HomeMy Public PortalAbout2019-06-10 -TMA and TDM z83.
Watertown Town Council
Administration Building
149 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Phone: 617-972-6470
ELECTED
OFFICIALS:
Committee on Economic Development and Planning
Meeting Date: June 18, 2019
Council Presid
Marks.Sresid,ent Report Date: July �9 2019
Vincent J.Piccirilli,Jr.,
Vice President& The Committee convened on Tuesday, June 18 2019 at 6:00 m in the PhilipPane
District C Councilor 5'> > p
Lower Conference Room. Present were Kenneth Woodland, chair; Lisa Feltner, vice
Caroline Bays chair; and Vincent Piccirilli, secretary. Staff present were Laura Wiener, Senior
Councilor At Large Transportation Planner; and Steven Magoon,Assistant Town Manager/Director of
Anthony J.Donato, Community Development and Planning. See Attachment A for a list of other attendees.
Councilor At Large
Susan G.Falkoff, The purpose of the meeting was:
Councilor At Large 1. Update on the progress of the Transportation Management Association(TMA) objectives
2. Transportation Demand Management(TDM)Annual Report
Anthony Palomba,
Councilor At Large
Transportation Management Association (TMA):
Angeline B.Kounelis, Mr. Magoon began by noting that the TMA is more than just the shuttle and
District A Councilor encompasses a range of other programming, and provided an overview of the TMA by
Lisa J.Feltner, reviewing material in prior reports of April 10, 2018 and July 10, 2018.
District B Councilor
(For reference see: www.watertown-ma.eov/DocumentCenter/View/24518/ and www.watertown-
Kenneth M.Woodland, ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25395/ )
District D Councilor
As an update since the last meeting, he noted the following regarding the shuttle:
• With the Town Council's appropriation of funds to the shuttle program last year, the expectation
was that the program would move more quickly, but it has been difficult to do.
• Pleasant St was previously the priority because it lacks public transit,but the TMA is now
looking to start on Arsenal St because that is where the bigger demand is.
• The TMA believes that leveraging the existing private shuttles along Arsenal St may be the
most viable way to create a successful community shuttle,building upon existing success.
Next, Bridger McGaw from athenahealth, who is the President of the Watertown TMA, spoke about the
organization(see Attachment B). He said the TMA looked at multiple proposals over the last few years
to expand shuttle opportunities, and they are currently working with Arsenal Street business and
residential properties as well as Tufts Health Plan to expand access to MBTA transit hubs through the
existing athenahealth shuttles. This new partnership is called the "Watertown Connector" and they are
hoping to launch it soon, using proven methods by WeDriveU, athenahealth's best-in-class
transportation service provider. They are working out routes and logistics as well as mobile boarding
methods and employee engagement efforts to encourage ridership.
Page 1 of 3
Committee on Economic Development & Planning Report —July 9, 2019
The Committee and members of the public spoke about the following:
• Why is the shuttle pilot taking so long to start?
• Athenahealth's Special Permit requires them to participate in the TMA; what's taking so long?
• Why is the DCDP not developing a timeline and budget?
• There is a strong public interest to allow members of the public to ride the TMA shuttles.
• Why there is a change of plans to prioritize Arsenal St instead of Pleasant St?
• What are the specifics on the Watertown Connector plan?
• Can the Committee come up with an alternative plan to the Watertown Connector?
Mr. Magoon clarified that:
• The Watertown TMA is an independent organization that is not part of Town government, but
that the Town of Watertown is a dues-paying member;
• The purpose of the TMA is to serve its members with programs to reduce traffic;
• The Town of Watertown,by being a dues-paying member, enables members of the public to
access the shuttle but that the cost and fee structure for doing so has not been decided;
• The Town Council cannot direct the TMA to perform specific tasks, and can only make
requests.
Mr. McGaw added that the TMA is implementing best practices using professional shuttle operators;
that data needs to be available in order to deploy resources effectively; and that building upon proven
shuttle demand is critical to successfully expanding it community-wide.
The Committee requested that the TMA provide an outline of the Watertown Connector Plan and an
aspirational timeline. Note subsequent to the meeting, Ms. Wiener provided this additional information
in Attachment C.
Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
Ms. Wiener presented the 2019 TDM Annual Report(Attachment C) and talked about the progress
made since last year. What is very encouraging is how few of the parking spaces required under zoning
are actually being used. For example,the Gables on Arsenal St is at 93% occupancy but the only 43%
of the parking spaces are being used at night, meaning the worst-case conditions contained in the traffic
studies have not occurred. This is an indication that the incentives to reduce car usage appear to be
working.
The Committee and members of the public spoke about the following:
• The key to getting more people out of their cars is to provide more transit options. With the
current state of the MBTA, we need to develop short, medium, and long-term plans to transit
alternatives.
• The connection to the Brighton Landing rail stop is seen as critical to improving commuting
patterns.
• The positive trend in reduced ownership of cars for these large developments means we may
want to reconsider zoning parking requirements.
• Why is athenahealth not providing TDM reporting as required by their Special Permit?
• Can the information from the TDM checklist requirements be included in the TDM report?
Page 2 of 3
Committee on Economic Development & Planning Report -July 9, 2019
Regarding the athenahealth TDM reporting requirements, Mr. Magoon clarified that this only kicks in
after they receive the Certificate of Occupancy on the parking garage, which has not yet occurred as
they only have a temporary Certificate of Occupancy.
Note subsequent to the meeting, Ms. Wiener provided the additional information on the TDM checklist
requirements in Attachment C.
The meeting adjourned at 8:21 pm.
Report prepared by Vincent Piccirilli
Attachments:
A. List of attendees
B. Bridger McGaw Watertown TMA talking points (2 pages)
C. Laura Wiener June 24, 2019 memo (14 pages)with:
• Revised 2019 TDM Annual Report
• 2018 TDM annual Report with TDM Project Requirements
• Watertown Connector Proposal
Page 3 of 3
Attachment A
Economic Development and Planning Committee Meeting
June 18, 2019 6:00 pm
Attendees
Name Street or Organization
Aaron Dushku Garfield St
Richard Kalish Pleasant St
Jeanne Trubek Repton Place
Jonathan Bockian Irving St
Bridger McGaw athenahealth
Sophia Galimore TransAction Associates
Meredith Fields Palfrey St
Charlie Brietrose Watertown News
David Stokes Lawrence St
Steve Steadman Common St
Tony Palomba Town Council
Mark Peterson Westland Rd
Attachment B
REMARKS BY BRIDGER MCGAW, PRESIDENT,WATERTOWN TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT
ASSOCIATION AS PREPARED FOR JUNE 18, 2019
Good Evening.
My name is Bridger McGaw and I currently serve as the elected President of the Watertown
Transportation Management Association.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today and answer any questions you may have.
For those not familiar with the Watertown Transportation Management Association, we have 14
members in our not-for-profit organization. 6 members are local businesses, 7 are residential
properties, and the Town of Watertown. In the past year, we have welcomed 1 new member—VHB
with offices on Arsenal Street. Our annual budget as a not-for-profit group is $148,000 with
management fees ranging from $2,000/year to$12,000/year depending on the square footage of the
facility, number of residential units, and number of employees.
There has been a lot of use of the term TMA or Transportation Management Association in Watertown
over the years and we thought it important to explain generally what a TMA actually is and does: In the
United States,TMAs typically form as a non-profit corporation, providing services to both private and
public employers and their employees.TMAs provide a variety of services related to transportation
demand management, usually focused on expanding knowledge of alternatives to commuting in single-
occupant vehicles.TMAs are policy advocacy groups designed to support and encourage members to
advocate to their employees to use these alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle utilization. While
some TMA's facilitate ride matching and operate extensive and costly shuttle systems for their
members, last mile shuttle buses are not the standard fare for TMAs. TMA's advocate and engage in
supporting efforts that lead to adoption of car and van pooling, ride-matching, mass transit utilization,
biking, walking, and any other means that may help reduce cars on our roadways.
Many of our members have requirements to join the TMA and some businesses have elected to do so
out of their interest in the overall goal of encouraging employees to pursue alternatives other than
driving to work. Some members have TDM requirements, but many do not. Some TMA members have
been active participants in Arsenal Street Corridor Study as well as Bus Rapid Transit pilot between
Cambridge and Watertown in an effort to support and encourage more impactful transportation policy
and options in town. You will find that many of our members have leaned quite forward in their efforts
to offer ideas, concepts, opportunities to address community and business issues that impact our
community's overall economic development goals.
Over the last year of working together as a TMA,we have endeavored to think about how to address a
diversity of ideas and shared issues regarding the state of the transportation system in, around, and
through Watertown. We all recognize that the Town is challenged by the large number of commuters
driving through the Town daily to points beyond Watertown. We also know that the MBTA is not likely
to bring new services to the area anytime soon, but we are willing to continue to advocate for additional
service and action by the META.
I'm sure you have many shuttle bus questions. Led by athenahealth, we have put forward multiple
proposals over the last few years regarding expanded shuttle opportunities. We are currently working
with Arsenal Street business and residential properties as we as Tufts Health to expand our collective
access to Boston area MBTA transit hubs through our athena shuttles. We are calling this new
partnership the Watertown Connector and aiming to get this business partnership launched soon.
Applying proven methods used by WeDriveU, our best-in-class transportation service provider, we have
had great conversations and are working out routing and logistics as well as mobile boarding methods
and other employee engagement efforts to encourage ridership adoption. We are hopeful this results in
greater economic development for the area while reducing SOV travel to and from these locations.
The Watertown TMA would also like to thank Steve Magoon and Laura Weiner for their collaboration in
all our initiatives as we work together to reduce SOV travel and impact on the environment.
I look forward to any questions.
TOWN OF WATERTOWN Attachment C
i6 Department of
• - Community Development and Planning
f` PLANNING OFFICE
{i r. v. .
c rt` Administration Building
149 Main Street
\VatertaWn, MA 02472
Steve Magoon Phone: 617-972.6417
Director Fax: 617-972-6484
smagoonLlwatertown-ma.gov www.watertown-ma.gov
To: Economic Development and Planning Committee of the Town Council
Steve Magoon, Director of Community Development and Planning and
Assistant Town Manager
From: Laura Wiener, Senior Transportation Planner
Date: June 24, 2019
Re: Follow-up from 6/18/19 Committee meeting on 2019 Transportation Demand
Management Annual Report
Attached you will find a slightly revised 2019 TDM Annual Report. The major revision is the
addition of Commuting Survey data for the Marriott. The Council also requested information
on each project's TDM requirements. I have attached the 2018 TDM Annual Report which lists
all of the TDM and Special Permit requirements for each project. Many of the requirements are
physical, such as bike parking, showers and locker rooms, EV and carshare spaces. These
requirements were certified to be complete last year, and do not need to be recertified
annually. However, the commuting mode requirements are more dynamic and will need to be
addressed annually.
Lastly, I want to update you with information about the schedule for the envisioned Watertown
Connector shuttle, as reported by the President of the Watertown Transportation Management
Association (WTMA) Bridger McGaw at our June 20th WTMA meeting. The Watertown
Connector is scheduled to launch in mid-July with VHB as the first new participant. Throughout
the summer, the shuttle system is anticipated to start serving riders from Tufts Health Plan,
Gables, and Elan Union Market. Arsenal Yards is planned for this Fall with Marriott exploring
participation in the Arsenal Yards stop as well. I am also attaching a proposal that Athena sent
potential shuttle partners. Page two includes information on shuttle destinations.
Attachment A: Revised 2019 Annual Report
Attachment B: 2018 Annual Report, with TDM Project Requirements
Attachment C: Watertown Connector Proposal
TOWN OF WATERTOWN
1630 Department of
• Community Development and Planning
PLANNING OFFICE
ar
Administration Building /I
149 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Steve Magoon Phone: 617.972-6417
Director Fax: 617-972.6484
smagoon@watertown-ma.gov www.watertown-ma.gov
To: Town Council Committee on Economic Development and Planning
Steve Magoon, Director of Community Development and Planning and
Assistant Town Manager
From: Laura Wiener, Senior Transportation Planner
Date: June 18, 2019, revised June 24, 2019
Re: 2019 Annual Report to Council on Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
Program
Chapter 72 of the Town Ordinances, which created the Transportation Demand Management
(TDM) Program, requires an Annual Report to Town Council regarding progress and status of the
Program, adopted in 2017. This is the second Annual Report in fulfillment of that requirement.
The following developments in Watertown have TDM requirements, are fully occupied and
operational, and have been recently monitored. Information on their TDM requirements and
status follows.
1. Marriott Hotel-570 Arsenal Street.
2. Linx-480 Arsenal St/Arsenal Way.
3. Gables-204 Arsenal Street.
4. Elan Union Market-130 Arsenal Street.
5. Watertown Mews-1 Repton Place.
6. Athena health-311 Arsenal Street, Arsenal on the Charles. (Monitoring is pending)
The following developments have approved TDM Plans but are not yet occupied, and therefore
were not monitored.
• Arsenal Yards—occupancy will begin in fall, 2019
• 385 Pleasant St (Amstel Heritage)
• Water Mills--330-350 Pleasant St
• 80Elm--Self Storage
• 33 Mt. Auburn St.--15 units, 1900 sf. Retail, Basic Plan only
1. Marriott Hotel.
Residence Inn by Marriot, Derek Tawil.
150 rooms, 121 parking spaces, 10 bike parking spaces
The hotel has met all of the physical requirements and commitments from their TDM
plan, such as follow-up traffic study, participation in the TMA, installation of bicycle
parking, EV charging station, shower, kitchen (see 2018 TDM report, attached). They
have an on-site Transportation Coordinator who assists both hotel guests and
employees.
The hotel changed hands during this past year, from Boylston Properties. The new
owner was not well aware of the TDM requirements but is now aware, and has begun to
participate in TMA meetings.
Management has conducted the first survey of employee commuting modes to establish
a baseline. There are currently 42 employees. With 38% of employees responding to
the survey, 63% are commuting by single occupancy vehicle (sov), 19% are using the
MBTA subway and/or bus, and 13% are carpooling.
Marriott has a few challenges to promoting non-vehicle travel. There is more than
ample free parking, which takes away an important incentive to leaving the car behind.
On a recent midday, only 36% of spaces were occupied, and in the evening (8:30 pm)
parking spaces were 50% occupied. Bike parking is underutilized. Also challenging is
that there are only 42 employees, on varying shifts, making it hard to carpool. Less than
10 employees travel at regular commuting times. Reportedly, many use the bus.
Marriott is required to participate in both the TMA and a shuttle. They run a guest
shuttle which they report is well utilized and usually operates above 50% occupancy,
especially in the morning. There are not enough employees at regular commute times
to warrant their own shuttle stop on a TMA shuttle. Marriott employees maybe able to
access the shuttle at the Arsenal Yards once that project is open. We are exploring that
possibility for the fall.
2. The Linx.480 Arsenal Street/Arsenal Wav
Clarion Partners, Robyn Duffy(property manager)
185,595 sf office/lab space,566 parking spaces, 37 bike parking spaces
The Linx has reached full occupancy as of June, 2019. This is their first monitoring. Their Special
Permit requires traffic counts at 6 and 12 months after full occupancy,to evaluate impacts on
Elton Ave. Nichols Ave. and Bigelow Ave. The owner and manager have agreed to do a first set
2
of counts in the fall of 2019.They have met the physical requirements and commitments from
their TDM Plan,such as providing 37 bicycle racks, EV charging stations, providing connection to
the'Greenway, on-site showers and lockers.They are working with the TMA to provide bike and
transit information to tenants such as maps, routes and transit schedules, both hard copies and
electronically. "Transit Screen" will be installed on the employee app.
The Linx is required to participate in both the TMA and the shuttle. Currently they are running
their own shuttle to Harvard Square. They run two shuttle vans, roughly every half hour. We
are working with them to try to include them in the WTMA shuttle, but they have not yet agreed
to this. Their shuttle to Harvard Square runs at an overall occupancy of 10%.
The Linx also changed hands within the last year. The new owner was not well aware of the
TDM requirements but is more aware, and has begun to participate in TMA meetings.
In June we began to develop preliminary baseline numbers for commuting mode, by
counting cars, bikes and shuttle users on a single day. The management also put out a
survey for all employees. Early results are shown below, with 21%of employees
responding to the survey so far.
On
Linx Transportation 61119
Shuttle riders 20 9%
Bikes 13 6%
Cars 179 84%
Total known 212
Total Total
Parking Spaces Cars
524 179 34%
A survey was sent to all employees working at Linx. Here are the very preliminary results:
Current Commuting Mode
Drive alone 29 61%
MBTA alone 0 0%
Shuttle + MBTA 15 31%
Bike 0 0%
Walk 1 2%
Carpool 3 6%
48 100%
When the survey is completed we will establish a baseline for commuting modes. Current
information is that single vehicle drivers are between 61 and 84%of all commuters.
3
Like the Marriott,the Linx has more than ample free parking, which takes away an
important incentive to alternative modes of transportation. Parking lot counts were
taken at 8 points during the week of June 10. The average occupancy of parking spaces
was 39%, and the highest occupancy was 43%. The building clearly has a lot more
parking than it needs, and the ample free parking makes it harder to entice employees
to use alternative modes.
3. Gables--204 Arsenal Street
297 apartments, 6,700 sf retail; 627 vehicle parking spaces,42 bike parking spaces.
The Gables is at 93%occupancy as of June, 2019. The retail space is still entirely vacant. The
owner is required to do traffic counts 12 months after full occupancy,to evaluate traffic impacts
on Arsenal Street.The Town has not requested new counts because they are not fully occupied,
especially because of the retail.They are participating in the TMA, paying their dues and have
attended most meetings from its inception.They have met the physical requirements and
commitments from their Special Permit, such as providing 42 bicycle parking spaces, EV charging
stations, and constructing a community path in front of the property. There is no TDM Plan.
The development also has a shuttle requirement. They are currently in discussion with Athena
about participating in a shuttle, sharing a stop with Elan Union Market.
Observation on June 12 at 8:30 pm showed 270 parked cars, roughly one car per unit.The
parking lot was less than half full (43%). Some of the parking will eventually be used by the
retail tenants and customers, but this is clearly well above what is needed. Bicycle parking is
well utilized and exceeds demand. Ten bicycles were observed parked on a railing outside the
bicycle parking designated rooms,for a total of 47 parked bikes. Management reports they are
considering creating another indoor bicycle parking area.
4. Elan Union Market--56 Irvine/204 Arsenal
282 apartments, 10,600 sf retail,411 parking spaces, 86 bike parking spaces required.
This is the first Monitoring at Elan Union Market. The residential units are 48%occupied. The
commercial space is 64%leased. New traffic counts can be requested by the Town, but are not
now required.They just started participating in the TMA, paying their dues and attending one
meeting.They have met the physical requirements and commitments from their Special Permit
and TDM Plan, such as EV charging stations and car sharing spaces, on-site Transportation
Coordinator, providing information to tenants about bike and transit connections, providing
showers, changing rooms and lockers for staff, and construction of a community path in front of
the property. When fully occupied they will conduct a survey of their tenants' commuting
modes and conduct a baseline count of cars and bikes on site.
The development also has a shuttle requirement. They are currently in discussion with
athenahealth about participating in a shuttle,sharing a stop with The Gables.
4
Watertown Mews--1 Repton Place
206 rental units, 179 condos previously built(Repton Place),725 parking spaces for both Mews
and Repton combined, 50 bike parking spaces required. 168 garage parking spaces at$85/month.
Unlimited free surface parking.
I
Watertown Mews is fully occupied.They are members of the TMA, paying their dues and
attending sporadically.They have met the physical requirements and commitments from their
Special Permit, such as providing bicycle parking. Because this development was permitted in
2012,there is no TDM plan. The TMA provides information on transit and bikes. Management
reports more than ample parking, and not enough bike parking. A commuting mode survey is
pending.
The development also has a requirement to participate in the shuttle. Management has
indicated that they would be interested in a shuttle to Watertown Square or the red line. A
tenant survey found that about 50%of respondents said they might use a shuttle. There were
58 responses from Watertown Mews tenants.The TMA has consistently said that more
locations are needed to make a shuttle work on the Pleasant Street corridor. Two locations on
Pleasant Street with shuttle requirements are under construction. They are Water Mills--330-
350 Pleasant Street, and 385 Pleasant Street.
5
TOWN OF
1630 WATERTOWN
• Department of
7s X;
i Community Development and
Planning
Administration Building
149 Main Street
Watertown,MA 02472
Phone:617 972 6417
Fax:617 972 6484
www.watertown-ma.eov
To: Steve Magoon, Director of Community Development and Planning/Assistant Town Manager
Town Council Committee on Economic Development and Planning
From: Laura Wiener, Senior Transportation Planner
Date: April 3, 2018, revised June 24, 2019
RE: 2018 Transportation Demand Management Requirements for development projects
Since joining the department in January I have catalogued all of the transportation demand
management (TDM) requirements for development projects found in their special permits and TDM
Plans. There are eight (8) projects with TMA and/or shuttle requirements. Four are occupied and
functioning. I recently monitored four (4) projects and in general found that the owners/managers are
well aware of the requirements and mostly committed to shifting mode share away from single
occupancy vehicle use. All are members of the Transportation Management Association (TMA). Below
is a summary of the requirements and of my monitoring visit. I visited and monitored the following
projects:
1. Marriott Hotel at 570 Arsenal Street
2. The Gables at 204 Arsenal Street
3. Watertown Mews at 1 Repton Place
4. Athenahealth at the Arsenal on the Charles.
1. 570 Arsenal Street--Marriott Hotel (site visit and monitoring on 3/8/18)
Boylston Properties, Alejandro Miranda
150 rooms, 121 parking spaces, 10 bike parking spaces
• New traffic study after one year to compare actuals to projections. Done.
• Participate in TMA. Ongoing.
• Bicycle Parking—as shown on plan--4 covered hoop racks, 2 at main entrance. Done.
• TDM plan—from Traffic Study
• On site Transportation Coordinator to oversee TDM policies. Ongoing.
• Post info on public transportation services, maps, schedules and fares in a central location.
Done.
• Provide preferential parking for alternative fuel vehicles and car/vanpools for employees.
Done.
• Direct deposit for employees. Done.
• Shower, changing room and locker facility for employees within a clubhouse building. Done.
i
• Provide kitchen facility for employees. Done.
• Provide secure, weather protected bicycle parking on site. Done.
• Will conduct employee survey of transport to work mode.
2. Gables (aka Hanover)--204 Arsenal St.. (site visit and monitoring on 3/29/18)
297 apartments, 35,000 sf supermarket, 6,700 sf retail; 43,000 sf general retail on adjoining site
• Participate in TMA, pay proportional share. Ongoing.
• New traffic study 12 months after full occupancy(95%) comparing actual counts to projections.
Can require additional study, peer review, up to $10,000. Not yet at full occupancy.
• Provide racks as identified on the plans plus an option for securable hanging spaces in front
within garage. Should be ring and post racks or other approved by DCDP. Done.
• Provide at least 42 bike parking spots, shown on plan, 50% in an interior secure bicycle storage
room. Secure bike room provided. 40+ bikes parked in garage.
• Construct community path connecting to 314 Arsenal St, from western private way to Irving St.,
as well as sidewalks, crosswalks, wheelchair ramps. Done.
i
3. Watertown Mews--1 Reoton Place (Site visit and monitoring on 3/28/18)
206 rental units.
• Parking study 6 months after 80%occupancy. If parking is inadequate, can require
"shadow" spaces be built.
• When requested by DCDP staff, Petitioner will participate to a reasonable extent in light
of its proportionate use of such shuttle with other private and public stakeholders in the
planning and implementation of a potential shuttle bus service along Pleasant St.
• This project was built before formal Transportation Demand Management was required.
The owners have joined the TMA, and rely on them for disseminating information on
transit and bike routes.
• The owners report that they have more than enough automobile parking, and not
enough bike parking. They are working on providing more bike parking, and are
interested in bike sharing.
4. Athenahealth--311 Arsenal St. (TDM Plan dated July 1. 2016) Site visit on 3/30/18 to discuss
establishing baseline numbers for long term monitoring of mode share.
250,000 sf office
• Hire a TDM Coordinator, post contact info. Done.
• Participate in TMA, pay proportionately. Done.
• Incentive program for non-SOV commuters
o Transportation Benefit for non-SOV commuting 3 days/week, will receive cost of
monthly MBTA pass ($75.). Done.
o Also registered for monthly raffle.
2
• Provide information about transit, shuttles, bike parking, bike and pedestrian routes,
MassRIDES, car sharing, Emergency Ride Home. Doing this using live monitors in lobby and
dining area.
• Sponsor Annual employee transportation event. Done.
• Traffic Monitoring Program, identify commuting modes and success attaining trip reduction
goals. Working on establishing baseline numbers.
• Trip reduction training programs by TMA or Town
• Provide pre-tax benefit for transit pass users. Done.
• Corporate Pass Program for employees and tenants. Done.
• Ride match service
• Bike Accommodation. Many bike racks provided, indoor and outdoor. Interested in bike share
on campus.
0 80 interior and 60 exterior spaces distributed throughout campus
o Showers, changing rooms and lockers available. Done.
o Reflective vests offered
• Flexible work schedules and ability to work from home. Done.
• Neighborhood (off-campus) parking prohibited. Done.
• Trip reduction goals-20%for Athena, 15%for campus
o Traffic Monitoring program will begin after final C.O. for new parking garage and
continue annually for 2-7 years. Final C.O. not yet issued.
• Install trip counting equipment
■ Establish baseline within 60 days of Campus Master Plan special permit, using
trip counters and employee survey. Annually collect vehicle data, parking data,
survey data. (Should be done already). Initial survey and count information
collected in 2016 shows 64% single occupancy vehicle commute mode.
■ Count one week each month, collate annually
■ Annual survey of commuting modes.An employee survey is planned for May,
2018.
■ Document off-site parking
■ Reduction goals should be met annually-20% reduction
• Reports due 2 months after data collection period, each year during monitoring
program. (2 years minimum)
• Shuttle Bus at 15 min. intervals during peak hour, on-demand during off peak. May serve other
developments to extent feasible. Extensive shuttle service provided.
o If similar benefit offered by Watertown TMA, will participate
The following projects are not ready for monitoring but have TDM requirements. Their requirements
are more extensive than the projects already occupied due to the adoption of TDM requirements in
the zoning ordinance in May, 2017.
3
5. The Linx--480 Arsenal Street (partially leased but not occupied)
Boylston Properties
185,595 sf office, 566 parking spaces (need 37 bike parking spaces)
• TMA participation up to$50,000/year
• Monitoring 6 and 12 months after occupancy
• Traffic counts, turning movements, evaluate impacts on Elton, Nichols, Bigelow. Compare to
projections. Director can require additional study and additional mitigation up to $50,000. May
require on-site traffic calming.
• Additional study up to $7500.
• Five electric car parking spaces and three car sharing spaces
• Bicycle rack location and style to be approved by DCDP staff. Should be on Control Plans
• Bike accommodations
o Bicycle maps posted and provided
o Bicycle parking outdoors, and in secured covered area
o Bicycle repair indoors
o On-site shower
• Pedestrian accommodations
o Connection to Greenway Rail Trail
o Install Sidewalk connection to Nichols Ave. and along Nichols Ave. frontage
o Crosswalk installation across Nichols to Bigelow Ave.
I
• Transit Accommodation
o Transit schedules and links to MBTA web site on tenant websites
o Transit maps provided
o Tenants will be encouraged to provide transit subsidies
o Sidewalks and crosswalks to connect to Mt. Auburn St. bus stops
• Transportation Demand Management
o On site Transportation Coordinator
o Post info. re.transportation services, maps, schedules, fare info in visible location
o Preferential parking for alternatively fueled vehicles and car/vanpools by employees
o Car charging stations
o Car share spaces
o Direct deposit for employee paychecks
o Shower, changing room and locker facility for employees
o Welcome Package for employees detailing transportation services and maps and
commuter options
o New traffic study after 2 years occupancy
6. Arsenal Yards (TDM Plan dated Dec. 9. 2016)—under construction
Boylston Properties
424 rental units; 374,000 sf commercial
• Full-time on-site TDM Coordinator
4
• Welcome packet for all tenants with MBTA maps and schedules, information about shuttles,
bike parking, bike and pedestrian routes, MassRIDES, car sharing, Emergency Ride Home
• Participate in TMA. Ongoing.
• Provide pre-tax benefit for transit pass users
• Corporate Pass Program for employees and tenants.
• Dedicated carpool spaces
• Electric car sharing spaces on site
• Air pumps and other bicycle tools provided
• Area for bike sharing station
• Provide bike parking
• Commercial tenants,through tenant leases, encourage employers to provide:
o Monthly transit subsidies to qualified employees
o Pre-tax benefit for transit pass users
o Promote ride-sharing
• Residential tenants
o "Welcome Package"
o Free one month MBTA pass if requested
o Bike parking inside secured garage, and outside
o Transit, bike and pedestrian routes in lobby
o Preferential parking for alternative fuel vehicles and carpoolers
o Car charging spaces
o Car sharing spaces
o Unbundling of residential parking
• Trip reduction goals-20% reduction from Townwide mode share.
o Traffic Monitoring program will begin at issuance of permanent CO for first new building
I
or phase, and continue for 5 years.
• Install trip counting equipment at site driveway and in garage
• Establish baseline using trip counters and employee survey. Annually collect
vehicle data, parking data, survey data.
• Annual survey of commuting modes
■ Reports due 2 months after data collection period, each year during monitoring
program. (5 years minimum)
7. Elan Watertown--56 Irving/204 Arsenal (aka Grevstarl—under construction
288 (282) apartments, 15,000 (10,600) sf retail
• $1,250,000 for off-site improvements
• New counts can be conducted
• Participate in formation of TMA, financial contribution in proportionate share
• Ped accommodation
• 86 interior bike parking for residential, plus bike parking for retail. DCDP will review rack style.
• 5 electric car parking spaces and 3 car sharing spaces in public area of garage
5
• Community path constructed along frontage at same grade as sidewalk
8. Water Mills--330-350 Pleasant Street (under construction)
Special Permit granted Feb. 21, 2017
18,445 sf commercial; 99 rental units
• Bike path connection to Charles River
• Needs a TDM plan
o Info on bike parking
o Parking for car sharing
• TMA and shuttle participation up to $32,500
• TMA will implement TDM plan
o Transit information re. maps, schedules, fares
o Bike, walking and other commuting alternatives, commuter options
9. 385 Pleasant Street Amstel Heritage
10,800 sf commercial, 53 rental units.
Goal of 20% reduction in SOV overtime
• TMA and shuttle participation in proportionate share.
• Transportation Coordinator
o Provide info on transit
o Monitor program
o Manage preferential parking
• Unbundle parking
• New ped/bike connection to Greenway
• Bicycle parking—up to 8 racks, 16 spaces and weather protected bicycle shelter behind
residential buildings
• Shower and lockers in commercial building bathroom
• Bicycle repair facility
6
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Want to Improve the Commute for Your Employees and Tenants?
Ride With Us!
"Not only are these employers changing
how America commutes, they know that
it makes good business sense to provide 1001
commuter programs to employees."
-Julie tend,Best Workplaces for Commuters • •
i
Rethink Your Commute
C..,::
Let's make reliable local transit a reality for your commuters - join the
Watertown Connector network!
Watertown businesses are uniquely positioned to implement transportation solutions for their employees and
commercial residential tenants. Together, we can build an efficient and affordable transportation network that
creates opportunities for people who visit, work, and live in Watertown.
Together, we can accomplish our individual goals and shared challenges to:
• Recruit and retain top talent
• Help your commuters connect to Boston or Cambridge transit options on a 1-seat ride
• Increase access to regional transit in an underserved area
• Add value per square foot with desirable commuter amenities
• Address and alleviate current and anticipated parking challenges
cheap!Shuttles aren't • • • , • shuttle efforts
At an average annual cost of$150,000 per shuttle, your opportunity costs to capitalize on
athenahealth's existing million-dollar shuttle network investment are substantially lower.
By partnering with athenahealth, we can work collectively to:
Solve local commuting challenges PV" Ready to discuss commuting solutions?
...by increasing transportation options Shawn Kelly
...at lower costs for everyone Regional Program •-
617-999-7489
y�j` Vjel)vivet I )athenahealth 311 Arsenal Street Watertown,MA 02472 • 617.402,1000 alhenahealth.com
The places we go...
athenahealth's existing system would open both the reverse commute as well as the inbound
capacity to Watertown. See below for more detailed descriptions of the current routes we operate.
Cambridge
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Back Bay: Stuart& Dartmouth Street Brighton: Cleveland Circle to Boston Landing
Orange Line,Green Line,Commuter Rail(Back Bay) Green Line, Commuter Rail(Boston Landing)
Bus 9, 10,39, 55,502,503,504, 552 Bus 51, 57, 64,65,66, 86,501,503
7:00-10:OOam;4:00-7:30pm 7:10-9:50am;3:30-6:45pm
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Harvard Square: 7 Bennett Street North Station: Haverhill Street S. Boston: Broadway & L, G, E, A St.
Red Line Orange Line,Green Line, Commuter Rail Red Line
Bus 1,66,68, 69, 71-75, 77,78,86,96 Bus 4,and Haymarket buses Bus 5,7,9, 10, 11,47
7:00-10:OOam;4:00-7:30pm 7:15&8:30am;4:00&5:30pm 7:/00-9:40am;4:00-6:40pm
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