The Commission on the Future of Transportation in the Commonwealth

Governor Baker recently established a new Commission on the Future of Transportation in the Commonwealth.  In addition to providing advice on future transportation needs and challenges, the Commission is tasked with developing a range of scenarios anticipated between 2020 and 2040.  The UMTC Research Affiliate Network of over 120 leading researchers across the Commonwealth, has been asked to help generate must-read research findings to the Commission.
The Governor has appointed 18 transportation professionals, from around Massachusetts, with diverse backgrounds, and a range of expertise, to serve on this Commission.  Tasked with advising the administration on the future of transportation in Massachusetts, their focus will be on at least these five areas:
• Climate and resiliency
• Transportation electrification
• Autonomous and connected vehicles, including ride-sharing services
• Transit and mobility services
• Land use and demographic trends

“This is going to be a serious effort, with a broad range of experts who will seek to better understand and evaluate how technology and other forces in society will affect transportation in the decades ahead,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack

The Chair of this Commission will be Governor Baker’s former Chief of Staff, Steven Kadish. The Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will serve as ex officio members.
The other members making up the Commission included:

• Rebecca Davis, Deputy Director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council
• Daniel Dolan, President of the New England Power Generators Association
• Gretchen Effgen, Vice President of the Global Partnerships and Business Team at Nutonomy
• José Gómez-Ibáñez, Derek C. Bok Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy at Harvard University
• Kenneth Kimmell, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists
• Carol Lee Rawn, Director of Transportation for CERES
• Timothy McGourthy, Executive Director for the Worcester Regional Research Bureau
• Mark Melnik Ph.D, Director of Economic and Public Policy Research at the UMASS Donahue Institute
• Colleen Quinn, Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy for ChargePoint
• Karen Sawyer Conard, Executive Director of the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
• Sandra Sheehan, Chief Executive Officer for the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
• Stephen Silveira, Senior Vice President at ML Strategies
• Navjot Singh, Managing Partner for the McKinsey Boston Office
• Kirk Sykes, Urban Strategy America Fund, L.P

Over the next 10 months, the Commission will be meeting on a monthly basis and will have developed recommendations by December 1, 2018.