BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced the five-week public comment period for Beyond Mobility, the Massachusetts 2050 Transportation Plan.

 

Community members are encouraged to offer thoughts on Beyond Mobility by using an online survey tool, which can be found at www.mass.gov/beyond-mobility.

 

"The most important element of Beyond Mobility is reflecting the input of the people of Massachusetts,"

said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "What we hear from residents, business owners, municipal officials, and other members of the community will help us better act on the steps we need to be taking with this strategic plan, including action items associated with funding, service delivery, and operations."  

 

Beyond Mobility will result in a blueprint for guiding transportation decision making and investments in Massachusetts in a way that advances MassDOT's goals and maximizes the equity and resiliency of the transportation system. The project team, considering what the world will be like in 2050, has analyzed previous plans, public engagement responses, and results from a needs assessment and has identified six key priority areas of Massachusetts to focus on over the long term. These are: safety, destination connectivity, travel experience, reliability, supporting clean transportation, and resiliency. Within the Plan, vision statements, values, problem statements, and over 100 action items have been developed and are organized by these six priority areas. 

 

The launch of Beyond Mobility's public comment period is part of a coordinated effort by MassDOT titled "MassDOT@15," to both commemorate the 15th anniversary of MassDOT (on November 1, 2024) and look to the future of transportation in the Commonwealth. Beyond Mobility is the blueprint for guiding transportation decision making and prioritization and is one of three major policy and strategy efforts associated with MassDOT@15. The other two are the Healey-Driscoll Administration's Transportation Funding Task Force and the Strategic Business Plan. These three strategy components – Beyond Mobility, the Transportation Funding Task Force, and the Strategic Business Plan – will outline who we are, what we do, and how we pay for it and will be aligned to the mission, values and goals of MassDOT.  

 

The five-week public comment period for Beyond Mobility begins April 1 and will conclude on May 5.  Community members may share comments on specific sections of Beyond Mobility or on the document as a whole. The feedback received will be reviewed and incorporated into the final plan materials as appropriate.  

 

Franklin Regional Council of Governments Executive Director Linda Dunlavy said, "Beyond Mobility is an essential blueprint for transportation planning for the Commonwealth that prioritizes closing gaps and expanding accessibility. The plan was developed based on data and robust public input throughout the process. I commend MassDOT and Secretary Tibbits-Nutt for the work that has been completed, and I encourage additional feedback in this final stage of outreach." 

 

Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative Executive Director James Fuccione said, "Our aging population brings us opportunity to rethink and reshape our communities to benefit people of all ages. The Beyond Mobility plan embeds an all-ages approach to improving transportation and acknowledges longstanding issues for older adults, like pedestrian safety, snow and ice management, and access to reliable and affordable transportation options. We look forward to promoting the draft plan in our network for additional feedback." 

 

Since the launch of Beyond Mobility, in 2022, MassDOT has put public feedback at the center of the Plan. The project team has conducted robust public engagement, including focus groups with traditionally underrepresented communities, community activations that meet people where they are across Massachusetts, web-based surveys and mapping exercises, and other participatory outreach activities.