Resources

As a municipal leader, you see the impact of foreclosures firsthand and know the ripple effects this crisis has on your community. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and some municipalities are providing assistance to address the causes and effects of foreclosures on our local communities.

Mixed Use Zoning: A Planners Guide presents the fundamentals you need to plan a mixed use bylaw. A version of the guide for citizens is also available for download. This guide is based primarily on the experiences of five suburban communities that have prepared bylaws with assistance from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), supported by grants from the state’s Priority Development Fund.

This three-year work plan for the Metro Boston Sustainable Communities Consortium is available as a model for other communities or organizations interested in developing a similar program.

The Pedestrian Plan identifies actions local governments, advocacy organizations, citizen groups, the private sector, and individuals should take to encourage walking. Adopted and released in June 2010, the Pedestrian Plan addresses the importance of walking, describes existing pedestrian infrastructure in the Boston Region, and recommends policies and programs that will facilitate walking as a convenient, practical and safe mode of transportation.

The initial feasibility study of the Central Massachusetts Railroad right-of-way (ROW) to accommodate both a shared use path (bicycle/pedestrian) and a dedicated busway.

The I-495 Study identifies the existing and future capacity constraints associated with the I-495 Corridor and identifies both methods to move more people through the interchanges and strategies that might reduce the single-person auto trips now moving through these interchanges.

This white paper, released by Our Transportation Future, reviews state, regional and national literature on the relationship between transportation investment and the economy to make the case that Massachusetts must continue to invest boldly in its transportation future in order to ensure its economic future.

The MAPC Regional Bike Parking Program provides full reimbursement of the cost of purchasing bicycle racks (minus shipping and installation costs) for all 101 cities and towns in MAPC's region. The Boston Region MPO, the Executive Office of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration have provided generous funding to enable 100% reimbursement of the cost of eligible bike parking equipment bought through this program.

The Route 128 Central Corridor Plan addresses the impacts of increased traffic volumes and seeks to reduce single occupancy trips while preserving quality of life and ensuring mobility.

MAPC's Snow Removal Policy Toolkit provides cities and towns with tools to increase snow removal compliance and safety. MAPC's Sidewalk Snow Clearance Policies map, policies and ordinances that address timeframes and fees for snow removal, as well as sample brochures are included in the Toolkit.

Designed to help municipal planners, local officials, developers, citizen board members and advocates understand the transportation impacts of proposed development projects in their communities and identify potential solutions.

This toolkit is designed to help local officials, developers, citizen board members, and advocates understand the sources of parking issues in their communities and identify potential solutions. The strategies outlined in the toolkit address a variety of situations and concerns in ways that save money, protect the environment, support local businesses, and encourage alternatives to driving.