Central Transportation Planning Staff Strategic Plan

Home » About Us » Central Transportation Planning Staff

The strategic plan of the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) to the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) spans state fiscal years 2022–26 and includes a discussion of the organization’s mission, focus areas, goals, core values, and vision.

Mission

CTPS provides comprehensive analysis, planning, informed recommendations, and support to the Boston Region MPO, transportation stakeholders, and the public to support the region’s development of a robust, equitable, resilient, and multimodal regional transportation system.

Core ValuesThe core values listed and described in the following text

  • Collaboration—The responsibility to work in partnership with state agencies, stakeholders, thought leaders, and the public to ensure that the broadest perspective and a cooperative spirit are included in regional transportation planning and implementation.
     
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—The commitment to maintain an open and welcoming environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion are championed internally and externally to ensure diverse voices are heard, honored, and valued in our work and decision making.
     
  • Honesty, Trust, and Integrity—The personal and collective duty to be ethical, fair, honest, and trustworthy in our work and conduct, with a commitment to being forthright in our recommendations.
     
  • Professionalism and Excellence—The obligation to be skilled, innovative national leaders in our work, relationship management, and communications.
     
  • Transparency—The commitment to be open, clear, factual, and transparent in our work, recommendations, and relationships to ensure the most robust public engagement and enhance institutional credibility.

Vision

CTPS is a national leader in the planning, analysis, and technical assistance to support a robust, equitable, and resilient transportation system for the Boston region in collaboration with partner organizations.

Focus areas listed in following text

Goals

  1. Expand opportunities to share the agency’s technical expertise, policy analysis, and planning in order to increase its visibility, solidify its reputation, and expand its opportunity to collaborate with transportation agencies and stakeholders. (Sector Leadership)
     
  2. Improve project management tools and processes as well as staff members’ skill sets to empower staff to better meet MPO goals, provide meaningful transportation planning products, and increase collaboration and job satisfaction. (Programs and Services)
     
  3. Increase technical assistance to cities, towns, and other stakeholders for MPO-funded and non-MPO-funded work to broadly leverage staff expertise and capacity. (Programs and Services)
     
  4. Clarify and communicate the role, responsibilities, and authority of the MPO Board members in relationship to the Central Transportation Planning Staff. (Governance*)
     
  5. Implement an organizational structure that optimizes investment in human resource strategies and support to attract, reward, and retain a highly engaged, visible, and well-regarded workforce. (Organizational Structure and Staffing)
     
  6. Identify, commit to, and work towards best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion to broaden participation at the agency in a safe, authentic, and genuine way, and to ensure that staff and work products represent the diversity of the communities served by the Boston Region MPO. (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
     
  7. Develop, invest in, and implement communications and marketing strategies that articulate a clear, concise, and compelling mission, vision, and core values to existing and prospective partners and the field. (Marketing and Public Presentation)
     
  8. Update or elaborate on the fiduciary agent agreement between Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and CTPS to clarify and communicate the support to be provided and the roles, responsibilities, and authority of each organization so expectations are understood, and staff at both agencies fully understand and embrace the value provided by each organization. (Funding and Operations*)
     
  9. Expand and diversify revenue by partnering with MAPC and other partners to collaboratively leverage strengths and strategically pursue supplemental foundation or private funding, which may not be independently available to CTPS, to support targeted municipal projects or other contracts. (Funding and Operations)

*Objectives and activities associated with Goals 4 and 8 are intended to be addressed in the MPO Operations Plan. Both of these goals require consultation with and assume the support of MPO Board members. In addition, Goal 8 will specifically include and involve MAPC.

About the process

The strategic planning process was facilitated by the partnership of Navin Associates and Claremont Consulting and included a 20-person steering committee. The committee was a cross section of CTPS personnel and stakeholders from the Boston Region MPO. These included representatives of MAPC, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Advisory Board, and the Regional Transportation Advisory Council. The committee first met in June 2020 and completed its work in April 2021. Included in the planning process were individual interviews, focus groups, and surveys that all contributed to the development of an organizational assessment. In addition, comparable research was conducted to examine the work of 10 comparable MPOs from across the United States in order to uncover high-level trends.

About the plan

The strategic planning document includes the goals noted above along with the objectives and activities necessary to support progress, key persons responsible for advancing the activities, a timeline for completion, and a table organized by fiscal year that outlines the anticipated financial implications of strategic plan activities.