Performance-Based Planning Resource Guide

The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the regional planning body responsible for conducting the federally required transportation planning process, including developing a vision for transportation in the region and allocating federal funds to transportation projects to achieve regional goals and objectives to realize that vision. While transportation needs vary across the 97 municipalities in the region, all MPO investments are made to achieve desired performance outcomes for the multimodal regional transportation system.

The MPO is dedicated to  Performance-Based Planning and Programming (PBPP) , incorporating federal goal areas to improve roadway and transit safety, roadway and transit asset conditions, congestion management and air quality, and freight movement and travel time reliability. The MPO's investments are planned for in the programs established in the  Long-Range Transportation Plan  and implemented through the  Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) , the region's five-year rolling capital plan. Both plans utilize scoring criteria to evaluate projects for inclusion according to their ability to advance the federal goal areas and the MPO's six goal areas:   Equity, Safety, Mobility and Reliability, Access and Connectivity, Resiliency, and Clean Air and Healthy Communities .

This guide highlights a selection of high-level planning strategies and tools to help municipalities and other proponents conceive projects that improve performance locally and regionally in alignment with the performance targets established for the region in the Long-Range Transportation Plan and nationally through the federal Performance-Based Planning and Programming guidance. This guide also provides examples of past, current, and planned projects that incorporate elements that align with some of the MPO’s long-range goals and objectives and the national goals for the federal highway program. PBPP is an evolving process, as guidance from the US Transportation Department (USDOT) is amended and the MPO’s goals are refined, so this guide is not a full menu of resources but one that provides a handful of solutions in areas pertinent to local and regional policy.

 Traffic Calming 

Traffic calming is a key way that the Boston region can achieve its performance targets for reducing fatalities and serious injuries. Traffic calming is achieved through road design that slows vehicle speeds, so that crashes are less frequent and less harmful.  Risk increases significantly  when vehicles crash into people or other vehicles at speeds greater than 30 miles per hour.  Speeding is a factor in 30 percent of roadway fatalities  nationally and has been a factor in approximately 100 deaths in Massachusetts each year.

 Raised and Painted Crosswalks 

More than 350 pedestrians were killed between 2019 and 2023 in Massachusetts alone. Raised and painted crosswalks make pedestrian crossings more visible to drivers, providing a safer environment for people crossing roadways. Raised crosswalks can  reduce pedestrian crashes by up to 45 percent . The MPO sets performance targets aimed at reducing nonmotorized fatalities and serious injuries, which are serious events involving people walking, biking, and rolling.

Curb Extensions and Median Islands

Curb extension and median islands provide increased protection to help people safely cross busy streets. Curb extensions make the sidewalk wider, effectively reducing the length of roadway to traverse when crossing the street. Median islands provide refuge in the middle of a street, giving people walking or rolling a place to pause and reducing their risk of being struck by a vehicle while in the middle of a street. Median islands connected to marked crosswalks can  reduce pedestrian crashes by 45 percent .

Example: Safety Improvements at a Key Intersection in Acton

The Town of Acton recently completed a project at the intersection of Routes 111 and 27. By leveraging funds from the TIP's Intersection Improvement Program, Acton was able to reconfigure a dangerous intersection and improve safety outcomes for its residents with these improvements:

• Addition of turn lanes
• Consolidation of curb cuts
• Full accommodations for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians
• Upgraded signage and wayfinding

Pedestrian Infrastructure

The majority of transit users begin their transit trips walking or rolling. Sidewalks  reduce crashes involving people walking or rolling along roadways by up to 88 percent , and paved shoulders can  reduce the same types of crashes by 71 percent . Better pedestrian infrastructure at and around transit stations will improve pedestrian safety outcomes locally and regionally, in alignment with MPO and regional transit authority (RTA) goals.

Bus Bulbs

Bus bulbs are curb extensions that provide extra room for people walking, rolling, and bicycling to access a bus stop and more room for transit shelters, creating a safer, more pleasant experience for riders. Bus bulbs next to a bus lane can allow traffic to flow freely in the adjacent lane, while the bus stops to pick up and drop off passengers.

Quick Build Bus Lanes

Quick build bus lanes create safer conditions for users of all modes, including people in vehicles, riding bicycles, rolling, and walking. By dedicating space for buses, different types of roadway users are separated during trips, reducing the risk of collisions. The Columbus Avenue Bus Lane project in Boston not only improved safety, it also has  reduced bus travel times by 3-4 minutes , while increasing other vehicle travel times by only 20-40 seconds.

Delivery Zones

Delivery zones help reduce congestion and travel times by giving commercial vehicles a place to unload goods or pick up passengers without blocking arterial roads. These zones decrease congestion in hot-spot areas for vehicles, buses, and other road users by allowing non-delivery traffic to flow more freely and reduce the amount of illegal double parking. These delivery zones are crucial, with more companies and restaurants opting in to third party delivery services. Additionally, delivery zones can help with the reduction of vehicle idling in front of businesses, which yields fewer emissions and improves local air quality.

Bike Infrastructure Improvements

Improving trails and on-road bike infrastructure can help reduce congestion, especially in our densest areas. Studies suggest that bicycling increases by  1 percent  with each additional linear mile of bike lanes in a municipality. When bike infrastructure improves, more people use it, taking cars off the road and decreasing congestion and travel times.

Example: Intersection Improvements on Route 1 in Norwood/Westwood

Funded in the TIP's Intersection Improvements Program, this project at the Norwood/Westwood line improves traffic flow while also creating a safer, smoother corridor for people bicycling, rolling, and walking. Congestion Management and Travel Time-related improvements include the following:

• Upgrading of traffic signals
• Upgrading of pedestrian crossings at each leg of the intersection
• Upgrading of bike amenities (loop detectors) at intersection
• Lengthening of left turn lanes on Route 1
• Rehabilitating of sidewalks, curbing, median structures, lighting and guard rails

Traffic Signal Priority

Traffic signal priority (TSP) makes transit routes more reliable and efficient. TSP can  reduce bus travel times by 10 percent overall and by up to 50 percent at targeted intersections , when implemented effectively. TSP gives transit vehicles priority at intersections by configuring traffic signals to reduce the time buses are slowed down by red lights. Municipalities have some flexibility in their approach to improving the flow of buses, having the ability to choose intersections for signal priority and to decide whether to grant priority to all transit vehicles or conditionally for transit vehicles that are running late. Light rail systems that share rights-of-way with streets benefit from TSP as well.

Local Shuttles

Municipalities can implement shuttle programs to meet residents' unique transportation needs. Shuttle programs can boost transit ridership, reduce single-occupancy-vehicle trips, and create more travel options for residents who do not have access to cars. Shuttle routes often connect passengers to employers, schools, and critical facilities such as hospitals. Shuttles can also be routed to deliver passengers to major transit facilities, such as commuter rail stations.

Improved Transit Stations and Facilities

Improving transit facilities, including bus stops, rail stations, and highly used transit corridors, can improve the effectiveness of transit and increase its use. Collaboration between MPOs, municipalities, and RTAs to improve transit facilities creates more comfortable, attractive transit conditions and allows the Boston region to achieve its facilities condition performance targets, as required by the Federal Transit Administration. Benches and shelters at bus stops offer riders a more pleasant experience, safe from the elements, and the infrastructure to rest while waiting for buses. Maintaining the roadway conditions of the busiest bus routes is another way to keep traffic flowing with less congestion, delivering people to their destinations more quickly. Other strategies include providing better lighting near transit, which can help passengers feel safer, especially at night. Accessibility improvements, including the implementation of curb cuts and elevators and escalators at larger busways and rail stations, can enhance travel for the most vulnerable riders.

Example: Signal Improvements at Somerville's Davis Square

Davis Square is a busy intersection featuring an MBTA subway station, busway, and several pedestrian crossings. The  Davis Square Signal Improvements  project achieves the following:

• Decreasing travel time for the six bus routes that use the Davis Square busway by implementing transit signal priority
• Promoting safety and accessibility in the area for all users by removing a traffic lane, slowing down single-occupancy vehicles through the intersection and making crossings safer