ACCESSIBILITY-based travel model & West Station Area Pilot study

Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Boston, MA

Renaissance led the development of an accessibility-based sketch travel model to help agencies in the Boston region perform quick-response scenario planning to evaluate smart growth transportation and land use concepts. The project was prompted in part by a proposal to redevelop the vacant Allston Rail Yards into a compact, mixed-use center anchored by a new station (West Station) on the Worcester Line commuter rail system and incorporating the realignment of the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) to maximize developable area on the site. MAPC was interested in understanding the degree to which different land use mixes and transportation system configurations could shift travel demand forecasts to different destinations or modes.

Renaissance developed the accessibility travel model using our enhanced multimodal accessibility (EMMA) Python module. The tool analyzes trip generation, mode choice, and trip distribution at multiple geographic scales with detailed results at the block level to coarser results across the region. It provides insight into travel by walking, bicycling, transit, auto passenger, and auto driver modes; a post-processing tool was added to address the growing importance of transportation network companies (TNC’s) like Uber and Lyft under varying land use, transportation, and pricing scenarios. Since it leverages data from the established regional forecasting models and offers a robust, streamlined approach to evaluating mode choice and trip distribution, the accessibility tool can be readily redeployed for detailed analysis at sites similar to the West Station area throughout the Boston region.

The accessibility model was piloted as part of a larger West Station study undertaken by MAPC to assess travel demand by mode under varying assumptions regarding land use mix and intensity in the development area, as well as different approaches to transit service changes and transportation demand management. Renaissance delivered analytical results as well as the complete accessibility travel model and supporting tools to MAPC for staff to apply in subsequent sensitivity tests and scenario planning efforts regionwide.

More information is available at the MAPC Accessibility-Based Travel Model website.