Bill > S1873

This bill mandates that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) establish or enhance its existing traffic data collection program to create a database and data dictionary for mobility studies related to construction projects funded by MassDOT. This database will include specific location fields like county, city, zip code, route, street name, and number, and will accommodate multi-modal traffic counts, meaning it will track not only vehicles but also bicycles, pedestrians, trucks, and public transportation. MassDOT will decide whether users can directly upload data or if it must be submitted to the department, and will set a standard format for data submission, including required multi-modal counts for all relevant construction projects. The collected data and the data dictionary will be made publicly available in an open data format that allows for easy uploading, retrieval, indexing, and searching, with MassDOT determining how often this data will be updated. The bill will become effective 180 days after it is passed.