CONSULTING PLANNERS OF MASSACHUSETTS
Expertise for Communities
In January 2022, the Consulting Planners of Massachusetts established a forum to focus on the growing world of micro- and urban mobility, examining its impacts on every aspect of urban planning, design and development. Regular meetings are held virtually for 60-90 minutes and are expected to continue through mid-2022.
Micromobility Forum Meeting 2 Thursday, February 28th, 2022 at 5:00-6:30pm EDT The presenter at this forum meeting will be Bill Schwartz, AICP, Principal with Nelson\Nygaard, also a CPM member. Bill will share Nelson\Nygaard's recent work with the City of Boston's Shared Mile Initiative, including the development of guidelines for curb use and mobility hubs. He will also discuss the work of ITE's Mobility as a Service/Mobility on Demand Steering Committee, which he chairs.
Micromobility Forum Meeting 2
Thursday, February 28th, 2022 at 5:00-6:30pm EDT
The presenter at this forum meeting will be Bill Schwartz, AICP, Principal with Nelson\Nygaard, also a CPM member. Bill will share Nelson\Nygaard's recent work with the City of Boston's Shared Mile Initiative, including the development of guidelines for curb use and mobility hubs. He will also discuss the work of ITE's Mobility as a Service/Mobility on Demand Steering Committee, which he chairs.
The Micromobility Forum is open to CPM members, regardless of whether you were able to attend the first meeting. If your firm is a CPM member, you are a CPM member and can register for the forum. Planners, designers and micromobility users are welcome and encouraged to participate. RSVP to the second meeting by noon on 4/28/22.
Above: Examples of micromobility devices.
As the arena of micromobility evolves, CPM is excited to host a forum focused on how this transportation trend relates to planning in urban and suburban areas. From e-bikes to rocketskates to Medicare-funded mobility scooters, an expanding range of personal transportation choices has begun to impact every aspect of planners' work.
Many of these up-and-coming mobility options are so new and different from previously understood transportation devices that there are, quite literally, no rules about how they should be used, and little guidance about where they fit best in our transportation infrastructure. Some seem familiar on the surface yet are operationally revolutionary, while others are covered under umbrella laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and are not easily subject to local regulations, while still being impactful in terms of planning needs. From operational laws to building access and safe storage to charging stations, these new devices require new, informed and intentional thinking about their role in the larger transportation fabric. CPM is eager to be a leader in this planning discussion.
Additional forum activities may include site visits to review infrastructure and storage issues or experiential use of various devices. If you have further questions about the forum, contact Craig Kelly, a CPM member and leader of this new subcommittee forum, at craig@larayarchitects.com. General questions about CPM can be directed to CPM President Leonardi Aray, at leonardi@larayarchitects.com.
