Media Statement: Secretary of Transportation Gina Fiandaca's Resignation

BOSTON, August 28, 2023 —  The role of Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is a demanding, challenging, and critical one. TransitMatters thanks outgoing Secretary Fiandaca and wishes her well as she steps down.

TransitMatters congratulates Acting Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt on her new role. Her work as Vice-Chair of the Fiscal Management and Control Board (FMCB), leading the Healey/Driscoll transportation transition, and her current role as Undersecretary position her well to take on this role at a pivotal time.

Undersecretary Tibbits-Nutt has a proven record of being dedicated to transportation justice. As Vice-Chair of the FMCB, she highlighted the role of the MBTA’s often-downplayed bus system in moving thousands of low-income riders. Her thorough understanding of the transportation system makes her the perfect person to shepherd our transportation system through this rebuilding period in a way that regains trust and ridership.

We look forward to working with her and her team to improve the MBTA as we build a truly equitable transportation system for the people of Massachusetts together.

For media inquiries, please e-mail media@transitmatters.org. 

###

Podcast 29 - Transit Advocacy with Rafael Mares from the Conservation Law Foundation

We're joined in studio by prominent Boston transit advocate Rafael Mares, Vice President and Director of Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice for the Conservation Law Foundation. CLF has been instrumental in improving access and mobility for MBTA users, including holding the state to transit project commitments they've tried to wiggle out of.

We discuss the current state of transit operations and investment, the Control Board and politics, the fate of long-awaited projects such the Green Line Extension, the Big Dig legacy, and much more. This episode was recorded on May 16 in the studios of WMBR 88.1 FM in Cambridge, engineered by Scott Mullen.  Find Rafael Mares online at @RafaelMares2 or CLF.

TransitMatters advocates for fast, frequent, reliable and effective public transportation in and around Boston. As part of our vision to repair, upgrade and expand the MBTA transit network, we aim to elevate the conversation around transit issues by offering new perspectives, uniting transit advocates and promoting a level of critical analysis normally absent from other media.

Like what you hear? Share it around, tell your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to the blog and podcast (on iTunes) to be notified of new posts and episodes. Support our work by becoming a member, making a donation or signing up to volunteer because we can't do this alone. Let us know what you think: connect with TransitMatters on Facebook or Twitter. Follow Jeremy Mendelson @Critical Transit, Josh Fairchild @hatchback31, Jarred Johnson @jarjoh, Marc Ebuña @DigitalSciGuy, Scott Mullen @mixmastermully or email us here.

Podcast 27 - Transportation For Massachusetts (T4MA)

We're joined in the studio by Transportation For Massachusetts (T4MA) staff -- Josh Ostroff, Partnerships Director & Charlie Ticotsky, Policy Director -- to let us know what they do and share recent news on their efforts to secure more funding for transit. Visit t4ma.org or follow them on Twitter @T4MASS. Read about MassDOT's improved but still inadequate Capital Improvement Plan on the T4MA blog.

This episode was recorded on April 5. [Our apologies for the long break, we've been busy advocating for better transit. More shows are in the pipeline. If you're interested in helping with podcast editing and blog posting, please email feedback@transitmatters.info.]

TransitMatters advocates for fast, frequent, reliable and effective public transportation in and around Boston. As part of our vision to repair, upgrade and expand the MBTA transit network, we aim to elevate the conversation around transit issues by offering new perspectives, uniting transit advocates and promoting a level of critical analysis normally absent from other media.

Like what you hear? Share it around, tell your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to the blog and podcast (on iTunes) to be notified of new posts and episodes. Support our work by becoming a member, making a donation or signing up to volunteer because we can't do this alone. Let us know what you think: connect with TransitMatters on Facebook or Twitter. Follow Jeremy Mendelson @Critical Transit, Josh Fairchild @hatchback31, Jarred Johnson @jarjoh, Marc Ebuña @DigitalSciGuy, or email us here.