A night to focus on the T's future

What will Greater Boston look like in the year 2040? How will climate change, new technologies, demographic trends and new mobility choices shape our transportation system? Join Secretary Of Transportation Stephanie Pollack, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jay Ash and an interactive panel on Tuesday, May 24 to kick off Focus40: The 2040 Investment Plan for the MBTA by exploring the broader context in which the MBTA will need to think about its investment priorities.

OPEN HOUSE: 5 - 9 PM

INTERACTIVE PANEL: 6:30 - 8 PM

Drop by the event’s Open House any time on May 24 from 5 to 9 PM, and be sure to check out the interactive panel discussion between 6:30 and 8 PM.

During the Open House, attendees will be able to discuss the state of the MBTA system with MBTA leadership, learn how various trends are impacting our region and share personal experiences and thoughts about these topics.

After remarks from Secretaries Pollack and Ash at 6:30 PM, Ted Landsmark (President Emeritus, Boston Architectural College) will moderate a conversation with a range of future thinkers:

• David Chang – Entrepreneur & Angel Investor; Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Harvard Business School
• Arthur Jemison – Former Deputy Undersecretary, Massachusetts Department of Housing & Community Development; now Director of Housing & Revitalization, City of Detroit
• Lee Moreau – Architect Turned Strategist; Principal, Continuum (“The Future Made Real”)
• Geeta Pradhan – Co-Developer, Boston Indicators Project; President, Cambridge Community Foundation
• Julie Wormser – Climate Change Specialist; Vice President for Policy and Planning, Boston Harbor Now

The event will launch Focus40, a 25-year capital plan that will articulate a clear investment strategy for the MBTA. Focus40 will address today’s capital needs, as well as the anticipated transit needs of Greater Boston in the year 2040. This plan will aim to identify needs and prioritize investment strategies with the understanding that funding is not unlimited and tradeoffs will need to be made.

As part of this effort, Focus40 is releasing a Transit Priorities Survey. The online survey will go live on the project website on May 24, the day of the Focus40 Kickoff Event. The survey invites respondents to share their thoughts on how the MBTA should prioritize different types of transit investments for bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, paratransit and ferry service. The survey will be available in English, Spanish and Simplified Chinese.

For more information on Focus40, visit the project website. If you have any questions or comments, please contact MassDOT’s Project Manager, Scott Hamwey, at 857-368-9800 or via email at [email protected].