The 20th Century was dominated by the rise of the personal automobile. It fundamentally transformed how humans conceived of space and created new opportunities to live and work in places farther apart than previously imagined.  The average family can now get in a car and, with little trouble, travel hundreds of miles to work, vacation, or see family and friends.  The automobile, simply put, is one of the principal driving factors of the world as we know it.

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The world though is beginning to discover that the automobile isn't the only mode of transportation and that the over-investment in transportation infrastructure that is solely dedicated to that mode of transportation has put our nation and many of our communities at a disadvantage.

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As we push further into the 21st century, transportation is changing as technologies evolve and are adapted to meet new demands.  Whether autonomous vehicles, ridesharing, electric scooters, bicycles, pedestrian access, or even drones, mobility is changing and it's changing rapidly.

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How communities adapt to this changing landscape and invest in the infrastructure of the future will drive investment and quality of life for decades to come.  It is the responsibility of government to ensure that our communities are preparing for change, bringing the community together to plan for the future, and enabling the transformations that private industry constantly pushes forward.  But government must also strive to ensure that every part of our community benefits from these investments. 

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As our modes of transportation change, governments must push to ensure that every part of our communities are connected, and provide every resident the opportunity to be fully engaged in the civic and economic life of where we live and work.

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Moving forward, we must plan our communities and their mobility together and recognize that mobility is about moving people not vehicles.  We have to prioritize walking, cycling, and public transit and reduce the reliance on oversized vehicles for single passengers.

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We have to reimagine the spaces in our community that have been turned over to parking and ensure our zoning doesn't over prioritize this use of space because land that could be used for homes and businesses and adding to the vibrancy of our communities is now being wasted simply to store unused vehicles.  

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Having worked with mobility and infrastructure experts and across the United States, Andrew has seen first-hand the dedication and effort that these professionals put into helping the Commonwealth move forward. He believes we need to reinvest in our mobility infrastructure in order to reconnect our communities and move toward the future.