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12)    Increase the use of municipal performance monitoring and benchmarking to improve service delivery
Providing municipal services is especially challenging in urban environments with high densities, aging infrastructure, and diverse populations.  There are numerous emerging techniques and technologies that support municipal efforts to improve service delivery through tracking, benchmarking, and evaluation.  These systems can operate across all departments citywide (e.g., the “Stat” programs described in (#3C Cost-effective service delivery), or they can target a particular neighborhood and focus on specific elements such as public works.  

Computerized Neighborhood Environment Tracking (ComNET) is a tool that allows residents to document physical infrastructure deficiencies and hazards, such as potholes or faded cross walks, in their neighborhoods.  The resulting inventory includes information about the location and nature of the problem, helping municipal agencies to stay informed of needs and enabling residents to hold municipalities accountable for repairs. Such a program has been applied with some success in Worcester and should be replicated in other urban communities. 

12.a    Municipalities should seek opportunities to apply Computerized Neighborhood Environment Tracking

13)    Increase bicycle, pedestrian, and transit accessibility and safety
MetroFuture recommends focusing more growth in urban communities where residents will have better access to shops, services, and employment.  The high densities of urban communities mean that more destinations are located in close proximity, so people have less distance to travel.  This facilitates walking, biking, or taking transit more often, but only if those choices are safe and convenient.  

Municipalities can take many steps to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure; many of these recommendations are described in Strategy 4 (Transportation).  Urban communities face a special set of challenges and opportunities, and should have dedicated staff concerned with non-motorized access.  The City of Boston recently created “Boston Bikes,” a city office charged with focusing on comprehensive bike planning.  This model could be replicated in other municipalities, and might also be secured regionally, through a municipal employee or MAPC staffperson shared by multiple municipalities.  

Municipalities can also improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians by reducing speed limits on city streets and increasing enforcement of traffic violations.  Current Massachusetts laws set the “prevailing” speed limit at 30 miles per hour on streets without speed limit signage.  Legislative action could reduce this prevailing speed limit to 25 miles per hour (and 15 miles per hour in school zones), an important step in promoting safer driving in urban areas.  Widespread application of red light cameras would also help to deter red-light running and improve safety at intersections.  

13.a    Municipalities should establish a coordinating entity to focus on non-motorized transportation

13.b    The Legislature should reduce the prevailing speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph in urbanized areas

13.c    The Legislature should permit the use of “traffic control signal violation monitoring system devices” (red light cameras) in all cities of the Commonwealth.