By Chris Dempsey
Last year, Massachusetts was named the #1 state in the entire country by U.S. News & World Report, thanks largely to our #1 ranking in Education and #2 ranking in Healthcare. But we were ranked #45 in transportation, including placing #47 nationally in both road quality and commute time.

We are excited to be working on transportation issues that matter to everyone in Massachusetts. Our commonwealth’s future depends on a robust, affordable, and environmentally friendly transportation network. This is an important time for transportation. Here are ten things that we have been up to lately:

Massachusetts is abuzz with talk about whether Amazon might choose one of our communities for its second North American headquarters. Just days after Amazon announced a nation-wide search for “HQ2,” we visited the company’s longtime home, Seattle, with a delegation of more than a dozen Massachusetts leaders.

This study tour – funded by the Barr Foundation to see how another region is approaching transportation – was an eye-opener for our group of civic, government, mobility, environmental and housing leaders.

As part of our mission to promote investment, innovation and excellence in transportation, we are partnering with Transportation for America and the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies to create the Massachusetts Transportation Leadership Academy: Performance Measurement. Local and regional leaders and transportation professionals and advocates are encouraged to apply!

The Boston Neighborhood Bike Forum on April 29 was a landmark event for Boston and cyclists. Sponsored by the Boston Public Health Commission and the Boston Cyclists Union, it was organized with the help of Angela Johnson, the Program Associate at the Transportation for Massachusetts coalition. We caught up with Angela to get her take on this event.

Local leadership to improve transportation choices is critical to making progress. And promoting innovation is essential in the public sector. On these counts, the City of Boston is setting a great example for other cities and towns in Massachusetts. A robust planning and public engagement process, such as Go Boston 2030, contributes to better transportation alternatives in two important ways. 

The MBTA, in development of its Strategic Plan, invited the Transportation for Massachusetts coalition and many other groups to offer comments and insight. We were pleased to participate, and share our testimony provided on March 24, 2017.  See the Draft Strategic Plan.

Guest blog by Noah Berger -

After 15 years at the Federal Transit Administration, mostly as Director of Planning and Program Development in Region 1, I am moving on to pursue other opportunities and begin the next chapter of my career. I've reflected over the last few months on what's most meaningful to me as a transportation professional, and as a human being about what transportation means to people. 

Statewide Coalition Issues Detailed Report on Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities to Modernize Massachusetts’ Aging Transportation System

Massachusetts must modernize its transportation network for the 21st century. We must transition to clean, reliable, affordable and convenient travel choices in every city and town. We have to make this vision a reality - for our economy at the state level, to provide greater opportunity for every person and neighborhood, for our climate, and for our health. And this is where you come in!