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?