Framingham Traffic Commission To Study Creation of Traffic & Transportation Division

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FRAMINGHAM – The 8-member Framingham Traffic Commission has formed a 3-member subcommittee to study the possibility of creating a City of Framingham Traffic & Transportation Division.

On the subcommittee is Traffic Commission Chair Bill Sedewitz, who is the City’s engineer, Commissioner Mario Alvarez from District 8, and Commissioner Mary Ann Flaherty.

The City Charter calls for the newly-created Traffic Commission to review and examine the possibility of creating a City of Framingham Traffic & Transportation Division, and submitted a report within two years of the establishment of the Commission.

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The Traffic Commission was to have been formed by March 2018, under the Charter, by Mayor Yvonne Spicer was late in her appointment of members and thus the first Traffic Commission meeting was not held until June 2018.

The Traffic Commission has had multiple chairs since June 2018.

At its April 2020 meeting, a votes was held to create the subcommittee.

“I was hoping we would be further along with this,” said Sedewitz.

“I’m assuming we can get that June deadline extended,” said Commissioner Flaherty.

“We should strive towards that (June) goal,” said Chair Sedewitz.

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The subcommittee will review the potential purpose, duties, and responsibilities of a traffic & transportation department for the City of Framingham.

The subcommittee will review the initial and ongoing operating costs to staff a new division in the municipal government.

The subcommittee would review how this possible new division would work with other city divisions like DPW, police, facilities, economic development & planning, etc.

The subcommittee would also review the management and expected benefits of this new city division.

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Part of the work of the subcommittee is to talk to other cities that have a division of traffic & transportation.

Eventually, the subcommittee and the Traffic Commission would hold two public hearings on the potential to create a Traffic & Transportation Division.

And then the Traffic Commission would present its final report to the Mayor and the 11-member City Council.

Sedewitz said he would need to look into whether the subcommittee meetings on this matter would need to be televised.

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