A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to the Zero Emissions Transportation Plan Report

1 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN Cambridge Zero Emissions Transportation Plan City of Cambridge 2025

2 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN Project staff Susanne Rasmussen, Director of Environment and Transportation Stephanie Groll, Mobility Strategy Manager Marlees West Owayda, Community Engagement Manager Department heads Melissa Peters, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Brooke McKenna, Commissioner of Transportation Julie Wormser, Chief Climate Officer Executive Office Yi-An Huang, City Manager Owen O’Riordan, Former Deputy City Manager Kathy Watkins, Deputy City Manager City Council E. Denise Simmons, Mayor Mark C. McGovern, Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem Patricia M. Nolan Sumbul Siddiqui Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler Paul F. Toner Ayesha M. Wilson Catherine Zusy https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/communitydevelopment/netzero­ transportationplan

3 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Transportation is the Last Piece of our Climate Strategy to Address Greenhouse Gas Emissions.. 8 Why did we Make the Clean Transportation Plan? ........................................................................... 9 How do We Eliminate Transportation Emissions? .......................................................................... 10 Transportation and Emissions Trends in Cambridge ..................................................................... 10 What Makes Reducing GHGs From Transportation Challenging? .................................................. 13 Ongoing and Projected Transportation GHG Reductions .............................................................. 13 Electrification ............................................................................................................................... 14 State and Federal Initiatives ......................................................................................................... 15 Local Initiatives ............................................................................................................................ 16 How Did We Develop the Zero Emissions Transportation Plan? ................................................... 17 Technical Approach ......................................................................................................................... 17 The Planning Process ...................................................................................................................... 17 Following Engagement Best Practices ......................................................................................... 18 Advisory Group ................................................................................................................................ 18 Community Engagement Activities ................................................................................................ 20 What We Learned From the Community to Guide the Plan ........................................................... 21 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 23 How did we Decide on These Recommendations? ........................................................................ 23 Strategies to get to Zero Emissions by 2050 ................................................................................... 24 Community Engagement .............................................................................................................. 25 Buses and Shuttles ....................................................................................................................... 27 Walk, Bike, and Micromobility ...................................................................................................... 28 Reducing Car Trips ........................................................................................................................ 29 Reducing Car Ownership .............................................................................................................. 31 Electric Vehicles ............................................................................................................................ 31 How Will We Measure our Progress Towards Zero Emissions? ..................................................... 34 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN How Will This Plan Move the City Into the Future?........................................................................ 39 Near-Term Priorities........................................................................................................................ 39 Lessons Learned and Considerations for Future Processes ......................................................... 41 Process Lessons .............................................................................................................................. 41 Advisory Group ............................................................................................................................ 41 Community Engagement ............................................................................................................. 41 Technical Lessons ........................................................................................................................... 42 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 43 What's Next: Cambridge Access and Mobility Plan ....................................................................... 44 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... 45 Appendices ........................................................................................................................................ 47 Appendix 1: Community Engagement Events ............................................................................... 47 Appendix 2: Modelling Methodology and Assumptions ............................................................... 48 TABLE OF CONTENTS

5 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN Executive Summary Why a Zero Emissions Transportation Plan, and Why Now?1 The climate crisis, with impacts such as extreme heat, worse air quality, and more frequent weather emergencies, is already reshaping life in Cambridge and around the globe. In response, the City of Cambridge has committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. Net Zero2 refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas that's produced and the amount that's removed from the atmosphere. Transportation contributes a significant portion of Cambridge’s emissions, with 94% coming from private on-road vehicles.3 The intent of the Zero Emission Transportation Plan (ZETP) is not only to make it so that no climate pollu­ tion coming from transportation goes into the air in Cambridge, but also to create a more acces­ sible and equitable transportation system that makes traveling around the city work better. To meet our climate commitment, we need to act now. The history of how transportation and city-planning decisions have worked in the city is important to consider as we work towards these outcomes. Policy-driven housing discrimination in Cambridge created inequities that were deepened by planning decisions over generations. The result was unequal advantages across communities, which created an uneven landscape for implementing change. These inequities will make the transition to zero emissions easier for some residents than others. Acknowledging this context is essential as Cambridge works toward realizing a zero-emissions transportation system that serves everyone. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Four key goals guided the Zero Emissions Transportation Plan: • Remove climate pollution from transportation • Make moving around Cambridge more accessible, safe, and enjoyable • Improve economic opportunity and address historic injustices • Create a stronger and more connected community 1. The Cambridge “Zero Emissions Transportation Plan” was originally called the “Net Zero Transportation Plan” while it was in development. Staff changed the name after community members asked for a clearer term than “Net Zero.” 2. For more information on what it means to be “net zero,” visit https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/ what-is-net-zero. 3. See page 27 of the 2019 Cambridge Community GHG Inventory: https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/Files/CDD/ Climate/ghginventory/2019cambridgecommunitywideghginventory_summaryreport.pdf

6 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN A key goal of the Zero Emissions Transportation Plan process was to develop and test new and more inclusive ways of engaging in planning with Cambridge communities. We aimed to include many voices—especially those who have been underheard, underserved, and excluded in the past. We identified an additional 3 priorities: build deep and lasting City-community rela­ tionships, foster community trust in City planning, and facilitate ongoing engagement. Working with an Advisory Group and drawing on input from the wider community, City staff developed a long list of potential actions that could advance the goals of the Plan. This work was further shaped by engagement with residents across the city through more than 50 public events, focus groups, community and city advisory committee meetings, and one-on-one conversations. Frequent community input guided how potential actions were refined and which ideas were included, adapted, or removed from consideration. In parallel, City staff worked with technical consultants to develop a baseline estimate of green­ house gas emissions from transportation in Cambridge and a technical model to quantify the impact of potential actions. This baseline was used to calculate the amount of emissions that the Plan would need to eliminate, after accounting for reductions in ongoing and projected transportation emissions between now and 2050 , and to look at how proposed actions would reduce emissions in the future. What We Learned • People want to make a change, but they need support to do so. • People want to know that the City hears their mobility concerns and is doing something to address them. • “Don’t punish me for owning and using a car—make it easier for me not to.” • Pricing actions, such as making it more expensive to own or park a car, feel punitive and inherently inequitable. • We need to do a better job communicating about the changes that are coming. • Seniors and people with disabilities, in particular, need a reliable, convenient, and dignified way to get around, even when their best option is not a car. • Electric vehicles (EVs) and charging need to be more affordable, accessible, and approach­ able. At the same time, EVs are only part of the solution, because they create as many traffic and safety concerns as gas cars. • Housing needs to be more affordable to allow people to live closer and have easy access to the places they go to regularly. • Those who are responsible for creating more emissions should have more responsibility for reducing them. • Not all actions have to be for all people. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY How We Made the Plan

7 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY What is in the Plan? The Plan describes and recommends actions in six categories: 1. Community engagement: Engaging people equitably to improve their transportation experience 2. Buses and shuttles: Improving bus and shuttle service 3. Bike, walk, and micromobility: Making it accessible, safe, and enjoyable for people to walk, bike, and take a scooter 4. Reducing car trips: Giving people more travel choices to reduce the need to drive 5. Reducing car ownership: Making it easier to not own a car 6. Electric vehicles: Encouraging a shift to electric vehicles The City has prioritized a set of near-term actions based on their impact, feasibility, cost, and alignment with community input. These include: • Provide a high degree of City support to help residents navigate transportation changes, and access transportation options and discounts • Enable better bus frequency and reliability by installing bus priority projects on important routes • Improve access to bikes through support for community groups and improvements to the Bluebikes system • Increase availability of publicly accessible charging and fast charging for electric vehicles, e-bikes, and e-scooters What Comes Next? Cambridge’s next step is the development of a Cambridge Access and Mobility Plan—a city­ wide transportation planning process launching in 2025. This plan will build on the ZETP’s foundation, further integrating land use, safety, accessibility, and sustainability to create a transportation system that meets the needs of Cambridge residents—now and in the future.

8 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN INTRODUCTION Introduction Transportation is the Last Piece of Our Climate Strategy to Address Greenhouse Gas Emissions Climate change impacts are already creating critical challenges for individuals and communities, and for governments’ response in Cambridge and beyond. These impacts will become much more severe if emissions are not reduced. For example, some major impacts in Massachusetts include: • Extreme heat / worse air quality (leading to learning loss, more childhood asthma, death) • Worse weather emergencies (from floods, dangerous storms, sea-level rise) • More economic struggles (increased demand for public services, like emergency response, food assistance, health insurance) To address Cambridge’s contribution to climate change, the City Council has committed to an ambitious climate agenda, including the use of 100% renewable energy by 2035 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Net Zero4 refers to the balance between the amount of green­ house gas that's produced and the amount that's removed from the atmosphere. The City of Cambridge estimated how many emissions we have in Cambridge, most recently in 20195 , and there are plans to address emissions through the Net Zero Action Plan for buildings and the Zero Waste Master Plan. However, transportation accounts for an important share of the city’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the Zero Emission Transportation Plan is the last piece of the City’s strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. 4. For more information on what it means to be “net zero,” visit https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-eplained /what- is-net-zero. 5. A 2024 update to the community Inventory of greenhouse gas emissions will be available at the end of 2025.

9 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN INTRODUCTION Why Did We Make the Zero Emissions Transportation Plan? The intent of the Zero Emissions Transportation Plan is not only to eliminate transportation-re­ lated emissions in Cambridge, but also to create a more accessible and equitable transportation system that makes traveling around the city work better for all residents. The history of how transportation and planning have worked in the city is important to consider as we work towards these outcomes. Housing discrimination6 in Cambridge created inequities that were deepened by subsequent planning decisions over generations, resulting in uneven economic and social advantages across communities. Disparities in the distribution of public resources have also created an uneven landscape for implementing change. As a result of these inequities, the transition to “zero emissions”—meaning no climate pollution coming from trans­ portation that goes into the air—will be easier for some residents than others, depending on the advantages they've accumulated over time. Addressing this is essential as Cambridge works toward realizing a zero emission transportation system that serves everyone in Cambridge. Given this context, four key goals guided the Zero Emission Transportation Plan: • Remove climate pollution from transportation • Make moving around Cambridge more accessible, safe, and enjoyable • Improve economic opportunity and address historic injustices • Create a stronger and more connected community The first two are longstanding goals the City has worked to achieve over the past 35 years. The second two are also City goals, but are now addressed together with transportation actions in this plan. This Plan documents the City’s commitment both to remove climate pollution from transportation in Cambridge and to create a better, more equitable transportation system for everyone in the city. The Plan will inform citywide transportation policies. 6. For example, redlining was a racist practice of denying loans and discouraging investment in majority black and immi­ grant neighborhoods throughout the United States. Highway expansion in the mid-1900’s resulted in the destruction and displacement of many dense, thriving, black and immigrant neighborhoods – often the ones that had been redlined. The proposed inner-belt highway lines up exactly with the map of redlining in Cambridge, but was stopped by community members who worked together to fight it. However, a truck route still goes through the Coast, exposing neighbors to more noise and pollution than areas without a designated truck route.

10 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN HOW DO WE ELIMINATE TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS How do We Eliminate Transportation Emissions? Transportation and Emissions Trends in Cambridge Most of Cambridge’s transportation emissions come from on-road private vehicles, that is, 94% of all transportation GHG emissions. On-road private vehicles include personal and commercial private cars and trucks. This Plan is focused on on-road emissions only and does not address other sources of emissions such as air travel by residents and businesses or consumer habits that generate deliveries in Cambridge. This Plan seeks to address emissions within the city, but many trips through Cambridge include travel in other cities, which the City cannot con­ trol (though it can have some influence, especially with regional coordination). Because most of Cambridge’s transportation emissions come from on-road vehicles, the Plan recommendations primarily focus on shifting away from private vehicle use and reducing emis­ sions from private vehicles that are still on the road. Figure 1 Source: 2019 Cambridge Greenhouse Gas Inventory: https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/climate­ andenergy/greenhousegasemissions/communityemissions As illustrated in the Figure 1, on-road private vehicles, including Cambridge municipal fleet vehicles and commercial vehicles, account for 94% of total transportation emissions. These are vehicles principally garaged in Cambridge. Since 2019, trackless trolleys7 have been replaced with hybrid diesel-electric buses and in 2025 they will be replaced by 100% electric buses.

11 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN HOW DO WE ELIMINATE TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS Source: US Census and American Community Survey 3-year averages Walking and biking are not presented on the graph, as they do not emit GHG. In addition, emissions of delivery vehicles are not counted in this estimate, unless the vehicle is principally garaged in Cambridge. Cambridge Vehicle Ownership Trends Now we’ll look at vehicle ownership trends. People who don’t own cars tend to get around more by walking, biking, and taking transit, even if they also sometimes take a ridehail vehicle. Lower vehicle ownership also makes it possible to use the city space that would be used for parking for other things that people need and want. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, analysis of Cambridge resident trends since 1990 shows a decrease in cars per household. While American Community Survey data indicates a slight increase in the total number of cars owned in Cambridge, the average number of cars per household has declined because the number of households has increased at a faster rate than the number of cars. Figure 2 7. Trackless trolleys are electric buses powered by overhead wires.

12 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN HOW DO WE ELIMINATE TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS Table 1 illustrates car ownership trends over the past seven years. While the total number of registered vehicles (about 42,000 vehicles) and resident parking permits (RPPs) (about 37,000 vehicles) has remained relatively even, they have generally decreased over time on a per-house­ hold basis due to growth in the number of households in Cambridge that own fewer vehicles.8 Sources: Households (HH) = American Community Survey, Resident Parking Permits (RPP) = City of Cambridge Department of Transportation, # Registered Vehicles = Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), # Electric Vehicles (EVs) = Massachusetts Municipal Vehicle Census. Source: US Census and American Community Survey 3-year averages 8. Note: The City recently created a new limit on the number of vehicles that individuals are allowed to get a residential parking permit for—that limit is now four permits. Figure 3 Table 1

13 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN HOW DO WE ELIMINATE TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS The Massachusetts Vehicle Census shows that the percentage of commercial vehicles out of total vehicles registered in Cambridge has declined slightly in recent years: from 4% in 2020, to 3% in each year of 2021 through 2025. Therefore, about 5,303 metric tons of CO2 are emitted by commercial vehicles that are principally garaged in Cambridge.9 Table 1 also shows electric vehicles have increased from 1% to 4% of all passenger vehicles, a fourfold increase from 2020 to 2025. The table shows a difference between the number of Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) and number of resident parking permits because not all vehicle owners obtain residential parking permits. This is likely the group of residents that have off-street parking available and do not need a Resident Parking Permit to park on-street. Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions From Transportation Can be Challenging While working to eliminate transportation emissions, the City is also committed to improving people’s transportation options and making it easier for them to move around. To bring these goals together, we are working on making a plan that allows everyone to contribute in some way and increases and improves peoples’ options, rather than just making it harder for people to drive. Getting to zero emissions for transportation will be a significant shift in peoples’ transportation behaviors. Not every option works for every person, so the plan needs to have a variety of ways to shift behaviors to bring down emissions. Additionally, in cases where the changes create difficult adjustments or burdens, the Plan seeks to reduce the harm or discom­ fort of that shift. Ongoing and Projected Transportation GHG Reductions Transportation emissions are expected to decrease significantly in the coming years and decades due to changes in technology and policies already underway. This will be the result of federal changes (ex. fuel-efficiency regulations)10, state policies and plans (e.g. MBTA improve­ ments, roadway tolls, EV goals and policies, etc.) and market forces (ex. decreasing prices for EVs, electric bikes, etc.). Additionally, there are plans already in place in Cambridge that will help reduce emissions, such as more mixed-use areas and development near public transportation, construction of bike lanes and improved bus infrastructure, etc. All these changes already under way are estimated to reduce emissions compared to 2019 levels by 68% by 2050. This reduction is described further in Appendix 2. 9. Community members wondered how many emissions are generated by commercial vehicles during the engagement for this Plan. 10. This analysis was conducted in the previous Federal administration, and emissions are subject to change as Federal policies and programs change.

14 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN HOW DO WE ELIMINATE TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS Electrification Transition from fossil fuel vehicles to electric vehicles means that — even for trips that are likely to remain in a vehicle, such as those not yet served by transit—GHG emissions can be avoided. Electrification is a useful tactic alongside mode shift and land use change. While the latter two are imperative for lasting change, they also tend to evolve gradually due to complex connections among policies, regulations, politics, funding, and other issues. Electrification, which is shaped by policy but also by market forces, can evolve more quickly. This shift is shown in historical data about EV purchasing, which is used to project the future share of EVs. Upfront, the shift to EVs is expected to increase under existing State policies and incentives, thereby significantly contributing to GHG reductions. The future share of EVs is the number of electric vehicles in use, divided by the number of all vehicles in use, regardless of their fuel type. 11 Source: Arup consultant analysis. Full analysis described in Appendix 2. 11. Data about the EV stock in the United States is sourced from the IEA Global EV Outlook 20214, which provides historical data from 2010 to 2020, and projections for 2025, 2030, and 2040 under two scenarios: the Stated Policies Scenario (SPS) and the Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS). The SPS reflects the impact of existing policies and announced targets, while the SDS is aligned with the Paris Agreement goals and net zero emissions by 2050. The stock share of EVs is expected to increase significantly in both scenarios, reaching more than half of the total car stock by 2040 in the SDS, and by 2050 in the SPS. This study references the more conservative SPS scenario. That leaves a remaining gap of approximately 32% of emissions that we still need to eliminate.

15 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN HOW DO WE ELIMINATE TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS State and Local Initiatives The state sets policies and incentive programs to promote compact communities that make it easier to build a life around public transportation and shift to using electric vehicles. Land Use Policy Massachusetts has instituted policies to increase transit-oriented development in communi­ ties that have access to public transportation. In 2021, the legislature passed a law, the MBTA Communities Act, requiring communities that are near public transportation stations to have at least one zoning district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right, located not more than half a mile from a commuter rail station, subway station, ferry terminal, or bus station, and has no age restrictions and suitable for families with children. These changes encourage growth near public transportation, which can help ensure more trips (including to employment centers like Cambridge) will happen on public transportation instead of by car. Source: Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, https://www.mass. gov/info-details/multi-family-zoning-requirement-for-mbta-communities

16 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN fuel efficiency standards to make gas cars more efficient. These changes have impacts on reducing the lifecycle GHG emissions for transportation. These state programs were consistent with those at the federal level until 2025. The future of federal support for EVs is uncertain at this time and the City will continue to monitor federal programs. Local Initiatives The City of Cambridge is making planning and transportation changes to make the places people need to go closer to their homes and workplaces. It is also building more infrastructure and services to make it easier and safer to bike, walk, and use micromobility, as well as connect to public transportation options. Envision Cambridge is a comprehensive plan that set goals for 2030. Completed actions include reducing parking requirements, increasing separation between bike and cars, and improving engagement with seniors and people with disabilities on mobility projects. The Community Development Department (CDD) has led several efforts, such as a zoning amendment that allows multifamily housing as-of-right citywide up to six stories or more depending on the district. HOW DO WE ELIMINATE TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS Electric Vehicle Adoption Drivers can benefit from existing state rebates and grants—including Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles (MOR-EV), Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP), and DRIVE for New Vehicles. These programs make electric vehicles more afford­ able, with provisions aimed at making it easier for low-income residents to buy an EV. Addition­ ally, Massachusetts is advancing grid decarbonization and improvements to combustion engine

17 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN How Did We Develop the Zero Emissions Transportation Plan? Technical Approach City staff worked with technical consultants to develop a baseline estimate of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in Cambridge. This baseline was used as the starting point to measure the potential emissions reduction of possible actions. Working with an Advisory Group and drawing on input from the wider community, City staff de­ veloped a long list of potential actions. Over the course of the planning effort, frequent commu­ nity input guided how this list was refined and which ideas were included, adapted, or removed from consideration. Three main sources from leading organizations guided our technical framework: • Greenlining Institute's Mobility Equity Framework was used to help develop the goals for the plan and considerations for how to evaluate potential actions. • California Air Pollution Control Officers Association's (CAPCOA) Handbook for Analyzing Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions, Assessing Climate Vulnerabilities, and Advancing Health and Equity. This handbook provides methods for quantifying GHG emission reduc­ tions from a list of measures primarily focused on project-level actions. The Handbook also includes methods for assessing potential co-benefits of different climate vulnerability reduc­ tion measures, as well as measures that can be implemented to improve health and equity. • Argonne National Laboratory’s Alternative Fuel Lifecycle Environmental and Economic Transportation (AFLEET) Tool: The spreadsheet provides detailed energy, emission, and cost data for alternative fuel and advanced vehicles (AFVs), including light-duty, heavy-duty, and off-road AFVs. This spreadsheet was used to estimate the GHG emission reduction potential of increased accessibility and usage of electric vehicle charging. A detailed explanation of the technical approach and the assumptions underlying the model is included in Appendix 2. HOW DID WE DEVELOP THE ZERO EMISSIONS PLAN

18 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN The Planning Process A key goal of the ZETP process was to develop and test new ways of engaging in planning with Cambridge community members. This included a new approach to inclusive engagement, putting the focus on getting community input starting from the very beginning to guide the development of a plan, rather than creating options or a draft plan and then asking for community reactions. The process aimed to include many voices—especially those who have been underheard, underserved, and historically excluded in the past. We identified an additional 3 priorities: build deep and lasting City-community relationships, foster community trust in City planning, and facilitate ongoing engagement. Following Engagement Best Practices We followed best practices for an equitable and effective process. This meant using the guiding principles that an equitable process should: 1. Be guided by community voices 2. Be transparent 3. Prioritize underserved, underheard, and historically excluded groups of people. 4. Reduce harm 5. Build long-term relationships. 6. Be accessible. Advisory Group The process centered on the formation of an advisory group composed of community orga­ nizations that serve or represent Cambridge residents, particularly those who may have been left out of planning efforts in the past, who could contribute lived experience and important perspectives on behalf of their communities. Advisory Group (AG) members met for 18 months to share their experiences and relay commu­ nity feedback about their mobility needs. The AG raised issues that affect equity in transpor­ tation, as well as other challenges that impact people in their communities. To support the AG process and make AG members’ influence as meaningful as possible, significant time was spent over multiple meetings sharing information with the members about land use and trans­ portation planning. Topics included transportation planning tools, opportunities, evolution in Cambridge, historical shortcomings, the role of community advocacy, accomplishments, etc. Increasing members’ familiarity and fluency in these topics supported a deeper, more tech­ nical ongoing discussion in the Plan development. In addition to the Community Development Department Transportation and Environmental Planning staff managing the project, the AG was supported by facilitation and technical consultants. HOW DID WE DEVELOP THE ZERO EMISSIONS PLAN

19 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN The process also emphasized building relationships among the AG and between AG members and City staff. Time was spent in each meeting connecting socially over food, and most of the meetings were spent in dialogue with brief substantive presentations to share information and frame issues for AG deliberation. AG members were encouraged to partner in developing meeting agendas, ask questions, and suggest topics about which they would like to learn more in future meetings. AG members contributed valuable insight and experience to the process, though their “day jobs” were not focused on transportation issues. Recognizing that they offered their time to this process amidst other work and community commitments, the City secured a grant through the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) to provide stipends to compensate AG members for their time. This support also made it possible for members from commu­ nity-based organizations not typically focused on transportation issues—but whose constit­ uencies are significantly impacted by transportation issues—to defray the cost of their staff participating in the process. Also recognizing that members’ other commitments may at times conflict with AG meeting times, the project team offered the option for 1-1 catch-up calls with members who had to miss a meeting. This helped make the commitment to the ongoing process more manageable and accessible for busy members with multiple commitments and kept them up to date as the meetings built on each other. Zero Emission Transportation Plan Advisory Group Members HOW DID WE DEVELOP THE ZERO EMISSIONS PLAN

20 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN Community Engagement Activities In addition to the AG process, City staff connected with many community members through a wide range of forums at more than 50 events (See Appendix 1) to share information about the ZETP process and hear ideas and concerns about transporta­ tion in the city that informed the Plan. Key engagement activities and forums included the following: Community Meetings The project team held two waves of in-person and virtual community meetings: • The first wave occurred mid-way through the development of the Plan (March 2024). The purpose of this first wave was to share information about the Plan and its goals, discuss the categories of actions and issues being considered in the Plan, and get ideas and feedback about the broad categories and potential actions within them. • The second wave occurred at the stage of the Draft Plan (November 2024). The purpose of this second wave was to share information about the Plan and its goals and share the draft actions being considered to include in the Plan for feedback and refinement based on community input. Community Engagement Team at the Community Development Department (CET@CDD) CET@CDD was an invaluable partner in the engagement efforts in the ZETP. CET@CDD provided feedback directly at many points communities. Additionally, they recruited participants from their communities and co-hosted two focus groups. Small-group meetings hosted by Advisory Group members Some AG members hosted informal focus- group meetings with their communities/ organizations to gather additional, targeted feedback during the development of the Plan. Focus groups In addition to the CET-convened meeting, the project staff hosted several other focus groups with particular interest groups such as neighborhood associations and transpor­ tation/sustainability advocates, to gather additional targeted feedback. HOW DID WE DEVELOP THE ZERO EMISSIONS PLAN

21 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN Committee meetings Project staff met with several City advisory committees to discuss the Plan and get feedback at various points in the process. Joining community events Project staff attended numerous events throughout the city to share information about the Plan and gather feedback. This engagement—typically informal through tabling and activities at fairs, cookouts, community-based organizations’ events, etc.—helped broaden the reach of engage­ ment, bringing information and opportuni­ ties to provide input to community members who otherwise may not have learned about or provided feedback on the Plan. may not have learned about or provided feedback on the Plan. City Council hearing Project staff and Advisory Group members presented draft strategies for the Zero Emissions Transportation Plan at a hearing of the City Council’s Health & Environment Committee.12 The hearing discussion helped inform this report. Emails, online feedback form, and individual conversations Community members shared thoughts and feedback on draft actions with project staff throughout the planning process. Community input from all these engage­ ment activities was synthesized as it was collected and brought to the AG to discuss and integrate into the Plan. This process ensured that the Plan reflected community ideas, feedback, and concerns and that the AG’s guidance was grounded in a broad range of community voices. 12. The Plan was called the Net Zero Transportation Plan at the time of the hearing. HOW DID WE DEVELOP THE ZERO EMISSIONS PLAN

22 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN HOW DID WE DEVELOP THE ZERO EMISSIONS PLAN What we Learned from the Community to Guide the Plan Over the course of the process with the Advisory Group and the broader community, we heard a number of critical recurring themes. This feedback guided the development of all actions in the Plan: People want to make a change, but they need support to do so. Community members were enthusiastic about potential changes and improvements to Cambridge's transportation systems and showed a willingness to adopt new transportation behaviors. However, they emphasized that they need better transportation options to address practical barriers they face to choosing options that reduce climate pollution. People want to know that the City hears their mobility concerns and is doing something to address them. The responses need to be co-led by the community. The City should engage in partnerships with the many communities in Cambridge by supporting community-led projects. In cases where change is hard, it needs to acknowledge those challenges and work with the community to figure out how the harm or the discomfort of change can be managed. “Don’t punish me for owning and using a car—make it easier for me not to.” • There are some very real reasons that it can be hard to live without using a car. • People are making the best transpor tation choices they can, given the options available. • Actions should be focused on improving the choices available to people, rather than making it harder for them to use their car, if that is what is accessible to them. • Public transportation needs to be better: more reliable, more frequent schedules, and it needs to feel safe and clean • Biking and walking need to be safer and more accessibl Cars increase people’s independence. Other transportation options must address these needs. With cars, benefits people experience include: • I don’t have to wait for a bus that makes me late. • I can get to a job that is far from home, or to multiple jobs in one day. • I can go on a weekend trip outside the city. • I can get my kid to afterschool activities. • I am more protected from violence when inside my car.

23 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS At the same time, cars are also causing people to lose independence. People would love to be less reliant on cars if other options were available. With cars, disadvantages people experience include: • I don’t leave my house after I get home from work because I don’t want to lose my parking. • I plan around my kids’ lives because I have to be available to drive them places. • I can’t receive visitors in my home because they can’t find parking. • My health is especially impacted by particulates caused by vehicle traffic that worsen air quality. • Traffic congestion makes every trip take much longer. Pricing actions (such as making it more expensive to own or park a car) feel punitive and inherently inequitable. • A small increase in these costs will weigh most heavily on people with less money and just be absorbed by people with more money. They will not significantly change behavior in either case. • Means-testing (i.e. requiring people to prove their low-income status) creates onerous obstacles to receiving support and incentives. Time-intensive administrative tasks required to demonstrate eligibility demand more time and effort from people already facing systemic barriers who may benefit most from those incentives. We need to do a better job communicating about the changes that are coming. • Acknowledge the challenges that could come with transitioning to new kinds of transpor­ tation. • Clearly explain the problems that these Plan actions will solve and how these connect to the concerns people expressed. I plan around my kids’ lives because I have to be available to drive them places. • I can’t receive visitors in my home because they can’t find parking. • My health is especially impacted by particulates caused by vehicle traffic that worsen air quality. • Traffic congestion makes every trip take much longer.

24 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS Pricing actions (such as making it more expensive to own or park a car) feel punitive and inherently inequitable. • A small increase in these costs will weigh most heavily on people with less money and just be absorbed by people with more money. They will not significantly change behavior in either case. • Means-testing (i.e. requiring people to prove their low-income status) creates onerous obsta­ cles to receiving support and incentives. Time-intensive administrative tasks required to demonstrate eligibility demand more time and effort from people already facing systemic barriers who may benefit most from those incentives. We need to do a better job communicating about the changes that are coming. • Acknowledge the challenges that could come with transitioning to new kinds of transporta­ tion. • Clearly explain the problems that these Plan actions will solve and how these connect to the concerns people expressed. Seniors and people with disabilities, in particular, need a reliable, convenient, and digni­ fied way to get around. In some cases, it may not be an option not to use a car. The Plan needs to take seriously the need to improve these people’s mobility options and disrupt the pattern of their needs being left out, as has occurred historically in other planning efforts and contexts. Electric vehicles (EVs) and charging need to be more affordable and accessible. This needs to include education and outreach to help make it easier for people to consider the change in habits required and feel comfortable using an EV. Also, EVs are only part of the solution. EVs can eliminate transportation-related emissions, but still create traffic and safety concerns. They also have other negative effects because of the intensity of resources required to build and operate them. Housing needs to be more affordable to allow people to live closer to where they need to go. People need easy, close access to the places they go to regularly if we expect them to walk, bike, or take public transportation

25 CAMBRIDGE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION PLAN Those who are responsible for creating more emissions—and who have more resources now as a result—should have more responsibility for reducing them. If we don't specifically call out the needs of marginalized voices, they're going to continue living with at least as many burdens as more privileged people, as a matter of course.Individuals and large institutions who have profited from the system as it has functioned should take on more responsibility for reducing emissions. Not all actions have to be for all people. All communities and different types of people should be able to see themselves in the Plan. There must be many transportation options, so people see ways to contribute to emissions reduction and have opportunities to improve their mobility. To be successful in eliminating GHG emissions, we need to: • Support a broad culture of sustainable mobility that reflects and invites participation from the broad Cambridge community. • Infuse social connection into our transportation network to make travel a part of what enriches people's lives. • Ensure the transition is as comfortable as possible