A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-111, regarding a report on TNC vehicles blocking travel lanes

ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO 125 SIXTH STREET, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02142 TELEPHONE [phone removed] WEB www.cambridgepolice.org FACEBOOK facebook.com/CambridgePolice TWITTER twitter.com/CambridgePolice Louis A. DePasquale City Manager Dr. Branville G. Bard, Jr. Police Commissioner To: City Manager, Louis A. DePasquale From: Police Commissioner, Branville G. Bard, Jr. Date: February 5, 2019 Ref.: Awaiting Report 18-111 Re: TNC Vehicles Blocking Travel Lanes The purpose of this response is to address Awaiting Report 18-111, regarding the uptick in Transportation Network Company (TNC) associated vehicles blocking travel lanes to pick up and drop off passengers, and drivers of these vehicles placing peoples’ safety in jeopardy, as well as adding to the traffic congestion in The Port neighborhood. The Police Department and the Traffic, Parking & Transportation Department have been working together to address these concerns. Director Joe Barr is addressing his department’s efforts to work with TNC’s to create pickup and drop off zones that are integrated into the various mobile apps. We have seen an increased willingness from the TNC’s to work with municipalities on creating the ability to notify both drivers and users on acceptable drop off and pick up locations. While these efforts should reduce improper stopping, enforcement and education by our officers will be the most visible and effective tactic to curtail this behavior. For the past two years, all veteran and new police officers have received a block of instruction on the city’s Vision Zero efforts. A major point of emphasis has been on addressing bicycle lane violations and other unsafe operation that puts pedestrians and bicyclists at risk. In addition to the city parking violation B1 for blocked bicycle lane, the legislature passed a new law (MGL ch. 89 s 4D) at the beginning of 2017 that made it a violation of state law to stand or park in a marked bicycle lane. This is an important new enforcement tool because the violation is issued to the operator of the vehicle and not to the registered owner as is the case with the city’s parking ticket. In the past, officers received feedback from commercial vehicle operators and TNC drivers that parking tickets were viewed as a cost of doing business and were unlikely to deter behavior. The new statute places responsibility on the operator which then becomes part of their personal driving history. Drivers of TNC and commercial vehicles are much more likely to change behavior when the violation attaches to them and not their vehicle.

ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO 125 SIXTH STREET, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02142 Two of the police department’s current performance measures are tied to assignments conducted to monitor for bicycle lane violations and for citations issued for these violations. There has been a steady increase each year in the amount of time officers spend in addressing these violations. In FY18, 1495 enforcement assignments were conducted citywide for bicycle lanes. Officers are directed to self-initiate activity and to take action whenever violations are observed. In addition, the department is utilizing analysis of high crash locations and data on requests from the public for enforcement via applications like See, Click, Fix and MYPD to direct enforcement activity. The police department currently has two active traffic safety grants that fund enforcement activity. The grants allow some local discretion to address community concerns. Officers conducting grant activity have been encouraged to issue citations for blocked bicycle lanes utilizing the new state statute in addition to other violations that align with our Vision Zero goals. Traffic Safety grant activity will be increasing in the coming months as the weather improves. This funding will allow sustained enforcement through the summer and into the early fall. It is important to note that the police department’s education and enforcement activity is focused on the violation and not the type of vehicle committing the violation. It is not always immediately clear if a violation committed by a passenger vehicle with a passenger registration is operating as a TNC. I hope you find this response satisfactory, and if there are any additional questions or information needed regarding this matter, please let me know. The police department will continue to work to identify and resolve issues that impact specific neighborhoods, areas, and the City as a whole. Sincerely, Branville, G. Bard, Jr. Police Commissioner