About Us
Our Mission:
- The City of Cambridge Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department commits to support the safety and health of the Cambridge community by creating and sustaining a high quality street and parking system that supports a range of transportation options for all those who live, travel, and park in Cambridge.
Our Values:
In our work externally with the Cambridge community and internally within the Department, we strive to represent these aspirational values:
- Safe and Sustainable Environment: We work to create an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable environment that is safe and healthy for all those who live, travel, and park in Cambridge, as well as for all our employees.
- Respect: We respect all those who we work with both internally and externally, are accepting of both similarities and differences, and recognize the benefits that result from embracing diversity. We are open-minded and tolerant, and in making decisions, we thoughtfully consider the inputs from and impacts on those inside and outside the department. Through patience, compassion, empathy, and listening, we are best able to create a Department and a transportation system that is responsive to the needs of the entire community.
- Fairness and Equity: In the operation of the department, we work to treat customers, residents, employees, and others fairly and consistently, and strive to create harmony and equity amongst all users of the transportation system. We hold ourselves accountable for the decisions we make and the policies and programs that we implement.
- Clear and Open Communication: We strive for clear, open, and transparent communication that flows in multiple directions, both externally with customers and the public, and internally with staff, so we can create and sustain the transportation system that Cambridge needs and deserves.
- Innovation and Continuous Improvement: We strive to be a learning and problem-solving organization that deploys innovative and proactive solutions to the problems and challenges of the street and parking system. Through teamwork, collaboration, excellent customer service, and appropriate use of technology, we seek to support and continuously improve Cambridge's strong and diverse transportation network.
What We Do:
The Department of Traffic, Parking & Transportation (TP&T) oversees public parking and traffic operations in the city and actively promotes walking, bicycling and transit. TP&T's Street Management division promulgates, signs and parking regulations; installs and maintains parking meters; operates the City's 9 municipal parking lots; plans, designs, operates and maintains the City's traffic signals, and pavement markings; conducts traffic studies, traffic counts, speed studies and safety evaluations; and reviews and approves traffic studies that are required for large developments in order to go before the Planning Board. TP&T's Parking Management division enforces the the City's parking regulations, operates the Resident Parking Permit Program, operates the City's two municipal parking garages, and collects and adjudicates parking tickets. All of these activities come together and tie back to our mission to create and sustain a high quality street and parking system that supports those who live, travel, and park in Cambridge.