The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has unveiled its final Beyond Mobility plan document.
“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,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “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.”
Considered the Massachusetts 2050 Transportation Plan, Beyond Mobility serves as 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.
The six key priority areas are:
- Safety
- Destination connectivity
- Travel experience
- Reliability
- Supporting clean transportation
- Resiliency
Within the plan, vision statements, values, problem statements and more than 100 action items have been developed and are organized by the six 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,” said MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “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.”
“Our passenger and freight rail system and regional transit networks are essential in keeping our state’s economy competitive,” said MassDOT Rail and Transit Administrator Meredith Slesinger. “Rail and transit’s role in enhancing our quality of life across Massachusetts will only continue to grow. Beyond Mobility lays out a comprehensive plan for expanding and funding these services where they are most needed, and for continuing to make the zero-emission bus fleet transition so we can support our state’s climate goals.”
The 60-day public comment period for Beyond Mobility began on April 1, 2024, and closed on May 31, 2024. During the public comment period, more than 500 individual comments were received and analyzed by the project team for potential incorporation into the final plan document. Comments were categorized into individual themes and MassDOT will provide responses to each theme.
“It is obvious that a substantial amount of effort has been expended by MassDOT staff to prepare a document that accurately captures the current conditions, needs and desires of residents,” said Thomas Matuszko, executive director of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. “This plan has great potential as a transportation policy document, as it establishes a strategic framework with priorities to improve the Commonwealth’s transportation system over the next 25 years.”
The launch of Beyond Mobility’s public comment period earlier this year was part of a coordinated effort by MassDOT, MassDOT@15, to both commemorate the 15th anniversary of MassDOT on Nov. 1, 2024, and look to the future of transportation in Massachusetts. Beyond Mobility 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 MassDOT Strategic Business Plan. The three strategy components 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 full list of comments and MassDOT responses on Beyond Mobility can be found here.
