GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Background

Because the CMP is integrated into the MPO’s long-range planning process, the goals and objectives for congestion management in the Boston region are consistent with the MPO’s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The current LRTP, Paths to a Sustainable Region (covering the period up to 2035), contains policies for guiding MPO actions and visions for the region’s future. The goals and objectives of the CMP are developed in accordance with those visions and policies.

The MPO’s visions and policies are organized in several categories relating to various aspects of the future of transportation in the region. Of those categories, the CMP relates directly to the following:

The CMP has three goals, corresponding to the three LRTP categories of vision and policies listed above:

CMP Goals

Goal 1: Improve Efficiency

Objective: Reduce congestion with cost-effective, non-roadway-widening solutions that use technology to the best advantage, such as traffic management and transportation demand management.

Goal 2: Increase Mobility

Objective: Make non-single-occupant-vehicle transportation modes (walking, bicycling, transit, carpooling) more available, convenient, safe, and attractive for everyone.

Goal 3: Improve Safety

Objective: Reduce crashes for all modes, focusing especially on improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists and on reducing the number of crashes.

The MPO policies and associated CMP objectives, performance measures, and strategies are shown in Table 1-1.


TABLE 1-1

Relationship between MPO Policies and Visions and

CMP Goals, Objectives, Performance Measures, and Strategies


CMP Goals and Objectives

Related MPO Policies

Related MPO Visions

Related Strategies

Performance Measures

Goal: Improve Efficiency

  • Objective: reduce congestion with cost-effective, non-widening solutions that use technology to the best advantage, such as traffic management and transportation demand management

System Preservation, Modernization, and Efficiency

  • Put a priority on programs, services, and projects that maximize efficiency through ITS, technology, TSM, and M&O; turn to technology before expansion

System Preservation, Modernization, and Efficiency

  • System achieves maximum efficiency, reliability, and mobility (regionwide) through system preservation, ITS, technology, management and operations (M&O) programs, and a balanced program of strategic investments
  • Innovative approaches reduce auto dependency and actively promote other modes
  • Modernization of the existing system provides accessibility and access for all; serves more people
  • Real-time traffic monitoring and management systems
  • Integration of the payment system for tolls, park-and-ride lots, and transit
  • Improved response to weather and road surface problems
  • Access management
  • Metered ramps
  • Transit signal priority
  • New HOV lanes     
  • Reversible commuter lanes and movable median barriers
  • Incident management systems
  • Work-zone management systems
  • Weather-related diversion plans
  • Travel speed
  • Speed index
  • Delay
  • Traffic volume
  • Vehicle occupancy
  • Level of service
  • Approach speed
  • Approach delay
  • Volume/capacity ratio
  • Travel time savings (HOV lanes)

Goal: Increase Mobility

  • Objective: make non-single-occupant-vehicle transportation modes (walking, bicycling, transit, carpooling) more available, convenient, safe, and attractive for everyone

Mobility

  • Strengthen connections between modes; close gaps in the existing network
  • Improve access and accessibility to transit
  • Improve transit frequency, span, and reliability
  • Expand transit, bicycle, and pedestrian networks; focus bicycle investments (lanes and paths) on moving people between activity centers (and access to transit)
  • Integrate payment methods for fares and parking across modes.
  • Support TDM, TMAs, shuttles, and carpooling
  • Seek low-cost solutions to capacity constraints and bottlenecks in the existing system before expansion

Mobility

  • There are more transportation options and accessibility for all; all modes (including freight); all corridors
  • System provides reliable service; delays, congestion, and travel time are reduced
  • Transit ridership and use of sustainable options are increased
  • The system meets people’s needs; funding is guided by attention to customer service
  • Existing transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities are linked in a network
  • Provide and market real-time information on travel conditions, alternate routes, and alternate modes
  • Provide transit users with real-time transit arrival information
  • New bus rapid transit routes
  • Increase transit frequency and span
  • Improvements to bicycle and pedestrian routes that lead to transit stops
  • Provisions for bicycles at transit stops and on transit vehicles

 

  • Vehicle occupancy
  • On-time performance
  • Passenger crowding
  • Lot capacity and utilization
  • Time a lot fills up
  • Bicycle parking availability and utilization
  • Number of crashes (involving bicyclists/pedestrians)
  • Crash rate (involving bicyclists/pedestrians)

Goal: Improve Safety

  • Objective: reduce crashes for all modes; focus especially on improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, and on reducing the number of incident-related crashes

Safety and Security

  • Maintain the transportation system in a state of good repair
  • Use state-of-the-practice safety elements; address roadway safety deficiencies (after safety audits) and transit safety requirements (including federal mandates)
  • Support incident management programs and ITS
  • Improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists; ensure that safety provisions are incorporated into shared-use corridors
  • Give priority to safety projects that reduce the severity of crashes, especially those that improve safety for all

Safety and Security

  • The transportation system provides safe transportation (personal and operational) on all modes
  • The number and severity of crashes are reduced
  • Transit has state-of-the-practice ITS and communication systems; transit malfunctions are reduced
  • Optimization of traffic signal timing
  • Geometric improvements to roads and intersections
  • Geometric improvements to roads and intersections
  • Improvements to bicycle and pedestrian routes that lead to transit stops
  •  
  • Number of crashes (all modes)
  • Crash rate (all modes)