trends assessments city of cambridge new mobility blueprint€¦ · data source: 2015-2017 acs...

October 7, 2019

1Cambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment

Trends AssessmentsCity of CambridgeNew Mobility Blueprint

New Mobility Blueprint

2

Purpose:

The goal of the New Mobility Blueprint is to develop actionable recommendations for policy, programs, and regulations that will help the City implement new mobility options in a way that aligns with and advances existing values and policies.

Understand the Present State Plan for the Future

New Mobility Blueprint

Policy Audit

Trends Assessment

EV Pilot

Implementation Blueprint

Proposed Regulatory Strategy

Public Engagement Approach

Cambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment

Executive Summary

3

Preparing for the future of mobility requires a thoroughunderstanding of the current mobility ecosystem. The NewMobility Blueprint Trends Assessment identifies current trendsfor existing modes in Cambridge. The goal is to identify barriersand opportunities to prepare the City for a better and cleanertransportation future.

IntroductionWith this Trends Assessment, we identify barriers and opportunitiesthat would allow Cambridge to shape how new mobility options areimplemented, in order to strive towards and prepare for animproved, safer, more equitable transportation experience.

We take a people-centric approach to the New Mobility Blueprint,with a key emphasis on people journeys. The goal was tounderstand trends at both a high-level and detailed scale—forspecific modes, as well as for the transportation ecosystem in itsentirety—in order to better understand and identify changes overtime.

The assessment relied on datasets including the AmericanCommunity Survey (ACS), data from the City of Cambridge,anonymized GPS data, and others.


People Journeys Commuting Patterns Modes Assessment Traffic/Crashes

People Journeys5Cambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment


The City of Cambridge is focused on helping people move around efficiently, safely, and equitably. Six scenarios represent a sample of the daily choices people make using transportation options currently available, to ground future policy discussions in the human experience.

6

People Journeys



7

Scenario 1 – Restaurant Worker

Work

Work

School

How can we provide door-to-door service for riders?

Takes bus from Charlestown to 1st

job in Cambridge with one transfer

Home

Walks to 2nd

job closer to home

How to make the transfer experience more seamless and connected?

What new technologies improve pedestrian safety?

Goes to bed and then walks the kids to school in the morning

Gets a ride home from a coworker; gets dropped 9

blocks from homeSchool Picks up kids

from school in the afternoon

Home

Home

Walks back home to rest



8

Scenario 2 – Young Biotech Worker

Home

Work

Dinner

Bar

How to meet peak demand for shared bikes?

Is it legal to hail a ride in a self-driving car after a few drinks?

Rides Bluebikesto work

Calls a ride-hail vehicle for pickup after drinking

Takes T to Boston since Bluebikes

nearby are rented out in evening

rush hour

Would e-bikes encourage suburban residents to bike more to work?



9

Scenario 3 – Working Parent/Caregiver with Kids

Home

School

School

Grocery

How to cope with peak loads for charging demand (both for the # of charging points available and for the electric grid)?

Are there dedicated parking spots available for EV owners at apartment buildings or are they set aside just for shared vehicles?

How many residential chargers are needed to prevent Cambridge residents from driving EVs to work to charge them there? Drives EV to

drop the kids off at school

Drives EV to pick the kids up and goes grocery shopping after

Drives EV to work and recharges in

workplace garage.

Work

How to encourage shopping destinations to provide EV chargers?

How to make walking, biking, and public transit feel possible for parents with small kids?



10

Scenario 4 – High School Student

Home

Bikes with backpack

(and picks up bike the next

day)

Cafe

Will there be an autonomous shuttle service available at

school?

Work

Library

Will shared autonomous ride-

hail vehicles be more affordable in

the future?

Walks to nearby cafe to eat lunch

with friends

What are the opportunities for scooters and other forms of micro-mobility to supplement or complement transit services for longer trips?

Walks to the library

Takes T to work in Boston

Calls a ride-hail vehicle for pickup since it’s late

ClassHow do we encourage

more cycling and walking when it’s easier to just

take a ride-hail vehicle?

+



11

Scenario 5 – Active Senior, Aging in Place

Home

Doctor

Store

Dinner

How to ensure people can use all available mobility services without needing a smart phone?

Walks to bus stop to go to doctor for routine check-up

Takes a cab to the store

Waits for subway to go home

Waits for Bus to go home

How to reduce empty buses, and instead provide services on demand?

How do we helppeople understand tipping etiquette for scenarios when they hail a cab and need to make multiple stops?

Home

Takes bus to meet a friend for dinner How to ensure that

Mobility as a Service plans are understandable, including for those who are less tech savvy?



12

Scenario 6 – Person with Mobility Impairment

Home

Work

Bus Station

Friends

How can we make sure that people with disabilities enjoy equal flexibility and spontaneity in their transportation options?

Travels to bus station

Waits for T to go home

Travels to bus station to go to work, always plans extra commute time

Takes bus to meet up with friends

How can we increase the number of ADA-compliant stations?

How can we ensure that bus drivers stop to pick up people in wheelchairs and that ramps consistently work properly?

How can we ensure that all ride-hail vehicles have fold out ramps and lifts?


Resident Journeys Current Ecosystem Modes AssessmentWalk Bike Micro-mobility Transit EV All Vehicles

Commuting Patterns13Cambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment


14

Commute StatisticsOn average, 15% of daily trips taken nationally are for commuting purposes.

About 24% of Cambridge residents commute to work by walking, and7% of Cambridge residents commute to work by bike.

The national average across medium-sized cities for commuting by walking is 3%, while commuting by bike is 0.9%.

Data Source: American Community Survey (ACS) Data; Bicycling and Walking to Work in the United States: 2008-2012 by US Census BureauUS Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Over the past three decades, more people commuted by sustainable modes (walking, bike, and transit) and fewer by car (single occupancy vehicle and carpool). More people also worked from home.

People who work in Cambridge but don’t live in Cambridge are more dependent on single occupancy vehicles (SOV). This can be observed in the difference between the higher rate of workforce SOV trips, compared to that of the local labor force.



15

How Cambridge Residents Commute to Work

Sust

aina

ble

Mod

es

38% 35% 31% 30% 26% 27%

8%5%

5% 4%3% 3%

24%25%

28% 28%31% 30%

3%4% 7% 7% 7% 7%

24% 24% 23% 24% 25% 24%

1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%4% 5% 6% 7% 7% 8%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1990 Census2000 Census 2006-2010 2011-2013 2014-2016 2015-2017

SOV Carpool Transit Bike Walk Other Work at Home

How People Commute to work in Cambridge

Sust

aina

ble

Mod

es

51% 51%45% 45% 42% 42%

11% 9%8% 7%

6% 7%

21% 23%26% 25% 29% 29%

2% 2% 4% 5% 5% 5%

13% 13% 13% 14% 13% 13%

0% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%2% 3% 3% 3% 4% 4%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1990 Census2000 Census 2006-2010 2011-2013 2014-2016 2015-2017

SOV Carpool Transit Bike Walk Other Work at Home

Data Source: American Community SurveyCambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment


16

Commute Time by Mode for Cambridge Residents

Data Source: 2015-2017 ACS average

More than 80% of workers living in Cambridge who commute by bike or walk to work have a commute of less than 30 minutes.

0

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4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

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Walked Taxicab,motorcycle,

bicycle

PublicTransportation

Carpooled Drove Alone

Num

ber o

f Wor

kers

1-14 mins 15-29 mins 30-44 mins 45-59 mins 60 or more mins

The average commute time in Cambridge is 23.7 minutes, compared to 25.4 minutes nationally.



How Cambridge Residents Commute to Work, by Mode Percentages

17Data Source: 2015-2017 ACS average

Work at Home

BikeWalk Transit

Carpool Drive Alone

1% - 3%3% - 5%5% - 10%10% - 20%20% - 40%40% - 60%

0% - 1%



18

How Long it Takes Cambridge Residents to Commute to Work, by Percentage

70% - 80%, Ranked Top 20 Percentiles60% - 69%, Ranked 20-40 Percentiles56% - 59%, Ranked 40-60 Percentiles54% - 55%, Ranked 60-80 Percentiles37% - 53%, Ranked Last 20 Percentiles

7.0% - 10%, Ranked Top 20 Percentiles5.6% - 6.9%, Ranked 20-40 Percentiles4.2% - 5.5%, Ranked 40-60 Percentiles3.6% - 4.1%, Ranked 60-80 Percentiles1.7% - 3.5%, Ranked Last 20 Percentiles

42% - 54%, Ranked Top 20 Percentiles40% - 41%, Ranked 20-40 Percentiles37% - 39%, Ranked 40-60 Percentiles32% - 36%, Ranked 60-80 Percentiles17% - 31%, Ranked Last 20 Percentiles

Data Source: 2015-2017 ACS average

Percentage of households commute between 0-29 Minutes

Percentage of households commute between 30-59 Minutes

Percentage of households commute more than 60 Minutes

The dark green areas have more people with commutes within the specified duration.


Resident Journeys Current Ecosystem Modes AssessmentWalk Bike Micro-mobility Transit EV All Vehicles

Modes Assessment19Cambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment


Walk Bike Micro-mobility Transit RHV EV Automobile

Catalog of Modes

\

Pedestrian Bike Micro-Mobility

Transit Ride-Hail Vehicle Electric Vehicle Other Vehicles




Walk




Walking Patterns

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0.60%

0.80%

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1.20%

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f Tra

ffic

of a

Day

Time (10 Minutes Interval)

Walking Traffic

Half of walking traffic takes place between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM.The lowest point of activity is around 4:30 AM.

Data Source: Anonymized GPS Data22

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

AM PM




23

Walking – Traffic Impact Studies

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Average TIS Pedestrian Count by 15-Minute Intervals Across Sample Locations

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f Sam

ple

Loca

tions

Number of Samples by Collection Time

Data Source: 2019 City of Cambridge Traffic Impact Studies

TIS counts were conducted manually at various locations across the City of Cambridge at predetermined times. It's worth noting that the drop in pedestrian counts during non-commute hours reflects collection hours.




Cell colors represent daily average walking counts across the city. Since GPS data encompasses just a portion of the population, this map is not a visualization of all walking activity. Rather, it depicts the distribution of people walking across Cambridge.

Areas with the Highest Walking Activity in Cambridge

Data Source: Anonymized GPS Data

Number of People Walking1 2.9k

Average 278




Bike




26

Bluebikes Usage Trends34.6% more Bluebikes trips in 2018 than in 2017Bluebikes is the public bikeshare program owned by the cities of Cambridge, Boston, Brookline, Somerville and Everett.Bluebikes ridership has increased steadily since 2011. Trips made in Cambridge represent 49% of the cumulative 2017-2018 total in the Metro Boston area. The growth rate for ridership in Cambridge has been slightly higher than that of other participating communities since the start of the program.In 2018, there were 873,255 trips in Cambridge, which was a 34.6% increase in trips from the year prior. Bluebikes ridership has strong seasonal patterns. Most trips are taken between the months of July and October, at a rate approximately 3.5 times higher than the number of trips taken between December and March.Bluebikes service in Cambridge started in July 2012, with winter operations beginning in late 2013.

Data Source: Bluebikes All Riders Dataset

0

50

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ber o

f Blu

ebik

es S

tatio

ns

Mon

thly

Rid

ersh

ip

Growth of Bluebikes Ridership and Number of Stations

Metro-Boston RidershipCambridge Ridership




27

Bluebikes Daily Trends—2018

35.9% of Bluebikes trips on weekdays in 2018 were during morning and evening rush hours. 2597

1877

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

Weekday Weekend

Daily

Rid

ersh

ip

Average Daily Ridership

Data Source: 2018 Bluebikes All Riders Dataset—Cambridge only

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Average Number of Weekend Trips per hour in Cambridge

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s

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Average Number of Weekday Trips per hour in Cambridge

16.1% of weekday trips happened during 4:30PM – 6:30PM.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11AM PM

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11AM PM




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ber o

f Trip

s

Duration of Trip – 1-minute increments)

Bluebikes Trip Duration in Cambridge

28

Bluebikes Trip Duration—2018

<10 mins44%

10-20 mins34%

20-30 mins13%

>30 mins9%

Percent of Bluebikes Trips in Cambridge


44% of Bluebikes trips in Cambridge are shorter than 10 minutes.




29

Bluebikes Station Use

The busiest stations in Cambridge are near Harvard, MIT and Kendall Sq.


Number of trips by station origin (2011-February 2019)

4K 470K

Avg. 37K




30

Age of Bluebikes Riders

20-25

25-30

30-40

Dominant Age Group

40-50

Users spread out all the ages

20-2

5

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30-4

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050

-60

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60+

Perc

enta

ge o

f Use

r of A

ge G

roup

s

Bluebikes stations near Harvard and MIT have more users that are 20 to 30 years old.Stations in East Cambridge near Kendall Square have more users between the ages of 30 and 50 years old.

Data Source: Bluebikes All Riders Data

20-2525-3030-4040-50No dominant age group




Bluebikes Station Usage: Time of DayBluebikes near Harvard and MIT have relatively even distribution of activities during the day.Bikes near Kendall Square are mostly used during morning and evening rush hours with low usage during the day.

Data Source: Bluebikes All Riders Data

More activities in morning rush hourRelatively even across the dayMore activities in evening rush hourEven activities in morning and evening rush hourLow activities during the day

31

More activities in morning than evening rush hour

8 am 5 pm

Relatively even distribution during the day

More activities in evening than morning rush hour

Even activities in morning and evening rush hour

Even activities in morning and evening rush hour, low activity during the day

Temporal Distribution of Bluebikes usage

Perc

enta

ge o

f Trip

s at D

iffer

ent T

ime

of D

ay




32

Bluebikes Station Usage 2012‐2018

2012 2018

Consistent Amount

Rapid Increase

Decrease

Increase with new

Most Bluebikes stations have had similar usage over their years of operation. While some have enjoyed increased usage, very few stations have seen decreased usage.

Chan

ges o

f Num

ber o

f Trip

sData Source: Bluebikes All Riders Data

Consistent number of visits through yearsVisits increase rapidlyVisits increase due to new stationVisits decrease




33

Eco‐Totem Bike Counts Trend

Data Source: Anonymized GPS Data, 2016 Cambridge Biennial Manual Bike Counts, Adjusted Eco-Totem Bike Counts

A permanent bicycle counter, the Eco-Totem, is installed on Broadway, between Third Street and Ames Street in Kendall Square. Because it counts only cyclists traveling in the bike lane and not those outside it, its data output requires adjustment. The City conducted counts using pneumatic tube technology for 48 hours on July 18 and 19, 2017, and manual counts at one-hour intervals across various times of day on six weekdays between July and September 2016. Additional manual verification counts were performed between July and September 2018.

Biking activity on Broadway in Kendall Square has been steady since 2016.Seasonal patterns strongly correlate with temperature.

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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Tem

pera

ture

(°F)

Num

ber o

f Trip

s

Adjusted Monthly Eco-Totem Bike Counts

2016 2017 2018 2019 Average Temperature




Eco‐Totem Bike Counts Trend


The year-to-year overview clearly shows patterns that reflect the reconstruction of the Longfellow Bridge, which is the origin/destination of many people being counted by the Eco-totem. Patterns show a decline in ridership for the time that the Longfellow Bridge was under construction, and not very accessible to people bicycling, and a sharp rise in ridership after the reopening of the Longfellow Bridge in May 2019.

Data Source: Eco-Totem Bike Counts, Unadjusted



S

35

The color of each cell represents daily average bicycle trips distributed across the city. The darker the colored cell, the more daily bicycle trips. In order to conduct a representative analysis of biking in Cambridge, we compared GPS data, which encompasses the activity of just a subset of the overall population, with bike traffic counts from the 2016 Cambridge Study. The 2016 study, in which bikes were manually counted at 20 locations across the City, showed strong correlation with the GPS data. This correlation indicates that the GPS data is a highly representative subset of bike traffic in Cambridge. The blue circles on the map show the manual bike counts from the 2016 study. Overall, GPS data captured about a third of biking activities in Cambridge, which is significant for understanding bike traffic flow in the city.

Bike Traffic in Cambridge

Data Source: Anonymized GPS Data, 2016 Cambridge Biennial Manual Bike Counts

2016 Manual Bike Counts

Bike Lane

Bike Counts/Day by GPS


Traffic/Crashes



36

Bike Traffic in Cambridge

About 11% of daily bike traffic occurs during morning rush hour (7:30-9:30 AM)About 15% of daily bike traffic occurs during evening rush hour (4:30-6:30 PM)

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affic

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the

Day


Bike Traffic

About 26% of biking activity in Cambridge takes place during morning and evening rush hours.

Data Source: Anonymized GPS Data, 2016 Cambridge Biennial Manual Bike Counts

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11AM PM




37

Bike Activity in Cambridge7:00-8:00 AM 8:00-9:00 AM

12:00-1:00 PM 2:00-3:00 PM

Data Source: Anonymized GPS Data, 2016 Cambridge Biennial Manual Bike Counts Cambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment



Bike Activity in Cambridge4:00-5:00 PM 5:00-6:00 PM

6:00-7:00 PM 7:00-8:00 PM

Data Source: Anonymized GPS Data, 2016 Cambridge Biennial Manual Bike Counts 38Cambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment



Micro‐mobility




Micro‐mobility

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Mass Ave at JFK St and Brattle St (Harvard Sq)

Mobility Devices Counts

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Broadway at Hampshire (Kendall Sq) Mobility

Devices Counts

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

BicycleE-skates

HoverboardLarge Seated Scooter

SkateboardSmall Seated Scooter

Standing ScooterUnicycle

Roller bladesScooter

SkateboardBicycle

E-skatesHoverboard

Large Seated ScooterSkateboard

Small Seated ScooterStanding Scooter

UnicycleRoller blades

ScooterSkateboard

Mot

orize

d

Non

-m

otor

ized

Mot

orize

d

Non

-m

otor

ized

8:30

- 9:

30 A

M5:

15 -

6:15

PM

Mass Ave at Vassar St Mobility Devices Counts

On Sidewalk

On StreetData Source: 2018 Cambridge mobility device manual counts

8:30

-9:3

0 AM

5:15

-6:1

5 PM

40

“At the end of 2018, over 85,000 e-scooters were available for public use in about 100 U.S. cities.”-- Shared Micromobility in the US: 2018 by NACTOState legislation is currently pending that will allow municipalities to permit scooter share programs. A regional pilot is planned for spring 2020.On the evening of October 3, 2018 and during the morning hours of October 4, 2018, the City manually counted mobility devices (excluding non-motorized bicycles, which are the subject of biennial bicycle counts) at three locations-1. Broadway at Hampshire

(Kendall Square)2. Massachusetts Ave at JFK St

and Brattle St (Harvard Square)3. Massachusetts Ave at Vassar St




Transit




42

Annual Bus Ridership

Data Source: MBTA data via the Community Development Department

0

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2014 2015 2016 2017

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Daily Bus Ridership in Cambridge

Weekday On Weekday Off Sat On Sat Off Sun On Sun Off

“Overall, the MBTA has seen its ridership decline over the past 5 years, especially on its bus services and during off-peak times. Even during peak times, ridership is not growing as much as would be expected in a time of regional population and employment growth, indicating that transit is losing market share. The level and rate of decline, however, is not uniform: ridership on the Blue Line, much of the Commuter Rail system, and certain bus routes has grown over this time period.”

“Bus farebox interactions have dropped by about 8% during peak (weekday), and 10% off-peak (weekday).”

-- MBTA, 2019, A Neighborhood-Level Analysis of Changes in MBTA Bus Ridership




43

Hourly Ridership of Buses Crossing Cambridge

Data Source: MBTA data

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Aver

age

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kday

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rly R

ider

ship

Weekday Hourly Ridership of Buses Crossing Cambridge (2016-2017)

2016 2017


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

AM PM



44

Typical Daily Subway Ridership

The MBTA's rapid transit ridership is declining in Cambridge and other parts of the Greater Boston area.Subway ridership has been declining since 2014, except during weekday rush hours.

“Most of the decline is attributed to weekend and off-peak travel times…. The numbers refer to rides and not necessarily passengers. Some riders may still be using the T, just not as much.”

-- T’s declining ridership: Why and where, Boston Globe

Fare increases, availability of ride-hail vehicles, and relatively cheap gas may have contributed to the decline in ridership.

29.128.5

27.727.1

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2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

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ly R

ider

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illio

ns)

Subway Yearly Ridership in Cambridge

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2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

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ly R

ider

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ions

)

Subway Yearly Ridership in Cambridge by Station

Alewife Central Square Davis Square Harvard

Kendall Square Lechmere Porter SquareData Source: MBTA data via the Community Development Department




45

Subway Daily Average Ridership by Year

0

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2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Daily

Rid

ersh

ip

Weekday


2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Weekend

Alewife

Central Square

Davis Square

Harvard

Kendall Square

Lechmere

Porter Square




46

Monthly Subway RidershipStrong seasonal pattern in winter.Ridership drops during the summer at Harvard, but not as much at other stations.

0

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600,000

700,000

9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Mon

thly

Rid

ersh

ip

Alewife Central Square Davis Square Harvard Kendall Square Lechmere Porter Square

Data Source: MBTA data via the Community Development DepartmentCambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment



47

Commuter Rail


People travelling inbound on the commuter rail from Porter Square in the morning and to Porter Square in the evening likely work around the North Station area in Boston.

050

100150200250

6:35

AM

6:55

AM

7:53

AM

8:55

AM

10:1

0 AM

11:2

5 PM

12:5

5 PM

2:05

PM

3:40

PM

4:09

PM

4:41

PM

5:10

PM

5:46

PM

6:05

PM

6:35

PM

7:25

PM

8:55

PM

10:5

0 PM

12:2

0 AM

Num

ber o

f Peo

ple

Scheduled Time

Outbound Commuter Rail at Porter Sq

Ons

Offs

0

100

200

300

400

6:17

AM

7:13

AM

7:28

AM

8:11

AM

8:22

AM

8:48

AM

9:25

AM

10:5

7 AM

12:1

0 PM

1:19

PM

2:51

PM

4:11

PM

5:28

PM

6:00

PM

7:02

PM

8:18

PM

9:45

PM

10:4

9 PM

11:5

4 PM

Num

ber o

f Peo

ple

Scheduled Time

Inbound Commuter Rail at Porter Sq

Ons

Offs

People travelling outbound from Porter Square in the morning are generally commuting to work in the Waltham or Concord areas.




Ride‐hail Vehicles




49

Ride‐Hail Vehicles

6,782,367

7,827,584

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

8,000,000

9,000,000

2017 2018

Num

ber o

f Rid

es

Annual Rides Starting in Cambridge

64.5

74.4

56.5

68.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2017 2018

Num

ber o

f Rid

es p

er P

erso

n

Rides/Person Starting in Cambridge

Cambridge Boston

Data Source: MA Department of Public Utilities (DPU), https://tnc.sites.digital.mass.gov/Cambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment



Electric Vehicles




Cambridge EV ownership is growing at an accelerating rate.

0

20

40

60

80

100

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Num

ber o

f New

EV

by Z

ip C

ode

Year when rebates were applied

Number of New EV in Cambridge by Zipcode

02138 02139 02140 02141 02142

51

EV Ownership

Data Source: MASS DOER EV Rebate Data

02138:171

02140:101

02139:96

02142:13

02141:32

Zip Code :Number of Rebates for EV

0

50

100

150

200

250

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Num

ber o

f EVs

Number of New EVs in Cambridge

BEV PHEV PHEV+ ZEM




52

EV Growth

0500

1,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,500

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Num

ber o

f EV

Number of EV in Cambridge

Massachusetts’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) deployment initiative is aimed at having 300,000 ZEVs in MA by 2025. ZEVs include pure battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

To support and align with the State’s goal of 300,000 EV’s on the road by 2025, Cambridge should proportionally have approximately 4,000 EVs registered (replacing gasoline vehicles) by 2025. If Cambridge maintains yearly EV registration growth rates above 40%, the city will meet this goal in 2025.

0%

50%

100%

150%

200%

250%

300%

350%

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Year

ly G

row

th R

ate

EV Yearly Growth Rate in Cambridge

Data Source: MA DOER EV Rebate DataCambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment



53

EV Charging Station Usage Trends

Data Source: City of Cambridge EVSE Data

Utilization Rate When Parked =Time Spent Charging / Total Time EV Plugged in

In Cambridge, public charger usage is increasing.

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Occ

upan

cy R

ate

Occupancy Rate During Operation

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018Ut

iliza

tion

Rate

Overall Utilization Rate During Operation

Boston Properties

CambridgeSideGalleria

City of Cambridge

MIT

Porter SquareShopping Center

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Utili

zatio

n Ra

te w

hen

Park

ed

Utilization Rate When Parked

Occupancy Rate = Total Time EV Plugged in / Total Time Charging Station in Operation

Utilization Rate During Operation = Time Spent Charging / Total Time Charging Station in Operation




54

EV Charging Station Usage Trends

Data Source: City of Cambridge EVSE Data

Of all chargers across the City, the Porter Square charging station has the highest occupancy rate, the best utilization rate when plugged in, and the best overall rate of utilization.

Cambridge Side Galleria operated about 74 days in 2018 from January to April with several maintenance events in between, which negatively impacted its usage.

High Occupancy Rate

High Utilization Rate when Plugged in

Porter SquareCity of Cambridge

Boston Properties

MIT

Cambridge Galleria




55

EV Charging Station Users Pattern

Percentage of Users from Cambridge (%)

Porter Square 27.2

MIT 15.2

City of Cambridge 15.5

Cambridge Galleria 14.3

Boston Properties 5.9

The Porter Square Shopping Center charging station has the highest charging utilization rate and the highest number of local users.The City of Cambridge charging station has the largest user base. Most users at this station do not live in Cambridge.

Data Source: City of Cambridge EVSE DataCambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends Assessment



Automobile




57

Vehicle Ownership

Data Source: 1960,1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 Census, 3-year average ACS from 2005 on, Cambridge RMV Registrations 1996-2018.

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005-2007 2008-2010 2011-2013 2014-2016 2015-2017

Num

ber o

f Hou

seho

lds

Vehicle Ownership in Cambridge—ACS Data

0 Vehicles 1 Vehicle 2 Vehicles 3+ Vehicles

Since 2005, the average number of vehicles owned per household in Cambridge has been approximately 0.9 vehicles.

While the total number of vehicles registered in Cambridge has increased, the % of households that own two or more cars has steadily decreased since 1990.

0.91 0.890.93

0.90 0.90

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

2005-2007 2008-2010 2011-2013 2014-2016 2015-2017

Num

ber o

f Veh

icle

s per

H

ouse

hold

Num

ber o

f Veh

icle

s or

Hou

seho

lds

Number of Vehicles per Households in Cambridge

Est. Total Vehicles Owned by Households Total Households Vehicles per Households


Traffic /Crashes



Vehicle Traffic by Time of Day


0.0%

0.2%

0.4%

0.6%

0.8%

1.0%

1.2%

1.4%

00:0

000

:40

01:2

002

:00

02:4

003

:20

04:0

004

:40

05:2

006

:00

06:4

007

:20

08:0

008

:40

09:2

010

:00

10:4

011

:20

12:0

012

:40

13:2

014

:00

14:4

015

:20

16:0

016

:40

17:2

018

:00

18:4

019

:20

20:0

020

:40

21:2

022

:00

22:4

023

:20

Perc

enta

ge o

f Tra

ffic

in a

Day


About 17% of vehicle traffic happens between 7:30 and 10:30 AM.About 20% of vehicle traffic happens between 3:30 and 6:30 PM.

Evening rush hour lasts longer and has higher traffic intensity than morning rush hour.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11AM PM



Distribution of Car Traffic


Each map shows the distribution of car traffic at different times of day. Dark blue means the area has more traffic than other parts of the city at the same hour.The evening rush hour is busier than morning rush hour.Traffic is concentrated around Harvard, Lechmere, Kendall Square and Massachusetts Ave. between Central Square and MIT.

7:30-8:30 AM 8:30-9:30 AM 9:30-10:30 AM

3:30-4:30 PM 4:30-5:30 PM 5:30-6:30 PM


Number of Cars Counted by GPS Data1-5 6-10 11-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 80 or more


Average Speed on Traffic on Weekdays at 8 AM


Speed of traffic on major roads within Cambridge is mostly between 5 and 15 MPH.

Data Source: Here Maps API Traffic Data


62Cambridge New Mobility Blueprint Trends AssessmentData Source: Here Maps API Traffic Data

Average Speed on Traffic on Weekdays at 6 PM

Speed of traffic during the evening rush hour is slower than the morning rush hour.


Crashes: 2010‐2019


The annual crash count in Cambridge has been relatively consistent, numbering around 1,600 each year. However, since passage of Vision Zero in 2016, the City has enjoyed marginal decreases year over year. Last year, the Police Department reported 1,454 crashes, representing the least for any year included in the data, and a 15% decrease from the City’s 2011 peak of 1,708 crashes.

Data Source: Cambridge Police Department Crashes Data 2011- 2019

0200400600800

10001200140016001800

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019(throughMarch

30)

Num

ber o

f Cra

shes

Year

Yearly Number of Crashes

0200400600800

10001200

12:0

0 AM

1:00

AM

2:00

AM

3:00

AM

4:00

AM

5:00

AM

6:00

AM

7:00

AM

8:00

AM

9:00

AM

10:0

0 AM

11:0

0 AM

12:0

0 PM

1:00

PM

2:00

PM

3:00

PM

4:00

PM

5:00

PM

6:00

PM

7:00

PM

8:00

PM

9:00

PM

10:0

0 PM

11:0

0 PM

Num

ber o

f Cra

shes

Hour of Day

Crashes by Hour of Day

The best way to describe the relative change in the level of safety of travelling by bicycle is with a crash rate. A rate accounts for changes in volume of use.

Crashes per Million Bicycle Miles Traveled (BMT)


Heat Map of Crash Locations: 2010 ‐ 2019


The Massachusetts Ave. & Vassar St. intersection is the most dangerous in the City, with more than 90 crashes over more than years.

Much has changed since 2016 when the City adopted Vision Zero (several associated safety improvement projects are currently underway).

Massachusetts Ave & Vassar St

Data Source: Cambridge Police Department Crashes Data 2010-2019


65

Modes Trends Notes

Walking Cambridge, with 24% of residents commuting by walking, ranks first among 178 medium-sized cities in the US. It is 7% higher than the second-ranked city, Berkeley, CA, which has 17% of residents walking to work.

BikingWorkforce commuting by bike into Cambridge was 7.2% in 2012 (8.2% according to 2017 ACS data), which ranks 4th among the 178 medium-sized cities in the US in biking commute percentages. Compared to almost all other US cities, Cambridge is a strong performer. Furthermore, it has not yet peaked, especially considered relative to cities like Boulder, CO and Davis, CA.

Micro-mobility There is potential for an increase in the use of micro-mobility devices, given that Cambridge has not yet launched a shared scooter program.

Transit Both bus and subway ridership is declining, though rush hour trips on the subway have remained mostly flat.

RHV Ride-hail vehicle trips have been growing significantly. Cambridge has the highest number of trips per capita in Massachusetts.

EV Electric Vehicle adoption in Cambridge is growing faster than in Middlesex County and the State of Massachusetts, overall.

All Vehicles With an increase in population, the total number of vehicles will also grow.

Vehicles per Households

Car ownership per household is about 0.9, which is the national average of 1.8 vehicles per household. The percentage of households without any cars has grown from 28% to 32%.

Data Source: Bicycling and Walking to work in the US 2008-2012 by ACS 65

Summary of Transportation Trends


trends assessments city of cambridge new mobility blueprint€¦ · data source: 2015-2017 acs...

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