MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack and MBTA General Manager Luis Ramírez announced the release for public comment of a draft of Focus40: The 2040 Investment Plan for the MBTA. MassDOT and the MBTA are seeking feedback on all aspects of the Plan prior to its final release in the autumn. The public comment period will be open through September 21, 2018. A public feedback form is available at mbtafocus40.com.

The Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages our partners to submit comments that focus on Age-Friendliness as well as inclusiveness for all.

Overview

Focus40 provides a roadmap for the development of future MBTA five-year Capital Investment Plans. By investing in families of key system upgrades – called ‘Programs’ – the MBTA will be able to better serve its customers and the communities through which it runs. Focus40 also identifies ‘Priority Places’ for new or improved service. These are places that have the greatest likelihood of delivering ridership and other meaningful benefits to the region.

Focus40 was developed through data analysis, public input (including more than 100 hours spent interviewing customers at transit stops and stations), and engagement with experts and other key stakeholders. It is also informed by the MBTA’s Strategic Plan.

Focus40 utilizes scenario planning, a decision-making framework, to better understand what the Greater Boston region might be like in 2040. As the MBTA looks to the future, and considers factors that impact the future of transportation, including issues such as autonomous vehicle technology, commuting patterns, housing costs, and a changing climate, scenario planning can help ensure that the MBTA makes prudent investments that will support a reliable, robust, high-capacity, and resilient transit system.