LYNN — Members of the business community have an opportunity to voice their opinions on MassDOT’s Lynn Transit Action Plan Study.
Lynners want a reliable transit system and they want the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to hear it, according to Colin Codner, executive director for the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce. The local chamber is hosting a transportation forum at the Lynn YMCA on Tuesday, with Joseph Aiello, chairman of the MBTA’s fiscal and management control board, as the keynote speaker.
“This forum provides a unique opportunity for the business community to impart a unified message about the need for improvements to our local transit system,” said Codner.
Sen. Brendan Crighton and Mayor Thomas M. McGee will also be present to discuss transportation issues and their impact on Lynn. At the 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. forum, Lynn business owners will provide feedback through a round-table discussion, according to Codner.
The Lynn Transit Action Plan Study was announced last November and is part of the MBTA’s Focus40 draft plan, a 25-year investment plan to position the MBTA to meet the needs of the Greater Boston region in 2040.
“Lynn is the first place where MassDOT planners are conducting a Transit Action Plan following Focus40, which will be discussed at Monday’s Control Board meeting,” said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo. “The Chamber of Commerce is hosting this forum and the MassDOT Transit Action Plan team plans to attend, as it will provide a great opportunity to solicit input from the local business community.”
The chamber partnered with MassDOT to facilitate a feedback loop, Codner said. They started to plan the forum last December. He said MassDOT does a great job collecting data and informing their decisions, but most of their data is usually collected at forums such as this one.
According to the MBTA website, the Lynn study will focus on strategies to enhance the quality, capacity, and reliability of public transportation for residents and local businesses in the city.
“A reliable transportation system and transportation in general is one of the pillars of economic development,” Codner said. “There are multiple studies out there indicating a correlation between a rapid transportation system and economic growth.”
