Central Massachusetts is committed to bicycle and pedestrian mobility. As transportation costs and congestion increase, people look for cost effective, healthier and environmentally conscious methods of travel. Both walking and biking are growing as recognized daily transportation modes and it is important to develop safe and efficient facilities for use by pedestrians and bicyclists.
CMRPC serves as a forum for bicycle and pedestrian planning activates throughout the region. Staff partners with local organizations and groups to identify needs and support their bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts. Staff meets with WalkBike Worcester, a local advocate of bike and pedestrian planning, and with the public health community to address bicycle and pedestrian issues.
CMRPC completed its Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan in 2011 and updated the document in 2018 as two separate Regional Plans. The plan contains information on existing policies and facilities, and proposes an action plan on how to implement future accommodations to the region’s roadways and trail network. It emphasizes the need to complete and connect long-distance trails and to improve walkability in Town Centers and commercial areas.
2021 CMMPO Regional Bicycle Compatibility Index (BCI)
IN 2018, the CMMPO released a Regional Bicycle Plan that proposed a series of routes between the CMRPC’s forty (40) communities to act as a multi-modal network. Derived from this plan, CMRPC staff have begun taking a closer look into the region’s road infrastructure and its ability to support bicycle accommodations. The BCI, formulated by the FHWA, provides a comfort level analysis of roadways in terms of its compatibility to easily integrate bicycle infrastructure, while also determining the perceived safety of bicyclists. The BCI is intended to support stakeholder decision making in prioritizing segments to build upon the region’s multi-modal network.
Regional Bicycle Plan & Regional Pedestrian Plan
The 2018 CMMPO Regional Bicycle Plan serves as an update to the 2011 Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan. In order to allow for a more thorough analysis, the two components of the former plan have been split for the current update. This decision was made to reflect MassDOT’s current efforts with the Statewide Bicycle Plan and the Statewide Pedestrian Plan. The 2018 Regional Bicycle Plan has seven major associated tasks: Existing Conditions/Data Collection, Analysis of Existing Conditions, Strategies/Facility Recommendations, Implementation/Benchmarking, Documentation, CMMPO Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Public Participation/Outreach.
Final CMMPO 2018 Regional Bicycle Plan
Final CMMPO 2018 Regional Bicycle Plan Maps
(Note that the final document is available for viewing/download via DropBox.)
The CMMPO Regional Bicycle Plan is intended to identify opportunities for encouraging and enhancing bicycle travel within the CMMPO region. The recommendations contained herein should be used as a guide for local jurisdictions in taking advantage of these opportunities. The intent of this plan is not to secure funding for every project, but to identify potential opportunities. The CMMPO Regional Bicycle Plan will serve as the bicycle component of the upcoming CMMPO Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).The goals of the Regional Bicycle Plan must be consistent with the goals of Mobility2040, the current LRTP, but also the LRTP that will begin development over the next year. Implementation of the recommendations of this plan will provide for a comprehensive bicycle transportation network that is focused on accessibility, mobility, and safety.
Final CMMPO 2018 Regional Pedestrian Plan
Final CMMPO 2018 Regional Pedestrian Plan Maps
The CMMPO Regional Pedestrian Plan is intended to identify opportunities for encouraging and enhancing pedestrian travel within the CMMPO region. The recommendations contained herein should be used as a guide for local jurisdictions in taking advantage of these opportunities. The intent of this plan is not to secure funding for every project, but to identify potential opportunities. The CMMPO Regional Pedestrian Plan will serve as the pedestrian component of the upcoming CMMPO Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP).The goals of the Regional Pedestrian Plan must be consistent with the goals of Mobility2040, the current LRTP, but also the LRTP that will begin development over the next year. Implementation of the recommendations of this plan will provide for a comprehensive pedestrian transportation network that is focused on accessibility, mobility, and safety.
(Note that the final document is available for viewing/download via DropBox.)
The 2018 CMMPO Regional Pedestrian Plan serves as an update to the 2011 Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan. In order to allow for a more thorough analysis, the two components of the former plan have been split for the current update. This decision was made to reflect MassDOT’s current efforts with the Statewide Bicycle Plan and the Statewide Pedestrian Plan. The 2018 Regional Pedestrian Plan has seven major associated tasks: Existing Conditions/Data Collection, Analysis of Existing Conditions, Strategies/Facility Recommendations, Implementation/Benchmarking, Documentation, CMMPO Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Public Participation/Outreach.
Bikeshare Exploration in the CMRPC Region
CMRPC staff have been exploring bikeshare opportunities throughout the CMRPC region as an active, alternative mode of transportation. Through these efforts, the Exploring Bikeshare Opportunities in the CMRPC Region report was developed.
Aside from introductory topics, like bikeshare systems and their business and system models, the reports focuses on the unique characteristics of the CMRPC region to narrow the focus of the exploration. This includes deep dives into understanding how bikeshare models can be successful at rural and suburban levels with supporting case studies, and the defining geographic, demographic, and economic characteristics that will ultimately have an effect on a regional bikeshare system.
Because these characteristics vary across the region, the exploration takes into consideration the different approaches needed to implement bikeshare at the community level. This includes exploring opportunities for bikeshare within tourism, recreation, and commuting. The report is not intended to be a direct recommendation for the region or specific communities, but rather an exploration of the opportunities within the region that are supportive of bikeshare systems.
Please click here for a link to the report.
Central Massachusetts Cycling Hub
In contribution to the 2021 Bay State Bike Month, CMRPC has developed a limited series blog and virtual campaign to promote and encourage cycling in the region. During the months of August and September, the Bike Blog will feature weekly content pertaining to all thinking bicycle.
The month of September the vrtual campaigns that encouraged bicyclsts to share their experiences with us as they ride in Central Massachusetts. These shared experiences will be featured in the weekly blog postings to inspire future riders.
In culmination of these projects, the CMRPC has created the Central Massachusetts Cycling Hub to be the center of activity during August and September.
Be sure to check in regularly to stay up to data on weekly postings, videos, and links, as well to submit your experiences!
Regional Count Program
In 2011, CMRPC Staff conducted a pilot counting program at selected locations within the region’s existing trail network. In the summer of 2012, a few additional locations were selected to be counted. Since the completion of the 2013 Regional Trail and Bicycle Lane Count Report, Staff have adjusted our location areas to focus on bicycle and pedestrian activity at intersections. The change in focus areas was due to shifts in local priorities. The initial bike and pedestrian counts were collected mainly to assist various trails organizations with their applications for grant funding. Additionally, these requests came prior to what is now known as the MassDOT Complete Streets Funding Program, which launched in February 2016 and has shaped how communities in the CMMPO region have approached bicycle and pedestrian planning.
Following 2013, CMRPC Staff received requests from municipalities to collect counts along specific roadways and intersections to examine bicycle and pedestrian activity as part of their overall bikability and walkability assessments. With this, CMRPC Staff continued to solicit Town Planners, Planning Boards, and DPW’s for ideas and to submit requests for consideration to have a specific area or intersection counted. From that, CMRPC Staff selected locations based on a number of factors such as bike and pedestrian crash data, known activity, and to aid project design. The 2014-2018 bicycle and pedestrian data collection season was completed by collecting counts at specific location areas and intersections. The bike and pedestrian counts between 2014 and 2017 were collected using the same methods and data collection sheets that were used in previous years. The 2018 counts were collected through Turning Movement Counts (TMC) where CMRPC Staff monitored bicycle and pedestrian activity as part of the standard traffic survey. The adjustment to our selection of locations was made to reach a goal of providing communities with the data to have an understanding of activity and to encourage potential future TAP projects. For future counts, Staff will look to expand the count program throughout each data collection season. (Click here for a map of locations counted during the 2013 data collection season. Count data can be accessed here.)
Walkable Communities
Walkable Communities Workshops are held throughout the region and are 2-3 hour sessions for elected officials, interested citizens and community officials in the fields of planning, engineering, law enforcement and education. The workshops are an educational tool on how to make a community more pedestrian friendly and how to address walking and bicycling issues within the region.
In 2012, CMRPC Staff conducted Walkable Communities Workshops in the Towns of Shrewsbury and Southbridge.
