Blog - Articles tagged as biking

With the expansion of Bluebikes since 2011, the share of Environmental Justice (EJ) populations living within one-quarter or one-half mile of a station, out of the total EJ population that lives in participating municipalities, has increased significantly. As of 2021, more than 50 percent of the minority or low-income population lives within one-quarter mile of a station, and more than 75 percent lives within one-half mile. This compares favorably to the approximately 20 percent and 30 percent that lived within one-quarter and one-half mile, respectively, of a station in 2011.

The Boston Region MPO (MPO) recently created a Park-and-Ride dashboard to showcase parking use and capacity data at all MBTA stations. Many MBTA stations, which include regional rail and rapid transit, have park-and-ride lots that people traveling to work use every day. Park-and-ride lots can be critical in helping people who do not live within walking distance of a station to access public transit. Since 2000, the MPO has periodically collected parking data, both of personal vehicle and bike, at every parking lot near MBTA stations. This includes those owned by the MBTA, owned privately, and owned by the municipality the station is located in. The data not only helps inform the public about parking information at MBTA stations, but also provides planners and engineers insight on where to invest in transportation infrastructure to support people taking transit.

Data show that even as the number of traffic fatalities was declining nationally, the number of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities rose in 2018. As the need to create safe and comfortable pedestrian and bicycle facilities becomes increasingly evident, MPO staff are pursuing several efforts to help communities identify locations for infrastructure improvements that will benefit people who walk and bicycle.

Part 3 of a series on developing Destination 2040, the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) next Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). Destination 2040 allocates funding to major transportation projects in the Boston region and guides the MPO’s capital investment programs and research studies. Parts 1 and 2 of this series presented the vision and investments eligible for inclusion in Destination 2040. On July 18, 2019, the MPO board agreed to a draft plan. Destination 2040 is available for public review and comment until August 23, 2019.

Conversations about improving transit access for underserved communities often revolve around creating new service or implementing more frequent service on existing lines. However, recent work funded by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) approaches the issue from a different angle... 

A new study released by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) offers solutions for creating a safe environment for pedestrians and bicyclists in the North Shore’s Vinnin Square, a large commercial and residential district located primarily in Swampscott and a section of Salem...

During 2010 and 2011, more than 15,000 Massachusetts households agreed to participate in a travel survey...