Sudbury Transportation Committee charter sets mission to tackle car dependency, Select Board to review contributions by May 31, 2023

The Sudbury Transportation Committee charter, established by a Select Board vote on April 10, 2018, defines transportation as a core component of a "livable community" and lays out a multi-year work program to identify local and regional transportation options. The document says Sudbury is currently car-dependent, with no public transportation within town boundaries, limited commuter-rail parking in neighboring towns and few pedestrian-friendly routes, which it warns can increase risk of isolation and barriers to work and medical care for some residents.

The charter lays out specific duties for the committee: to undertake targeted assessments and evaluate pilot experiments at the direction of the Town Manager; to consider all functional elements of transportation including public and specialized transit, traffic congestion, and pedestrian pathways; to review published studies to inform the Select Board and Town Manager; and to advise on transportation implications of residential and business development. It also directs the committee to align transportation recommendations with the Energy and Sustainability Green Ribbon Committee and to recommend how the committee's duties could transition to town staff over time.

The Select Board is scheduled to review the committee's contributions prior to May 31, 2023 to decide whether the committee should continue through spring 2024, according to the charter. The document envisions that, ultimately, the committee's responsibilities will be integrated into the duties of town departments or other elected or appointed bodies.

On governance and transparency, the charter requires compliance with Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, the Public Records Law and the Conflict of Interest Law and references Town policies that apply to committee members. It specifies that Core members will elect a Chair and a Clerk; the Chair will run meetings and serve as the designated communications link with the Town Manager and staff, while the Clerk must keep full minutes, submit them for approval, file them with the Town Clerk, post them on the Town website, and disseminate them to Advisory members within 15 days of the meeting.

The charter states the committee may form pro tem subcommittees as needed and sets quorum as a majority of serving Core members. It also includes update history recorded in the document header (updates in 2018, 2019, 2021 and most recently May 31, 2022).

Next steps indicated in the charter: the Select Board review before May 31, 2023 and a decision on continuation through spring 2024; the charter anticipates a future transition of duties to Town departments if the Select Board so directs.