Work Program
Bluebikes and MBTA Connections
October 24, 2024
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) votes to approve this work program.
Boston Region MPO Planning Studies and Technical Analyses
Boston Region MPO
Principal: Rounaq Basu
Manager: Tanner Bonner
MPO Planning Contract and MPO §5303 Contract 126734
Schedule and budget details are shown in Exhibits 1 and 2, respectively.
The Boston Region MPO elected to fund this study with its federally allocated metropolitan planning funds during federal fiscal year (FFY) 2025. The work completed through this study will address the following goal areas established in the MPO’s Long-Range Transportation Plan: access and connectivity, mobility and reliability, and equity.
A well-integrated and safe multimodal network is essential for serving a variety of trip needs and shifting further away from car-dependent travel. Bikeshare offers significant utility by connecting with public transit and facilitating multimodal trips throughout the Boston region. One of its key roles is addressing what is known as the first- and last-mile problem, making it easier for riders to access transit stations and complete their trips efficiently without the need of a car. Additionally, Bluebikes can substitute for transit for trips that may otherwise take longer or be less convenient, offering riders a flexible and often quicker alternative. In these ways, Bluebikes and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) can both complement and compete with each other.
Central Transportation Planning Staff, the staff to the MPO, has worked with the MBTA and the Cities of Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville to understand how riders interact with the Bluebikes system. This study will allow the MPO to further understand how we could improve our existing bicycle network and how both Bluebikes and the MBTA can serve as a more viable option for people to travel.
Staff recently conducted a literature review and an exploratory analysis to develop a baseline understanding of the complementary relationships between bikeshare and transit. While we found that a great majority of existing Bluebikes stations are near MBTA stops, there are still gaps in system connectivity and a variety of factors left unexplored. With the use of additional data, tools, and methodologies, along with stakeholder input, staff will build upon this previous work to analyze where the Bluebikes and the MBTA allow for complementary and competitive trips and how rider behavior reflects available bikeshare and transit opportunities.
This research complements existing MPO efforts, including a Bluebikes fare equity analysis and demographic survey, development of a Baseline Equity Metrics dashboard, and the Boston Region MPO’s Bicycle and Pedestrian program. The findings could inform continued investment in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure projects, cooperative planning efforts between Bluebikes and the MBTA, and other efforts that may lead to an increase in both Bluebikes and MBTA ridership.
This work will build on previous research on the interaction between the Bluebikes and MBTA systems using additional data and expanded methodologies to understand system connectivity and rider behavior.
Staff will conduct analysis and engagement to consider how the Bluebikes system interacts with the MBTA. This work will analyze where the Bluebikes and the MBTA allow for complementary and competitive trips and how rider behavior reflects available bikeshare and transit opportunities.
MPO staff will identify specific analysis areas of interest depending on available data and stakeholder input.
MPO staff will organize the analyses in the GitHub repository, holistically review the findings from our previous work, and identify focus areas for extending the research.
To inform data source choices, analysis approach, and delivery of the final work product, staff will identify and engage with stakeholders who may include municipal planners, MBTA staff, community groups, bikeshare users, and/or advocacy organizations.
Staff will determine the potential of various datasets (e.g., ridership patterns and geographic data) to provide more granular insight, with the goal to integrate advanced analysis tools.
After data sources and analysis tools are identified, staff will clean and process data as necessary.
A defined approach for analyzing interactions between Bluebikes and the MBTA.
Staff will follow the methodology and focus areas of interest formulated in Task 1 to conduct analysis. Analysts will incorporate feedback from contributors and stakeholders as appropriate, conduct quality control and management, and decide on useful metrics and statistics for reporting.
A set of analytical findings synthesized from various datasets, including a clear identification of key gaps and opportunities in the Bluebikes–MBTA network and existing patterns of multimodal travel behavior.
Before, during, and after the analysis, staff will keep internal documentation up-to date and explore options for data visualizations and report format. After the analysis, staff will create a report and communicate the results to the MPO board.
A report detailing the study motivation, methodology, analysis findings, and key takeaways (including suggestions for improving transit and bikeshare integration), along with robust internal documentation.
|
Task |
Month | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
|
1.
Plan and Prepare Analysis
|
From Month 1, Week 1 to Month 3, Week 4.
|
||||||||||
|
2.
Conduct Analysis
|
From Month 2, Week 3 to Month 8, Week 4.
|
||||||||||
|
3.
Document and Communicate Results
|
From Month 2, Week 1 to Month 11, Week 4.
Deliverable
A
Delivered by Month 11, Week 1.
|
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|
Task |
Person-Weeks by Pay Grade |
Direct
Salary |
Overhead
(120.3%) |
Total
Cost |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G-9 | G-8 | G-7 | G-6 | Total | ||||
|
1.
Plan and Prepare Analysis
|
0.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 5.3 | $8,250 | $9,924 | $18,174 |
|
2.
Conduct Analysis
|
0.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 5.0 | 6.3 | $9,675 | $11,639 | $21,313 |
|
3.
Document and Communicate Results
|
0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 5.5 | $9,062 | $10,902 | $19,965 |
|
Total
|
0.5 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 13.0 | 17.1 | $26,987 | $32,465 | $59,452 |
CIVIL RIGHTS NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
Welcome. Bem Vinda. Bienvenido. Akeyi. 欢迎. 歡迎
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