Policy Order O-35

WHEREAS: A great number of Cambridge residents, including seniors and youth, depend on MBTA buses for reliable and efficient transportation throughout the Greater Boston Area; and

WHEREAS: The 1992 Vehicle Trip Reduction Ordinance (VTRO) requires the city to "make more efficient use of mass transit, bicycling, walking, and other alternatives to drive-alone trips."; and

WHEREAS: Cambridge continues to plan for development around transit hubs throughout the city; and

WHEREAS: Cambridge residents have expressed strong preference for improving MBTA transit services, particularly buses; and

WHEREAS: In 2014, the City of Cambridge's Community Development Department and Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department completed a study of high-ridership MBTA bus routes within Cambridge to identify "hot spots" where buses experience the most traffic delay; and

WHEREAS: There are a number of low-cost tactics Cambridge can quickly implement to improve bus service and reduce bus delays in major corridors, such as traffic signal priority and queue-jump lanes; and

WHEREAS: Low-cost communication technology exists which would give MBTA buses priority at stoplights in the City of Cambridge, changing the signal immediately if possible, thus speeding bus commutes; and

WHEREAS: The establishment of Queue jump lanes would designate parts of the road for buses only, preventing buses from being delayed by traffic in previously mentioned "hot spots"; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on the status of the bus delay mitigation project and present an implementation action plan to reduce delays on MBTA bus routes within Cambridge municipal boundaries.