Launch of FRAME the Future
The transportation decisions made today will shape how Greater Boston moves for decades. The Green Line Extension, for example, first appeared in an MBTA long-range plan in 1966—more than 50 years before it opened.
Now, the MBTA is developing Focus2050, its next Program for Mass Transportation. This 25-year plan will establish the vision and priorities that guide future MBTA investments: which projects advance, how they are evaluated and sequenced, and where the system should grow next.
Join TransitMatters for the launch of FRAME the Future, an advocacy campaign to help riders and communities meaningfully participate in and influence that process. FRAME calls for a transit system that is:
Future-Ready, preparing for regional growth, climate change, and technological shifts
Adaptive, responding to changing travel patterns and community needs
Modernized, with better vehicles, signals, stations, fares, capacity, reliability, and accessibility
Evolving, expanding alongside the region’s population, housing, and jobs
You do not need to be a transit expert to participate. If your bus does not come often enough, your commute takes too long, housing near transit is unaffordable, or the existing network does not take you where you need to go, your experience belongs in the plan.
At the event, attendees will:
Get a clear introduction to Focus2050 and why the long-range plan matters
Explore potential investments through TransitMatters’ new Futures Explorer
Give input on projects and regional priorities
Consider questions of frequency, capacity, speed, reliability, access, and rider experience
Discuss priorities such as better buses, new rapid-transit connections, Regional Rail, housing access, climate resilience, and sustainable MBTA funding
Hear from community partners and share feedback directly with advocates and regional decision-makers
This is our opportunity to imagine a transit system that meets Greater Boston’s future economic, social, and environmental needs—not simply one that tinkers around the edges of today’s network.
The event will take place in the Commonwealth Salon at the Boston Public Library.
Doors and interactive activities: 5:30 p.m.
Program begins: 6:00 p.m.
Program concludes: approximately 7:30 p.m.
There will also be an optional post-event gathering for attendees to continue the conversation. Light appetizers will be provided.
The event is free and open to the public. The event space has a capacity of 100. Registration is encouraged but does not guarantee you a spot. Space will be first-come, first-served on the day of the event.
Learn more and explore the Transit Advocacy Toolkit at transitmatters.org/frame.