Sudbury Transportation Committee charter outlines mission to study local transit, advise Select Board

The Sudbury Transportation Committee, created by a Selectmen vote on April 10, 2018 and updated most recently on May 31, 2022, sets a formal mission to study transportation options and advise town leaders on ways to reduce the town’s dependence on cars.

The committee’s charter defines a "livable community" goal that emphasizes safe, affordable and accessible transportation, along with housing and services. The charter states the committee will undertake targeted assessments and evaluate pilot experiments, review published studies, and report findings to the Select Board, Town Manager and relevant departments, such as the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee.

The document highlights gaps the committee is intended to address: Sudbury is described as largely car‑dependent, with no public transportation operating within town boundaries, limited commuter-rail parking in neighboring towns, and few pedestrian-friendly routes from residences to town buildings, libraries and other destinations. The charter links those conditions to risks including isolation and reduced access to employment and medical care for some residents.

The charter lists specific duties for the panel: evaluate local and regional pilot projects at the Town Manager’s direction; consider the full set of transportation functions (public and specialized transit, traffic congestion, and pedestrian paths); emphasize accessibility for seniors and residents with disabilities; advise on transportation implications of residential and business development; and coordinate recommendations with the Energy and Sustainability Green Ribbon Committee to consider environmental goals.

Procedural rules include that Core members are voting members who elect a Chair and Clerk from among themselves; the Chair schedules meetings and is the liaison to Town staff, and the Clerk is responsible for meeting minutes. The charter specifies quorum as a majority of serving Core members and requires compliance with state and town laws, including the Open Meeting Law, Public Records Law and Conflict of Interest Law. Committee notices and minutes must be posted on the Town website and filed with the Town Clerk.

The charter also identifies recommended Core and Advisory representatives and liaisons by role and name, including Dan Carty (Select Board liaison), Robert Lieberman (Council on Aging), Adam Duchesneau (Town Planner), Kay Bell (Commission on Disability), and Debra Galloway (Director, Sudbury Senior Center) as a liaison with the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority and CrossTown Connect. Additional advisory roles listed include Police Chief Nix, Dan Nason (Department of Public Works), Martha Welsh (Chamber of Commerce), Bethany Hadvab (Board of Health), Beth Suedmeyer (Sudbury Planning Department), Mary Warzynski (Lincoln‑Sudbury Regional High School liaison) and State Representative Carmine Gentile as a link to state and regional agencies. Several citizen seats are listed as "TBD."

The Select Board is scheduled to review the committee’s contributions prior to May 31, 2023, to decide whether to continue the committee structure through spring 2024 or transition the committee’s duties to town departments or other bodies. The charter authorizes the committee to form pro tem subcommittees as needed, subject to Select Board approval.

The charter identifies the committee’s role as advisory: it does not itself create or appropriate funding but is directed to analyze options and recommend actions to the Select Board and Town Manager. The committee must follow the Town’s Code of Conduct for Select Board‑appointed committees and the Town email policy for members.

Next steps noted in the document include recruitment of citizen members and coordination with regional partners such as the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority and CrossTown Connect to explore pilot projects and service options.