Arlington Residents Would Rather Be Biking, Study Shows

ARLINGTON, MA — The Department of Planning and Community Development released the Transportation Factbook and Public Engagement Summary for Connect Arlington, the town's Sustainable Transportation Plan. The report is a compilation of charts, graphs, maps and narrative description of the existing transportation network in Arlington.

It describes the facilities and services for various transportation modes; explains the transportation network in the context of demographics, zoning, and topography of the Town; analyzes the way in which residents are influenced in how they travel; and reviews more than ten years' worth of crash data to understand transportation safety issues.

The Public Engagement Summary describes the results of the spring transportation survey, focus groups, Connect Arlington forum and other feedback received since the project launched in January 2020.

Based on 2018 commuter data, the study found that 4 percent of commuters bicycle, which is higher than most of Arlington's peer communities in the Boston area. Respondents said they would prefer to walk or bike more, and bicycling is the preferred method of getting to work.

The study also found that respondents would like to see more pedestrian priority and improved bike facilities on access routes and more traffic-calming measures on residential roads.

Key facts and findings from the Factbook:

• The topography of the town influences its land use, and also its transportation network and access to services. Flatter areas of East Arlington are more densely populated and also have more multimodal options for biking, walking, and public transportation. The hilly areas of Arlington Heights are less dense, can be challenging to negotiate on foot or bicycle, and have less frequent public transportation.
• From 2008-2017, there were 5,674 traffic collisions, or about 567 per year. On average, approximately eight serious injuries and 42 minor injuries were reported per year. Eleven traffic fatalities were reported in Arlington from 2002-2020, six involving a pedestrian and one involving a cyclist.
• Based on 2018 commute to work data, 60% of Arlington residents drive to work alone, 20% take public transportation, 7% carpool, 7% work from home, 4% bicycle, 2% walk, and 1% use other means to get to work. Arlington has a higher bicycle commute mode share than most other peer communities in the Boston region.
• Employers in Boston and Cambridge combined account for over 40% of employment destinations for residents. Only 7% of workers are employed within Arlington itself, and over half work in locations throughout eastern Massachusetts and beyond.

Highlights from the Public Engagement Summary include:

• The three highest-priority goals for Arlington’s transportation system selected from the transportation survey were: 1) Consider the needs of diverse populations and people of all ages; 2) Prioritize a pedestrian and walk-friendly environment; and 3) Focus on improved transit connections and travel times.
• When asked how they would prefer to get around Arlington and the region in the future, respondents said that they would prefer to walk or bike more. Biking is the preferred method of getting to work. However, people would like to maintain driving trips for errands or socializing.
• The survey also asked respondents what street features they would like to see more of on the streets of Arlington. On residential streets, people would like to see more traffic-calming and pedestrian facilities. On access routes, pedestrian priority and improved bike facilities are most requested. Lastly on commercial streets, transit amenities in addition to pedestrian and bike amenities were highlighted.

The full Factbook and Public Engagement Summary can be read on the Sustainable Transportation Plan Advisory Committee's (STPAC) website.

Work will now transition to identifying key strategies, priority projects and quantifiable metrics for implementing the Connect Arlington plan. Future public engagement opportunities are expected in late October and into mid-November. The plan is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

Additional project information and documents are available on the STPAC's website.