Transportation

MAPC’s Transportation Department promotes sustainable transportation and strong infrastructure throughout the region in many ways, including transportation corridor planning, parking and land use studies, participating in projects to build bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, coordinating transportation funding programs, and advocating for transportation finance reform. 

2024 Highlighted Projects

A room full of people sitting in chairs facing the front of the room where Henry Grabar is standing behind a wooden podium holding and speaking into a microphone. Behind him is a large screen with information on it.

Henry Grabar speaking to attendees at the in-person event. 

Parking Policies and Housing Outcomes Event with Henry Grabar

In March 2024, MAPC hosted an in-person (MetroCommon 2050 Speaker Series) event, Finding the Fit: How Parking Policies Shape Our Neighborhoods and Determine Housing Outcomes, featuring Henry Grabar, Slate staff writer, author (Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World), and a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard School of Design. The focus of the event was on how 'right sized' parking can improve neighborhoods, downtowns, sustainability and more, and featured a panel of municipal leaders speaking about their work to reform parking policies in their communities 

A dark green background with abstract green filtered photos of public transportation in a horizontal line across the bottom. Lizzi Weyant, MAPC Deputy Executive Director is speaking in the upper right corner (photo). Text over the background says, "Transportation Funding Solutions: Raising Awareness, Raising Revenue".

Virtual Event announcing the release of the updated funding recommendations.

Transportation Funding Recommendations 

In late 2024, the MAPC Transportation Team released eighteen revenue raising recommendations for the challenges facing Massachusetts' public transportation system. The recommendations were an update to those first released in 2019. 

Decorative element.

Transportation Funding Policy Briefs 

Earlier in 2024, the Transportation Team published three separate policy briefs focused on research they had done on three distinct transportation revenue sources:

Transportation Network Company (TNC) Fee

Retail Delivery Fee

Commercial Parking Tax 

A dark green background with three photos of an MBTA green line bus in a horizontal line across the bottom. The first photo is the normal photo. The second photo is slightly green filtered. The third photo is completely green filtered. Text over the dark green background says, "Going Green: How the MBTA is Taking Climate Action". Under the text is the MBTA logo in white and the MAPC logo in light green..

Cover for the presentation slide deck for the climate event with the MBTA.

Transportation Virtual Events

The Transportation Team hosted two major virtual events this year - one in July focused on the MBTA's fiscal cliff (they co-hosted this event with MAPC's Government Affairs Team), and one in October in partnership with the MBTA focused on their climate work. Both events brought in over 200 registrations.  

The MBTA's Fiscal Cliff and the Future of Public Transit

Going Green: How the MBTA is Taking Climate Action 

Five people are sitting on bicycles on a paved path. One person is raising their arm pointing the path forward. Three of the people are turned around facing her on their bicycles. One person is facing to the right standing on their bicycle. There are trees and greenery in the background.

May 2024 MAPC Landline Ride of the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway extension routes to Revere and Winthrop with MassDOT, Bike Winthrop, Friends of the MEWG and more. 

2024 Landline Greenway Ride Series

Between May - September 2024, the Transportation Team in conjunction with municipal partners, hosted numerous bike rides around the Greater Boston region. The focus for each ride was to learn about new greenways and/or learn about existing or new projects.  

An illustration of people moving along a path. One person is riding a bicycle. One person is riding a tricycle. One person is running. One small child is walking.

Revere Walk, Bike, and Roll Plan

In June 2024, MAPC partnered with the City of Revere to launch a new community-focused project aimed at creating an equitable, enjoyable, and safe city for walking, biking, and rolling.

2024 Awards and Accomplishments

$21.6 Million Congestion Relief Grant Awarded to MAPC
MAPC was awarded a $21.6 million Congestion Relief Grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA). One of just seven awarded throughout the nation, the grant will fund the expansion of the BlueBikes bikeshare system by 400 bikes (25% of them electric) along with new and electrified docking stations, and a new shuttle network in key Boston neighborhoods.
October 2024

Mass Trails Grant Award
MAPC was awarded a $300,000 Mass Trails Grants Award on behalf of MARPA (Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies) for continued work on developing a statewide trails database.
June 2024

Standing together from From left to right: Stephen Larrick, MAPC Digital Services Manager; MassTrails Director Amanda Lewis, David Loutzenheiser, MAPC Senior Transportation Planner; and DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo. They are standing in a grass field and there is greenery and large trees in the background.

Mass Trails Grants Award event at Blair Square in Holliston. From left to right: Stephen Larrick, MAPC Digital Services Manager; MassTrails Director Amanda Lewis, David Loutzenheiser, MAPC Senior Transportation Planner; and DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo.

2024 News of Note
Articles about MAPC's work, expertise, or articles MAPC staff were interviewed for or quoted in.