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Bicycle / Pedestrian Resources – Overview
OVERVIEW • WALKABLE COMMUNITIES • REPORTS • DATABASE
Bicycling and walking are important ways to travel in the Boston region, both as primary and as access modes. The MPO´s support for these modes derives not only from their value as transportation, but also from their positive impact in many other areas: energy, air quality, noise, land use, and, more recently, health and global warming.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) allows bicycle access on much of its service during non-peak hours, and many MBTA buses are equipped with bicycle racks. MassHighway incorporates pedestrian and bicycle accommodations whenever feasible in roadway construction and has funded most of the multiuse trail construction in the state. Information on roadway designs that promote safe bicycling and walking can be found in MassHighway´s Project Development and Design Guide. The MPO has prepared a Regional Bicycle Plan and promotes bicycle parking through its Regional Bicycle Parking Program, providing racks to communities and organizations for public use. Preparation of a Regional Pedestrian Plan is underway.

The MPO conducts and coordinates bicycle and pedestrian use counts at key locations in the region. It also has produced a number of facility reports, especially on potential rail trails. A project that is growing in importance is the MPO´s Walkable Community Workshop Program, in which the MPO provides planning support for municipalities and local organizations in the region. The MPO staff also provides bicycle – and pedestrian – related maps.

Throughout the years, the MPO has benefited from the input and support of advocacy groups interested in promoting walking and bicycling. The major advocacy organizations in this region are MassBike and WalkBoston. Both are voting members of the MPO´s Regional Transportation Advisory Council. The MPO also has benefited from the work of organizations at the national level that provide support for these modes, including the National Center for Bicycling and Walking and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.