New Mobility Planning

The New Mobility planning process began as a technical research effort intended to help the City learn about and plan for New Mobility options in a way that aligns with and advances existing values and policies. This process was not intended to change existing transportation plans or current priorities for active mobility, except to preserve or strengthen an existing transportation mode in the face of pressure from New Mobility.

New travel options and evolving technology are rapidly changing the way we get around our city and the region. The planning process addresses transportation options and technology including ride-hail vehicles, carshare, e-scooters, e-bikes, shared and private autonomous vehicles, sidewalk robots and delivery drones, transportation electrification, and Mobility as a Service.

The process will not create new goals; it started by using the City's goals established through Envision Cambridge and other planning efforts related to safety, equity, transit and goods movement, reliability, transportation network connectedness, traffic congestion greenhouse gas emissions, and climate resilience.

A technical advisory group was appointed to guide the New Mobility planning. This group helped the City understand New Mobility from a market, technical, and policy perspective. We are now in the process of developing a broad-based community engagement process to ensure than any policy changes are rooted in the mobility needs and experiences of people who live in, work in, and visit Cambridge.

The final meeting for the New Mobility Technical Advisory Group to wrap up the initial technical phase of the New Mobility planning process occurred on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. 

Location: Virtual

Agenda

  1. Project update
  2. Advisory Group feedback
  3. Next steps for planning for New Mobility

This page will be updated in the future with information about the community engagement process.

The New Mobility planning process completed its initial technical research phase in summer 2021.

The project tasks were:

  • Task 1: New Mobility Advisory Group. The City Manager appointed a advisory group to provide technical expertise and community insight during the planning process. There will be four Advisory Group meetings, through winter 2020.
  • Task 2: Policy Audit, Transportation Trend Assessment. The Policy Audit is a review of existing plans, policies, and regulations that relate to transportation, mobility, and climate in Cambridge. The goal of this review is to identify barriers and opportunities that would allow Cambridge to shape how New Mobility options are implemented. The Trend Assessment provides us with an understanding of the current mobility ecosystem. It identifies current trends for existing modes in Cambridge and projects future shifts in the transportation system.
  • Task 3 Suggested strategies for New Mobility planning. These suggested strategies and actions will inform how Cambridge begins to prepare for and support New Mobility options and transportation electrification quickly and in a way that supports community goals.
  • Task 4: Residential Electric Vehicle Charging Pilot. This task will implement a residential EVSE charging network pilot in Cambridge, to explore how the City might support equitable charging access for residents who do not have access to private, off street parking in which they can install a private EVSE.

We had originally anticipated completing two final tasks in this process. Because policy should always be grounded in the effect it has on people's lives, however, we are pausing at the task of developing policy alternatives.

  • Task 5: Proposed Regulatory Strategy. This task will identify state or city regulations that need to be amended or adopted in order to prepare for and support the future of mobility in a way that meets our community goals. This project will outline a conceptual framework and rationale (not specific regulatory language) for amending or adopting the key regulations identified through this task.
  • Task 6: Future Public Engagement Approach. This task will be to develop outreach and engagement tools that address equity issues and can be used to engage with community members about their experience with new mobility modes and the City's approach to planning for New Mobility over time.

Once we shift our engagement approach, we will then use what we learn about people's mobility needs and life experiences to develop New Mobility policies.

Technical Advisory Group

In May, 2019, the City of Cambridge appointed a technical advisory group to guide New Mobility planning. The members come from a diverse set of backgrounds, experiences, and views, from researchers of automated vehicles and senior mobility needs to micromobility companies to local business owners to electric vehicle experts to complete streets professionals.

Advisory Group members participates in meetings and discussions, reviewed written material, and advised the City on trend analysis and forecasting, suggested strategy development, and electric vehicle charging pilot development. We are now developing a more broad-based community engagement process. 

Members of the Advisory Group: Megan Aki; Ruth Allen; David Block-Schachter; Kathryn Carlson; James Cater; Melissa Chan; Will Dickson; Yonah Freemark; Jane Gould; Raymond Hayhurst; Bruce Kaplan; David Keith; Steven Miller; Ilya Sinelnikov; Zef Vataj; Christopher Tassone; Roy Russell; Stephen Russell

Public Meetings & Events

New Mobility Blueprint Technical Advisory Group Meeting 4 - 6/16/21

New Mobility Blueprint Technical Advisory Group Meeting 3 - 1/29/2020 

New Mobility Blueprint Technical Advisory Group Meeting 2 - 10/16/2019

City Council Transportation and Public Utilities Committee - 7/15/19

New Mobility Blueprint Technical Advisory Group Meeting 1 - 7/10/2019 

Automated Vehicle Forum - 3/7/19

Scooters are currently illegal under Massachusetts state law. To address this, three micromobility bills have been filed. It is unclear when the Legislature intends to act on these bills.

Contact Information 

Stephanie Groll, Parking and Transportation Demand Management Planning Officer

sgroll@cambridgema.gov

617/349-4673


Bronwyn Cooke, Sustainability Planner

bcooke@cambridgema.gov

617/349-4604