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Photograph of a street intersection showing vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists sharing a street

Mobility

The City’s successful transportation policies have limited the growth of automobile traffic, despite significant population growth locally and regionally. Still, the city’s transportation systems will need to adapt over time as the region grows, technology advances, and the economy changes. Cambridge will address these challenges by enhancing its multi-modal network locally, expanding connections to regional sustainable transportation, and advocating for progressive transportation policies across the region.

Envision indicators are updated as new data becomes available, which varies by indicator, but no more often than annually.

View the Mobility Plan

Key Actions

Change zoning to allow reduced parking requirements in key areas while balancing impacts of parking spillover on residential streets.

StrategyAdjust land use policy to support more sustainable transportation choices and limit unnecessary automobile trips.
Core Values
  • Livability
  • Sustainability & Resilience
Action TypeZoning Changes
Lead DepartmentCDD
StatusCompleted
Project PhaseFinal phase

Collaborate with the MBTA on bus service planning to support bus priority initiatives, particularly in underserved areas, and advocate for additional service.

StrategyExpand access to sustainable transportation choices and the physical reach of sustainable transportation infrastructure.
Core Values
  • Community Health & Wellbeing
  • Equity & Diversity
  • Livability
  • Sustainability & Resilience
Action TypeAdvocacy
Lead DepartmentCDD
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseOngoing

Collaborate with the MBTA to review and modify bus layover locations to find increased efficiencies.

StrategyEnhance existing sustainable transportation infrastructure to be more convenient, reliable, and resilient.
Action TypeAdvocacy
Lead DepartmentCDD
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseOngoing

Commit funds to improve pedestrian comfort and safety on key streets and paths that connect parks & open spaces

StrategyEnhance and expand safety infrastructure for all street users.
Core Values
  • Community Health & Wellbeing
  • Equity & Diversity
  • Livability
  • Sustainability & Resilience
Action TypeCapital investments
Lead DepartmentCDD
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseOngoing

Expand the Safe Routes to School program to ensure all students receive pedestrian, transit, and bicycle education.

StrategyEnhance and expand safety infrastructure for all street users.
Core Values
  • Community Health & Wellbeing
  • Learning
  • Livability
  • Sustainability & Resilience
Lead DepartmentCDD
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseOngoing

Prepare for self-driving vehicles and motorized micromobility devices by developing policies that address equity and safety and ensure that vehicles are both shared and electric.

StrategyEstablish new regulatory frameworks to prepare for technology-driven disruptions in mobility.
Core Values
  • Equity & Diversity
  • Sustainability & Resilience
Action TypeOther regulatory changes
Lead DepartmentCDD
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseEarly phase

Perform feasibility analysis of bicycle network vision presented in the Bicycle Plan.

StrategyExpand access to sustainable transportation choices and the physical reach of sustainable transportation infrastructure.
Core Values
  • Community Health & Wellbeing
  • Economic Opportunity
  • Equity & Diversity
  • Livability
  • Sustainability & Resilience
Action TypeStudy or plan
Lead DepartmentCDD
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseMiddle phase

Use quick-build infrastructure to complete a network of separated bicycle facilities while long-term implementation of the Bicycle Network Plan is proceeding.

StrategyExpand access to sustainable transportation choices and the physical reach of sustainable transportation infrastructure.
Core Values
  • Community Health & Wellbeing
  • Livability
  • Sustainability & Resilience
Action TypeCapital investments
Lead DepartmentCDD
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseMiddle phase

Increase funding to improve multimodal access to key public facilities such as schools, parks, community centers, recreation centers, retail zones, and libraries by adding crosswalks, bus shelters, protected bike lanes, and bike parking, etc.

StrategyExpand access to sustainable transportation choices and the physical reach of sustainable transportation infrastructure.
Core Values
  • Community Health & Wellbeing
  • Equity & Diversity
  • Livability
  • Sustainability & Resilience
Action TypeCapital investments
Lead DepartmentPublic Works
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseOngoing

Create policies for flexible curb regulations within business districts at times of increased demand.

StrategyEstablish new regulatory frameworks to prepare for technology-driven disruptions in mobility.
Action TypeOther regulatory changes
Lead DepartmentTraffic, Parking, and Transportation
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseEarly phase

Expand engagement with people with disabilities and seniors on mobility and infrastructure projects.

StrategyEnhance public information on how to safely and efficiently move within and through Cambridge and expand public education efforts on transportation safety.
Core Values
  • Community Health & Wellbeing
  • Equity & Diversity
  • Learning
  • Livability
  • Sustainability & Resilience
Action TypeCommunity interface and outreach
StatusIn Progress
Project PhaseOngoing

View All Actions

Indicators

Number of fatalities caused by vehicle crashes

Meeting target

The City of Cambridge’s Vision Zero policy sets a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries, while encouraging active living and improving comfort for pedestrians and cyclists. This indicator tracks Cambridge’s ongoing progress toward this goal.

The chart shows the number of fatalities due to motor vehicle crashes in Cambridge, excluding any that occurred on roads under jurisdiction of the State police (e.g. Memorial Drive, Monsignor O'Brien Hwy).

Source: Cambridge Police Department
View More Information

Number of serious injuries (calls for service with EMS transport) caused by vehicle crashes

Needs improvement

The City of Cambridge’s Vision Zero policy sets a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries, while encouraging active living and improving comfort for pedestrians and cyclists. This indicator tracks Cambridge’s ongoing progress toward this goal.

The chart shows the number of crashes in Cambridge that led to a call for service with an EMS transport (meaning someone was taken to the hospital in an ambulance), excluding any that occurred on roads under jurisdiction of the State police (e.g. Memorial Drive, Monsignor O'Brien Hwy).

Source: Cambridge Police Department
View More Information

Percent of people who drive alone to work

Needs improvement

The US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey reports mode share for residents and employees annually. Tracking this data will illustrate success in reducing automobile dependence for both residents and employees.

The chart shows the share of people driving alone to work for two groups:

  • People that work in Cambridge
  • People that live in Cambridge

Source: American Community Survey 1-year Data. Note that no data was produced for 2020 due to the pandemic.
View More Information

Bicycle infrastructure comfort level

Improving

Modal access indicators measure progress towards improving important multi-modal infrastructure and expanding access for all to a variety of mobility modes. This indicator shows what percentage of roads and paths that are rated for Bicycle Level of Comfort (BLC) have a BLC of 1 or 2 out of 5, which are target levels of comfort for Cambridge.

Source: Cambridge Bicycle Plan
View More Information

Available mobility options

Improving

When people have better access to a variety of transportation options, their mobility increases. This indicator measures the percent of people with nearby access to all of these sustainable transportation options:

  • 0.125 miles walking distance to a Bluebikes bikeshare dock
  • 0.25 miles walking distance to a bicycle facility with a bicycle level of comfort of 1 or 2 (as defined by CDD)
  • 150 feet walking distance to a pedestrian crossing
  • 0.5 miles walking distance to an MBTA rapid transit station or a bus stop for a high-frequency route. High frequency routes are defined as those with a scheduled peak-hour frequency of 10 minutes or less (six buses per hour during 7-9 am and 4-6:30 pm)

Source: Transit mode from Cambridge CDD, Cambridge GIS; Population from 2010 and 2020 Census, plus Annual Housing Starts data from CDD; Number of workers from Census LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES).
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Share of Residents that live within 0.5 walking distance miles of an MBTA subway station

Improving

Measuring the number of transportation options that the average Cantabrigian has available is an indicator of overall freedom of movement. This indicator estimates the share of the total Cambridge population that resides within a half-mile walking distance of an MBTA subway station. Note that a new Green Line station at Union Square in Somerville, within walking distance of some Cambridge residents, opened in 2022.

Source: 2010 and 2020 Census; Annual Housing Starts data from CDD
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Share of Residents that live within 0.25 miles walking distance of an MBTA high frequency bus line

Needs improvement

Measuring the number of transportation options that the average Cantabrigian has available is an indicator of overall freedom of movement. This indicator estimates the share of the total Cambridge population that resides within a quarter-mile walking distance of a stop on a high-frequency MBTA bus route. Note that service levels for two high-frequency bus lines in Cambridge were downgraded in 2020, reducing the walking distance catchment area used for this indicator.

Source: 2010 and 2020 Census; Annual Housing Starts data from CDD
View More Information
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