On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its final Beyond Mobility plan that would provide the agency with guidance on decision making and investments through 2050.
The plan comes after MassDOT engage with the public to determine what should be incorporated into the final plan and what priorities the department should have. The department received more than 500 comments that were analyzed by team members for inclusion into the plan.
“We are excited to share the final version of the Beyond Mobility plan, which is responsive to the extensive public feedback we heard throughout this multiyear process,” Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt said. “This plan will go on to restructure several recurring planning processes and shape new planning efforts at MassDOT to ensure that all of our work is reflective of the transportation needs of all our residents, today and for many years into the future.”
Beyond Mobility will serve as a blueprint for transportation decision making, officials said. In formulating the plan, the project team considered what the world might look like in 2050, as well as analyzed previous plans to identify key priority areas for the state to focus on. Those focus areas were safety, destination connectivity, travel experience, reliability, supporting clean transportation, and resiliency. The plan, its visions statements, values and problem statements, provides more than 100 action items developed and organized by these priority areas.
“Our roads and bridges are crucial lifelines for our communities. It is essential that we leverage every available tool to ensure safety, reliability, and resilience in our transportation infrastructure,” Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said. “Implementing initiatives such as Beyond Mobility is vital to anticipate and address future challenges effectively. The decisions and investments we make now will shape our lives in 2050.”