Active Transportation Plan

Vote "yes" on Article 27 to fund the creation of an Active Transportation Plan

Article 27 asks for approval to use Transportation Network Company fees to fund the development of an Active Transportation Plan.

What are Transportation Network Company Fees?

By state law, for every ride-sharing (Uber, Lyft, etc) and taxi ride, the operating company pays a 20-cent fee that gets split between the originating town or city, and the state. For Andover, this amounts to about $8000 per year. Currently, the money collected via these fees is unused. Article 27 requests $40,000 from this pool of money to fund the creation of an Active Transportation Plan for the town.

What is an Active Transportation Plan?

"Active Transportation" refers to walking, bicycling, rolling, or any other non-motorized means of travel. The Active Transportation Plan recognizes the impact that cars have had on our community and environment. It seeks to remedy the implications of living in a car-dependent community by offering a strategic plan for making walking and biking competitive alternatives to driving.

The goals of the Active Transportation Plan are to:

1. Make our transportation system accessible to people of diverse lifestyles and socio-economic statuses

2. Reduce short trips taken by car and encourage walking and biking distances within 15 minutes of destinations.

3. Boost our business districts by reducing our dependence on parking spaces, increasing foot traffic, and creating spaces for people.

4. Build social infrastructure through increased personal interactions of people walking and biking in our streets.

5. Encourage healthy lifestyles by providing public spaces safe for active transportation and recreation.

The Active Transportation Plan aims to achieve these goals through the following actions:

1. Develop a long-term vision to enhance pedestrian/bicycling movement throughout town.

2. Augment the Town’s work in developing a Complete Street Prioritization Plan, while investigating opportunities to expand equitable access to destinations, sustainability, economic development, community development, and public health.

3. Create a pathway to pursue MassDOT’s Complete Streets funding.

4. Provide policies and guidelines for facilities that will make walking/biking safer, more comfortable, and a competitive alternative to driving short distances.

5. Adopt published design standards that suit the needs of Andover’s transportation network and public spaces.

6. Describe current conditions and opportunities to improve the safety and comfort of Andover’s streets for all users.

7. Identify major corridors

8. Structure an action plan to create a network of bike and pedestrian pathways that connect people to destinations within and beyond town boundaries.

The Select Board, Planning Board, Finance Committee, Conservation Commission, and Green Advisory Board have all voted to recommend approval of Article 27.