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Studies Underway
One of the major functions of the MPO´s staff, the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS), is to perform studies to identify and address transportation issues in the region. These studies can pertain to any surface-transportation mode and a variety of transportation-planning topics. Brief descriptions of the studies currently underway are provided below.
2010 Freight Study – A Profile of Truck Impacts
This study will examine how, where, and to what extent trucks affect the region’s transportation system. It will provide a profile of truck impacts in the region containing information about truck volumes, truck-involved crashes, and truck emissions. Knowledge about the impact of trucks will be useful to the MPO when considering the freight benefits of projects and it will provide a foundation from which to conduct future freight planning.
Contact: Mike Callahan
Arterial Traffic-Signal Improvements and Coordination
Inventories by the Mobility Management System (predecessor to the Congestion Management Process) revealed that many MPO arterials can benefit from traffic-signal coordination. If traffic-signal timing is rarely reviewed, it can result in outdated timing patterns that do not reflect current traffic and pedestrian needs. Signals that qualify for coordination but lack coordination or are inadequately coordinated force motorists to stop at multiple adjacent signals, resulting in significant travel delays. This study is part of a program of periodic reviews of corridor signal-timing plans for improved operations and coordination. Priority is being given to high-volume and high-crash-rate arterials.
Contact: Mark Abbott
Core Efficiencies Study
This study has three major objectives. The first is to review the Service Delivery Policy and determine whether existing standards should be revised and/or new standards should be added that would help to identify the most efficient services. The second objective is to consider the MBTA system in light of these standards, as well as demographics and development patterns, and to propose concepts and detailed plans for how the system might be adjusted or potentially redesigned to make better use of its identified efficiencies. The third objective is to take these concepts and plans and determine the extent to which they could be refined to accommodate various levels of financial constraint.
Contact: Robert Guptill
Early-Morning Transit Study
The MBTA operates a small network of eight “early-bird” bus routes, which provide service between 4:30 AM and 5:00 AM, prior to the typical start of operations on the regular transit network. Most of these routes operate direct to downtown Boston and follow slightly different paths than regular daytime service, in some cases combining sections of multiple regular routes.
Contact: Jonathan Belcher
Emergency Evacuation Planning, Phase 2
This work program will build upon the work conducted for the first phase of the Emergency Evacuation and Hazard Mitigation Mapping project. The products of the first phase were a series of maps showing the transportation network and the locations of transportation projects proposed for MPO funding in relation to areas prone to natural hazards (flooding, hurricane storm surges, sea level rise, and earthquakes), and to routes and infrastructure that are important for conducting evacuations and for maintaining the security of the transportation system. Phase II will involve the development of a GIS (geographic information system) tool on the MPO´s website that will provide access to this all-hazards planning information for agencies and entities responsible for all-hazards planning in the region. It will also update data layers in the MPO´s GIS system and create new maps of certain potential threats to the transportation system. The products of this work program will provide current information for use in conducting the security evaluation for projects proposed for future TIPs and the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).
Contact: Maureen Kelly
Federal Fiscal Year 2011 National Transit Database
Directly Operated Bus and Rail Passenger Miles and Boardings Estimates
The objective of this project is to develop estimates of passenger boardings and passenger miles for bus, trackless trolley, heavy rail, and light rail services directly operated by the MBTA. The data that form the basis of the estimates are collected through onboard ridechecks, station turnstile observations, and passenger surveys.
Contact: Liz Moore
Federal Fiscal Year 2011 National Transit Database
Purchased Bus Transportation Passenger Miles and Boardings Estimates
The objective of this project is to develop estimates of passenger boardings and passenger miles for bus routes operated as part of the Suburban Transportation Program and other contracted MBTA local bus service. The data that form the basis of the estimates will be collected through onboard ridechecks.
Contact: Liz Moore
InnerCity Bus Study
The private carrier intercity and commuter bus network in Massachusetts has seen a reduction in locations served within Massachusetts over the past 30 years. Operating subsidy programs and state-financed vehicles were provided in the past but are no longer. Further reductions in service and attrition of carriers may occur in the future.
This study will also look at how existing intercity and commuter bus services that provide service within Massachusetts have changed since 1980, examine how they relate to rail and local bus services, and identify the reasons for the changes that have occurred. The study will look at not only intrastate but also interstate bus services, including how the latter have historically served markets within Massachusetts, whether they do so now, and the degree to which they constrain the potential for expanded intrastate services through the use of existing infrastructure. Based on these examinations of intercity and commuter bus services, the study will consider what past issues have prevented retention or expansion of valuable services and will identify what would be required in the future, including possibly some funding support, to facilitate better meeting the needs of unserved and underserved markets, to foster desirable system growth, and to promote improved mobility options in the state. The study will also review the potential for regional transit authorities in the state to provide service as a feeder to the intercity bus network, will review the potential for use of the MBTA CharlieCard on intercity and commuter bus services, and will consider the capital needs of an improved and expanded intercity bus network, including vehicles, stops, stations, and parking facilities.
Contact: Jonathan Belcher
Inner-Suburban Mobility Study
Over the past few decades, inner-suburban communities in the MBTA service area along the Route 128 beltway have grown considerably in terms of both residential and commercial/office development. As a result, substantial intrasuburban travel demands have developed in a nominally circumferential sense. These changes in travel demands suggest a need to reexamine the orientation of bus services in inner-suburban communities.
   One specific area of interest that this study will address is the potential for new transit “hubs” or common service corridors that directly serve densely developed commercial and residential centers and promote circumferential connectivity. The experiences of other, similarly sized metropolitan areas in serving inner-suburban travel markets will be reviewed with respect to vehicle types used, service frequency, span of service, and coverage. This study will also consider the institutional and capital requirements associated with any reorientation or expansion of fixed-route service, whether provided by the MBTA or another entity. In addition, it will take into consideration existing and planned land use development along the Route 128 corridor.
Contact: Liz Moore
Low Cost Improvements at Bottleneck Locations Study, Phase 2
In the first bottleneck study, MPO staff selected five freeway mainline bottleneck locations and proposed low-cost improvements for three locations. In that study, staff realized that some of the freeway mainline bottleneck locations would require costly major construction fixes. In this bottleneck study, MPO staff therefore expanded the study to look at low-cost improvements to bottleneck locations at interchanges of state highways, in addition to interstate highways. The objectives of the study are to identify two bottleneck locations where low-cost mitigation improvements seem applicable and to recommend low-cost mitigation improvements.
Contact: Chen-Yuan Wang
MBTA Bus Service Data Collection VII
CTPS is conducting ridechecks, pointchecks, and timechecks to monitor service on the MBTA bus system. The data collected will be processed and presented to the MBTA, along with recommendations for service reallocations to correct schedule adherence problems or observed crowding problems.
Contact: Liz Moore
MBTA CharlieCard Trip-Paths Pilot Study
For certain planning and reporting purposes, information on travel volumes between rapid transit station pairs is needed. The MBTA’s automated fare collection (AFC) system records the serial numbers and entry times of farecards used to enter stations through electronic faregates but does not record exit locations by card. The hypothesis of this study is that a passenger making two or more one-way rapid transit trips per day starts each trip at the station where the exit from the previous trip occurred or at another station nearby. If so, the station-to-station travel of any card appearing more than once in a report for one day can be found by treating each entry point as the exit point from the previous trip, and the first entry point as the exit point from the final trip. CTPS will create station-to-station trip tables from records, to be provided by the MBTA, of farecard entries by station for five weekdays, one Saturday, and one Sunday in a representative week. To protect passenger confidentiality, the MBTA will first edit the records in such a way as to allow individual cards to be followed without revealing cardholder identities to CTPS.
Contact: Tom Humphrey
MBTA Rapid Transit Station Intermodal Service Maps
CTPS is assisting the MBTA in the preparation of transit station maps that show intermodal service connections.
Contact: Liz Moore
MBTA 2011 Triennial Title VI Report
CTPS provides the MBTA and other transportation providers with technical assistance in assessing comparative service quality in targeted minority communities versus the transportation system as a whole. CTPS also collects data used in these assessments: information on crowding, schedule adherence, shelter placement, scheduled service frequency, service coverage, access to key destinations, vehicle age and condition, parking facilities, and other topics.
Contact: Liz Moore
McGrath Highway De-elevation and Urban Streetscape & Adaptive Reuse Plan for the Inner Belt/Brickbottom Districts
MassDOT and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) are proceeding with plans to extend the Green Line and provide light rail rapid transit along Somerville´s northwest-running rail corridor. The Green Line extension project, with a proposed station stop located in the northwest corner of the study area, offers new opportunities to improve access and potentially transform the area into a dynamic transit- oriented community. In coordination with the Green Line extension project, a clear vision for the area, together with appropriate land use policies and targeted public investment, is needed to reduce barriers in the area, improve roadway connections, and increase the area’s economic viability. This project will support the McGrath Highway Deelevation Study, and the Adaptive Reuse Plan for the Inner Belt and Brickbottom Districts through general technical assistance, assessment of traffic conditions, estimation of changes in travel patterns based on build scenarios, and examination of the traffic volume and travel pattern impacts of these scenarios.
Contact: Scott Peterson
Milford/Hopedale Commuter Rail Extension Feasibility Study
Rail passenger service to the town of Hopedale was last operated more than 80 years ago. At present, the nearest commuter rail stations to Hopedale are Forge Park/495 and Franklin on the Franklin Line, and Framingham on the Framingham/Worcester Line. This study will analyze the feasibility of extending the existing Franklin commuter rail service to the Milford/Hopedale area. The objectives of this work are to evaluate the ridership potential of the Milford/Hopedale area for commuter rail service, develop a service plan for the proposed extension, assess the proposed extension’s operational issues and its impact on the MBTA commuter rail system, project the revenue and capital and operating costs for the proposed Milford/Hopedale extension, and assess other impacts of the proposed Milford/Hopedale extension.
Contact: Bruce Kaplan
Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan Transit Needs Study
In the summer of 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) advanced a proposal to use American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) economic stimulus funds to construct a bus rapid transit (BRT) system to replace the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority´s Route 28 bus in the Boston neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. Due to a number of factors, MassDOT was unable to secure the support from stakeholders necessary to implement the proposed 28X project. Nonetheless, at the request of the corridor´s elected officials, MassDOT committed to continuing public transportation planning in the corridor in order to build on the interest generated by the 28X proposal. This work program will assess the study area´s existing conditions (demographics, transportation system, land uses, and development characteristics) and projected conditions. It will also evaluate the corridor´s existing MBTA service and its ability to meet current and future transportation needs in the area. Finally, the study will identify and evaluate up to five service-planning strategies that would enhance the quality and reliability of the public transportation system for residents and businesses in the corridor.
Contact: Scott Peterson
Silver Line Service to Airport Station and Chelsea
CTPS will continue to assist the MBTA with Silver Line planning.
Contact: Scott Peterson
SIP Mitigation for Green Line Extension Delay
The Green Line Extension is one of the four outstanding transportation control measure (TCM) commitments currently listed in the State Implementation Plan (SIP). However, given the complexity of the project and sheer length of time required for construction, MassDOT is currently estimating that the Green Line Extension project will be ready for in-service start-up some time after the aforementioned legal deadline. MassDOT, in consultation with CTPS, is developing a list of projects, programs, and measures for interim offsets. CTPS, using its regional travel demand model, will test these measures to ascertain their impacts and determine if they meet or exceed the emissions reductions forecast for the Green Line Extension project. The objectives of this work are to assist in development of potential transit system improvement projects and programs in eastern Massachusetts to be substituted in the SIP for the Green Line Extension and to evaluate the emissions reductions produced by these potential Green Line Extension interim offset projects and ascertain if they meet or exceed the required level.
Contact: Scott Peterson
South Coast Commuter Rail Extension Ridership Forecast Study
CTPS is assisting MassDOT in development of environmental and other planning documents needed to advance the proposed extension of MBTA commuter rail service between downtown Boston and the cities of Fall River and New Bedford. The extension project will include construction of passenger stations and terminal layover facilities.
Contact: Scott Peterson
Strategic Visioning for MBTA Bus Service
The purpose of this project is to determine future strategies that the MBTA could adopt to continuously improve the performance of the present bus network, including the Key Route system. Specifically, CTPS will identify those segments where bus travel time is exceptionally longer than the comparable journey by auto in the same corridor; study payment methods by bus route and determine what bus routes have the highest level of farebox interaction, which can slow down bus service; study the number of bus trips dropped by route, determine what conditions resulted in trips´ not being operated, and identify possible strategies for selecting which trips would be dropped in emergency conditions; review average distance between stops by route for local (non-express) segments of routes and review peer data and industry data to develop an optimal standard for bus stop spacing; and review recent ridership on segments of routes closest to rapid transit stations and compare to pre-2006 ridership to determine if the post-2006 fare restructuring has resulted in an increase in short trips via bus to rapid transit stations. In addition, CTPS will review the existing Key Routes to screen for ease of BRT implementation.
Contact: Liz Moore
Support to the Green Line Extension Environmental Review
An extension of Green Line service from a relocated Lechmere Station through Cambridge to Somerville and Medford, with a spur to Union Square, is a legal commitment under the amended State Implementation Plan. CTPS is providing needed analytical support, including travel demand forecasting, for the development of a draft environmental impact report and federal environmental review documents.
Contact: Scott Peterson
Walking Radius Impacts Study
The objective of this project is to analyze the potential route modifications and suggest several possible system designs for local bus system consolidation if the quarter-mile coverage standard was relaxed to one-third mile, four-tenths mile, and one-half mile, and the consolidated bus routes adhered to rapid-transit-service standards that would require more frequent service operated over a longer service span than local bus service standards. This modeling-based effort will build on the Core Efficiencies Study and will help the MPO better understand the implications of the trade-off between eliminating poor-performing local bus routes and increasing service on a smaller number of transit corridors. It will consider the best option for providing mobility and access through the bus network. The study will also consider the equity implications and potential trade-offs of any of the potential consolidated systems.
Contact: Robert Guptill
Wellesley Transit Study
The Town of Wellesley has become increasingly concerned about traffic congestion, particularly along Routes 9, 16, and 135 during the commuter peak periods and during the morning and afternoon student arrival and departure times. This study will evaluate the potential for transit service within the town and to nearby major destinations, including MBTA transit stations. Possible new services will be described at a conceptual level, identifying major activity hubs to be served and potential general routes and vehicles to be used.  
Contact: Liz Moore

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