Massachusetts Bicycle Transportation Plan

Massachusetts

Project Summary

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation understands that bicycling is more than just a means of transportation: improving conditions for people on bikes makes all road users safe, improves physical health and fitness levels, and stimulates economic activity and opportunity. MassDOT teamed with Toole Design to develop a focused strategy for making bicycle transportation safe, comfortable, and convenient for people of all ages and abilities.  Following extensive public outreach, an exhaustive review of national best practices, and a detailed assessment of existing conditions, we developed an aggressive plan with a sharp focus on user safety, comfort and convenience. The Plan, which emphasizes connected networks for everyday biking as the backbone of a 4-year, $60 million investment in active transportation, will set the standard for a new generation of statewide bicycle plans.

Expertise Applied

To identify network gaps and prioritize funding, Toole Design developed a Potential for Everyday Biking score to identify latent demand for short, bikeable trips throughout the Commonwealth. The score considers trip length, crash data, transit connectivity, and access for environmental justice communities.

Public outreach was a huge component of the MA Bike Plan. We engaged thousands of people through online surveys, interactive maps, and in-person listening sessions, targeting communities of every shape and size across the Commonwealth.
In coordination with MassDOT and local communities, we held four in-person open streets events where streets or bridges were closed to vehicle traffic, letting people experience the benefits of everyday biking and collecting input for the plan.

Part of the process included the development a Municipal Resources Guide to Biking to provide local agencies with guidance on how they can achieve safe, comfortable, convenient, and connected bike networks regardless of their land use context.

For more information about the MassDOT Bicycle Transportation Plan, please visit the official project website.

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