, Racks near
Building Entrances)Building Entrances) More Pedestrian FriendlyMore Pedestrian Friendly
Central SquareCentral Square Harvard Harvard SquareSquare
Inman SquareInman Square Kendall SquareKendall SquarePorter SquarePorter Square
Desired OutcomesDesired Outcomes Bicycle ProgramBicycle Program
Installing Bike LanesInstalling Bike Lanes Installing Bike ParkingInstalling Bike Parking Bicycle Safety in Bicycle Safety in
Schools and Town Halls Schools and Town Halls for Children and Adultsfor Children and Adults
Green Line Extension ProjectGreen Line Extension Project Brookline Street Brookline Street
ReconstructionReconstruction More ResidentialMore Residential Reduce Traffic SpeedReduce Traffic Speed Safer for Walking and Safer for Walking and
BikingBiking Installing more TreesInstalling more Trees
Priority TreatmentPriority Treatment Cambridge Energy AllianceCambridge Energy Alliance
Efficiency Improvements in Energy, Efficiency Improvements in Energy, Water, and TransportationWater, and Transportation
Reduce Greenhouse GasesReduce Greenhouse Gases More Biking and WalkingMore Biking and Walking
Grand Junction Rail with TrailGrand Junction Rail with Trail Eastern Cambridge Planning StudyEastern Cambridge Planning Study Path along Grand JunctionPath along Grand Junction Enhance Non-Auto MobilityEnhance Non-Auto Mobility
Diversity of ModesDiversity of Modes Cambridge offers:Cambridge offers:
AutomobileAutomobile MBTAMBTA
RailRail BusBus SubwaySubway BoatBoat
EZRideEZRide ZipcarZipcar WalkWalk BicycleBicycle
AwardsAwards Golden Shoe (Cambridge Health Golden Shoe (Cambridge Health
AllianceAlliance Environmental Purchasing and Environmental Purchasing and
Sustainability (2006)Sustainability (2006) EPA Best Workplaces for EPA Best Workplaces for
CommutersCommuters Smart Growth Leadership- Smart Growth Leadership-
Comprehensive Bike and Pedestrian Comprehensive Bike and Pedestrian ProgramProgram
Best Walking City by Prevention Best Walking City by Prevention MagazineMagazine
Non-Effective Non-Effective Transportation Transportation
PlanningPlanningFailures/Shortcomings ofFailures/Shortcomings ofPlanning in CambridgePlanning in Cambridge
Failure/ShortcomingFailure/Shortcoming
ModeMode All OriginsAll Origins
Drive AloneDrive Alone 51.2%51.2%
TransitTransit 20.8%20.8%
RideshareRideshare 10.6%10.6%
BikeBike 2.0%2.0%
WalkWalk 13.2%13.2%
OtherOther 2.2%2.2%
Cambridge has not changed the percentage of how people get to work.
2000ModeMode All OriginsAll Origins
Drive AloneDrive Alone 50.6%50.6%
TransitTransit 22.7%22.7%
RideshareRideshare 8.5%8.5%
BikeBike 2.4%2.4%
WalkWalk 12.6%12.6%
OtherOther 0.7%0.7%
1990
Failure/ShortcomingFailure/Shortcoming Despite a published and accepted Despite a published and accepted
pedestrian plan, it fails to address pedestrian plan, it fails to address the entire area of Cambridge.the entire area of Cambridge.
The plan focuses only on certain The plan focuses only on certain trouble areas from the past with only trouble areas from the past with only some focus on the future but has left some focus on the future but has left room for improvement.room for improvement.
Failure/ShortcomingFailure/Shortcoming There are gaps in the alternative There are gaps in the alternative
transit sources:transit sources:• Not all subway stations are easily accessed by Not all subway stations are easily accessed by
pedestrianspedestrians• There are gaps in the hours of service of fixed railThere are gaps in the hours of service of fixed rail• The fixed rail lines aren’t interconnected enough The fixed rail lines aren’t interconnected enough
causing the need to go into Boston for most causing the need to go into Boston for most destinationsdestinations
• Limited bus frequency during rush hourLimited bus frequency during rush hour• Limited through routing causes a need for multiple Limited through routing causes a need for multiple
bus transfersbus transfers
Failure/ShortcomingFailure/Shortcoming Trends show an increase in emissions Trends show an increase in emissions
through the 1990’sthrough the 1990’s Most of it’s energy use comes from Most of it’s energy use comes from
the industrial/commercial and the industrial/commercial and transportation sectorstransportation sectors
Cambridge needs to implement it’s Cambridge needs to implement it’s Climate Protection plan sooner rather Climate Protection plan sooner rather than laterthan later
Questions?Questions?