Transportation Development Review
This page is dedicated to transportation development review for large developments.
We want to make sure new large developments fit in the neighborhoods they are planned in. Large developments are any developments that take up a gross floor area of 50,000 or more square feet. The development review process requires developers to evaluate existing transportation conditions. City planners and the community give their input and comment on the new development. Developers work with City planners to reduce their development's transportation impacts. At the end of this process, the developer signs a legal agreement with the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) called a Transportation Access Plan Agreement (TAPA).
The TAPA agreement specifies commitments that will reduce a development’s transportation impacts. These commitments can include improvements such as:
- installing traffic signals
- installing bike lanes, and
- adopting commuter incentives to reduce driving.
Developments under 50,000 square feet are not usually required to submit a TAPA.
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Find a Transportation Access Plan Agreement
Searching for a TAPA? You can find all known, executed TAPAs online:
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Have questions? Contact:
Transportation -
1 CITY HALL SQUARE, ROOM 721
BOSTON, MA 02201-2026
Transportation Access Plan Agreement (TAPA) Process
Transportation planners work closely with developers to thoroughly evaluate a project's transportation impacts. They also propose plans that lessen those impacts.
WHAT TRIGGERS THE TAPA PROCESS?
- New Construction greater than or equal to 50,000 square feet
- Change in use for building greater than or equal to 50,000 square feet or greater than or equal to 100,000 square feet in Downtown
- Rehabilitation of an existing building greater than or equal to 100,000 square feet
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The goal of the development review process is to prioritize safety, manage parking demand, and improve conditions for walking, biking, taking public transit.
Conversations to reduce transportation impacts can begin even before a developer officially starts the development review process. Negotiations continue throughout the entire development review process.
The TAPA formalizes the commitments the development team makes to reduce a project's impacts on our City's streets and transportation networks.
LIST OF TAPAs
The dataset includes all known, executed Transportation Access Plan Agreements (TAPAs) for large developments from the 1980s to the present day. Each data point includes a PDF of the original executed TAPA.
TAPAs do not verify what is actually built, only what was approved by the Boston Transportation Department at the date of execution. There may be TAPAs in this dataset for developments that have changed over time, or have been redeveloped into something else. Developments under 50,000 square feet are not usually required to submit a TAPA.
Notice any missing TAPAs? Let us know about it by filling out this form.
TAPA Guidelines
Bike parking guidelines
We expect developments to have safe and convenient places for their tenants to park their bikes
Bicycle level of traffic stress
Roadways leading to and in the study area must reduce a traffic stress to a level comfortable for most cyclists
Data standards
Find data collection standards and data resources for transportation analysis here
Electric vehicle readiness policy
New large developments must equip 25 percent of their parking spaces with electric vehicle supply equipment
Electric vehicle charger equivalence calculator
Use this calculator if you're planning to install anything other than Level 2 chargers for 25 percent of your parking spaces
Transportation Demand Management Point System tool
TDM programs are strategies that incentivize people to walk, bike, and take transit instead of drive
Maximum parking ratios
These guidelines set maximum parking spaces allowed for new large developments
Related Resources
ResourcesWho's Involved:
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Find a Transportation Access Plan Agreement
Searching for a TAPA? You can find all known, executed TAPAs online:
-
Have questions? Contact:
Transportation -
1 CITY HALL SQUARE, ROOM 721
BOSTON, MA 02201-2026
