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
LIST OF TAPAs
The dataset below includes all known, executed Transportation Access Plan Agreements (TAPAs) for large developments over 50,000 square feet from the 1980s to the present day. Each datapoint 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.
NOTE: This dataset is refreshed on a weekly basis.
Transportation Access Plan Agreement Process
Transportation planners work very 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.
GUIDELINES
Our goal is to create a TAPA process for developers and the public that provides consistency, transparency, and certainty.
These updated guidelines are an important step in that direction. Check back here often for more updates.
Roadways leading to and in the study area must reduce traffic stress to a level comfortable for most cyclists.
We expect developments to have safe and convenient places for their tenants to park their bikes.
Find data collection standards and data resources for transportation analysis here.
New large developments must equip 25 percent of their parking spaces with electric vehicle supply equipment.
Use this calculator if you're planning to install anything other than Level 2 chargers for 25 percent of your parking spaces.
TDM programs are strategies that incentivize people to walk, bike, and take transit instead of drive.
Maximum Parking Ratios
The less parking we allow, the less congestion, the less traffic, and the less pollution we have.
Reducing parking in areas that are well-served by transit encourages people to take public transit. In this section, you can view the current maximum parking ratio guidelines for new large developments.
Space used for parking can instead be used for more housing, more parks, and more livable space. The guidelines are now updated to a more nuanced, parcel-based analysis. The new maximums better reflect the City's goal to reduce drive alone rates by 50% by 2030.
-
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
