Tim Reardon (Assistant Director of Data Services, MAPC, Boston) Putting Data to Work in Metro Boston Abstract: The Metropolitan Area Planning Council uses data and technology to support more informed decision making across more than 100 cities and towns in Greater Boston. The work of the Data Services Department falls across four primary domains: Compiling, crowd-sourcing, or manufacturing data to build a better understanding of the region’s systems; democratizing access to data through interactive web portals and open data initiatives; forecasting a range of future scenarios based on different assumptions about policy decisions and external forces; and maintaining an indicators program to track progress toward regional goals. The narrative and presentation methods for this work also seek to achieve certain strategic objectives: disrupt conventional wisdom about regional and local trends; build the capacity of stakeholders to engage with policy makers and experts; bring competing priorities into higher relief so they can be more effectively balanced; and maintain a public focus on the policy levers most critical to achieving regional goals. This presentation will describe the work of the council with specific examples of how our data work has influenced local and regional decision-making. Bio: Timothy Reardon is the Assistant Director of Data Services at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, a regional public agency serving Metro Boston. He has over fifteen years of experience in regional planning, with a focus on using data and technology to support informed decision-making. Mr. Reardon oversees the agency’s applied research program where his current projects include integrated transportation and land use planning, socioeconomic projections, policy-oriented technical analysis, development of new datasets, and scenario modeling. Mr. Reardon had a leading role in the technical analysis, public engagement, communications, and implementation strategy components of MetroFuture, MAPC’s long range regional growth plan. He earned a masters degree in city planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

1. Putting Data To Work
In Metro Boston
Tim Reardon
Assistant Director of Data Services
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
70% 67% 64%
12% 10% 9%
3% 7%
3%
7% 8%
10%
8% 9% 15%
Current
Residents
Out-
Migrants
In-Migrants
Migration in Somerville

4. Data
Creation
Access &
Interpretation
Scenarios
Indicators

5. Development
Database
Parcel
Data
Demographic Projections

6. Opportunities for “Mode Shift”
Where are these kids?

8. Survey Results
49%
64%
67%
49%
47%
16%
7%
3%
4%
20%
26%
48%
-
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
0.5 0.5-1.0 1.0-1.5 >1.5
EstimatedNumberofTrips
Walkshed Distance (miles)
Mode Choice by Walkshed,
Surveyed Schools
School Bus
& other*
Walk
Auto
* "Walk" also include bike commutes. "Auto" includes carpool. "Other" includes transit
(city bus or subway), skateboard, scooter, inline skates, and other unspecified modes;
the "other" category comprised fewer than 5% of estimated trips for all survey schools.
* "Walk" also include bike commutes. "Auto" includes carpool. "Other" includes transit
(city bus or subway), skateboard, scooter, inline skates, and other unspecified modes;
the "other" category comprised fewer than 5% of estimated trips for all survey schools.

9. Hubway Data Challenge
Community Snapshots
Boston Green

10. MUNI_I
D MUNI TotPop_00 HHPop_00
GQPop_0
0 TotPop_10 HHPop_10
GQpop_1
0
TotPop_20_S
Q
HHPop_20_S
Q
GQPop_20_
SQ
TotPop_30_S
Q
HHPop_30_S
Q
GQPop_30_
SQ TotPop_20_SR HHPop_20_SR
1ABINGTON 14,605 14,414 191 15,985 15,893 92 17,488 17,384 104 18,949 18,804 146 17,730 17,625
2ACTON 20,331 20,189 142 21,924 21,788 136 22,225 22,040 185 22,931 22,667 264 22,577 22,389
7AMESBURY 16,450 16,094 356 16,283 15,982 301 16,081 15,733 349 15,735 15,319 416 16,421 16,067
9ANDOVER 31,247 30,948 299 33,201 31,798 1,403 34,002 32,537 1,465 35,579 33,955 1,624 34,470 32,996
10ARLINGTON 42,389 42,216 173 42,844 42,553 291 42,911 42,616 296 43,192 42,886 306 43,795 43,496
14ASHLAND 14,674 14,642 32 16,593 16,548 45 17,821 17,764 57 19,213 19,140 73 18,134 18,076
16ATTLEBORO 42,068 41,237 831 43,593 43,029 564 44,630 44,024 606 45,610 44,879 731 45,642 45,029
18AVON 4,443 4,443 - 4,356 4,355 1 4,281 4,280 1 4,215 4,214 1 4,364 4,363
19AYER 7,287 6,835 452 7,427 7,168 259 7,440 7,180 260 7,472 7,211 261 7,546 7,285
23BEDFORD 12,595 12,006 589 13,320 12,813 507 13,934 13,378 556 14,857 14,236 621 14,157 13,595
25BELLINGHAM 15,314 15,297 17 16,332 16,316 16 16,885 16,867 17 17,356 17,340 16 17,109 17,092
26BELMONT 24,194 23,882 312 24,729 24,534 195 25,300 25,113 186 26,111 25,902 208 25,790 25,602
28BERLIN 2,380 2,372 8 2,866 2,863 3 3,024 3,021 3 3,164 3,161 3 3,047 3,044
30BEVERLY 39,862 37,692 2,170 39,502 36,988 2,514 39,477 36,969 2,508 39,859 37,279 2,579 40,418 37,900
31BILLERICA 38,981 37,759 1,222 40,243 39,197 1,046 40,414 39,341 1,074 40,318 39,225 1,093 41,149 40,054
32BLACKSTONE 8,804 8,772 32 9,026 8,980 46 9,242 9,183 59 9,305 9,229 77 9,367 9,307
34BOLTON 4,148 4,148 - 4,897 4,897 - 4,999 4,999 - 5,050 5,050 - 5,038 5,038
35BOSTON 589,141 554,064 35,077 617,594 571,380 46,214 640,798 593,943 46,855 664,867 617,029 47,838 664,218 616,960
37BOXBOROUGH 4,868 4,868 - 4,996 4,996 - 4,788 4,788 - 4,729 4,729 - 4,823 4,823
38BOXFORD 7,921 7,921 - 7,965 7,965 - 7,381 7,381 - 7,098 7,098 - 7,440 7,440
40BRAINTREE 33,828 33,019 809 35,744 35,199 545 37,837 37,243 595 40,190 39,500 690 38,615 38,013
42BRIDGEWATER 25,185 21,146 4,039 26,563 21,801 4,762 26,596 21,799 4,797 26,777 21,985 4,792 27,055 22,213
Population and Housing Projections

11. 0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2010 2020 2030
NumberofHouseholds
Households by Age of
Householder,
Boxborough, 2010 - 2030
over 75
65 - 75
55 - 65
35 - 54
Under 35

12. 2,543,000
2,509,000
2,526,000
2,515,500
2,616,000
2,643,000
2,690,000
2,400,000
2,450,000
2,500,000
2,550,000
2,600,000
2,650,000
2,700,000
2,750,000
2010 2020 2030 2040
Population in the Labor Force,
Metro Boston, 2010 - 2040,
Status Quo vs. Stronger Region
Status Quo Stronger Region
Economic Engine Commercial Expansion Derby Gateway

14. 42,400
24,300
8,900
33,600
25,800
53,600
-
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
Housing Units Employment
HousingUnitsorJobs South Coast Rail
Regional Priority Development Areas:
Capacity Comparison
25-Year Projections 25-Year Capacity Buildout Capacity
South Coast Rail
Priority Screening

15. Boston Indicators
Project
64%
92%
97%
33%
6%
2%
3% 2%
1%
0
5
10
15
20
25
Boston &
Cambridge
Rest of Inner Core Rest of MAPC
Round Trip Commute Miles per
Worker by Mode
Other
Transit
Auto
State of
Equity
Regional Indicators

16. Green Line Extension to
Somerville

18. 1% 1% 1%
16%
11%
20%
18%
17%
18%
16%
14%
11%
11%
15%
12%
38%
42%
38%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Current
Housholds
Out-Migrant
Households
In-Migrant
Households
Migration by Income
Somerville PUMA*, 2006 - 2010
75,000 +
60,000 -
74,999
40,000-
59,999
20,000 -
39,999
<$20,000
0
2.5%
2.4%
3.2%
2.7%
0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
2000 2010
Somerville's Population of Color
compared to the MAPC region,
2000 - 2010
Somerville's share of Region's Population
Somerville's share of non-White Population

21. Thank You!
Timothy Reardon
treardon@mapc.org
www.mapc.org