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Massachusetts is ranked second in the nation on the League of American Bicyclists' 2024 list of Bicycle Friendly States, announced the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) on December 20th from Boston, a ranking which places Massachusetts above any other state in the Northeast and along the east coast.
“We are honored and thrilled with this recognition, which celebrates the extraordinary work of our designers, engineers, planning, and community outreach employees who are making our bicycling infrastructure more robust and our transportation network more inclusive,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt in a statement issued by press relase. “Bicycling offers amazing physical and mental health benefits, and it helps make the transportation sector greener and cleaner. For anyone who wants to pursue more bicycling, it is very clear that Massachusetts is an exceptional place to do it.”
MassDOT attributes the high ranking to the result of the state's policies since 2012 that have required an increase of bicycling, transit, and walking options in all state-funded or designed transportation projects, along with the availability of state funding to municipalities for creating Complete Streets infrastructure.
Indeed, the influence of state funding has been felt in Westwood as town officials and residents have wrestled with the best path forward for a plan to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety on Canton Street. Discussions have included the idea incorporating a new shared use path for multimodal travel which, in accordance with state policy for projects eligible for state funding, would increase connectivity for users of the roadway. A significant amount of debate, however, has centered about how to implement a design that reflects the state's policy interests while also respecting Canton Street residents' desire to keep their street a scenic way.
In 2023, MassDOT completed dozens of roadway projects that added new bike lanes, sidewalks, shared use paths, and crosswalks, and the MassTrails Team officially launched its Priority Trails Network map. Approximately 20 miles of shared use paths constructed by MassDOT or jointly funded through MassTrails opened for the first time in 2023, expanding multimodal connectivity and enhancing bicyclist and pedestrian safety.
Through the Shared Streets and Spaces Funding Program, MassDOT provides technical and funding assistance to help Massachusetts cities and towns conceive, design and implement tactical changes to curbs, streets, on-street parking spaces and off-street parking lots.
Through the Complete Streets Funding Program, MassDOT provides grants to municipalities to fund local multimodal infrastructure projects that improve travel for bicyclists, pedestrians, public transit users, and individuals using other forms of transportation.
Updated 12/24/2024 at 8:37 p.m.
