You Could Be The Next Bike Czar! (Sorta…)

Got this bit of info…

This is a period of transition for Boston Bikes with the departure of Nicole Freedman.  Najah Shakir and Kim Folz will be handling her duties until a new director is hired.  The new director position will be a little bit different.  The title is Active Transportation Director, which I believe will cover not just bikes but also walking.  This position is not yet advertised.

Here is that job listing in case you are having trouble finding it:

Executive/Professional (Mgmt)

Position: Chief of the Streets Reports to: Mayor
Hiring Range: $125,000-$140,000
’14 Budget: $137 Million (operating), $81 Million (capital)
Employees: 870 (approx.)

Job Description:
The streets are one of our most valuable public resources and the lifeblood of the city. Boston is in the midst of a transition from a city that served the transportation needs of the last half-century to one which can serve the future. The street network in Boston is unique, constrained, and rich in character. From being the first American City with a subway system, to the depression of the Central Artery, to becoming one of the most successful multi-city bicycle-share systems in the nation – Boston does not shy away from complicated and transformative projects. Now, the City is again poised to be an innovator and leader in re-imagining how streets are used by the public for the next century.

Under the leadership of Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the City of Boston seeks a visionary leader with a strong concern for and awareness of urban issues, who, as Chief of the Streets (COTS), will build the infrastructure, team, and tools that deliver against a vision for better city services and enhanced mobility opportunities.
There are three responsibilities consistent across all positions in the Walsh Administration:

·Learning. Mayor Walsh is building a team of people who are not only comfortable with new ideas, but also have the curiosity to seek them and the courage to try them. For the COTS, this will mean exploring ways to reach the Citys stated mode-shift goals, identifying solutions to improve service delivery, and seeking out best-practice solutions from around the world.

·Leveraging. Mayor Walsh is creating one Boston, where all of our institutions, departments and residents are collaborating to build the best city. For the COTS, this will mean identifying ways to consolidate and improve operations, forging new partnerships with private organizations and area research universities, and investing in programs and infrastructure that serve as the platform for Bostonians high-quality of life.

·Leading. Mayor Walsh is seeking leaders who will steer a change agenda. For the COTS, this will mean a person with a passion for implementing transformative projects to make our streets safer and more sustainable, working collaboratively with colleagues across departments, the region and neighboring cities on an action oriented agenda, and, bringing Boston to new prominence as a world-class leader for mobility, infrastructure, and integrated city services.

Boston has long been considered an innovator and leader in transportation and public works projects. While the street network is complicated, the role the streets play are not. Simply put, the streets permit the City to function – from commutes to work and school, to the recycling trucks humming through the neighborhoods, and the web of utilities swimming underneath them – they are the lifeblood of a City with almost 400 years of history. But while Boston been providing transportation and public works projects to residents for almost four centuries, there are still tremendous opportunities to make improvements and to ready Boston for the next century of growth and change.

Boston is unique in its resources, its home to the world’s leading academic institutions, to world-class healthcare and finance industries, and to a growing creative economy. Boston also has an especially tech-savvy population; one in every three residents of the city is between the ages of 20-34. Over half of Boston residents select a mode other than a car as they head to work and school each day. Boston is also a dense city, encompassing 50 square miles and 850 miles of streets. The network of roadways, sidewalks, and public space, is about to undergo a major public process through the GoBoston2030 project – a City-led transportation vision plan kicking off in early January 2015.

The City of Boston COTS will be expected to lead an ambitious agenda including:

Vision
·To set a progressive vision for improving our streets in a way that meets the needs of a changing population and delivers on City goals including:

leading Bostons Transportation Visioning Process (GoBoston2030);

designing a plan to eliminate traffic-related fatalities in Boston over the next decade;

sparking ideas for non-traditional uses that create a vibrant, green, creative, and active streetscape

advancing a lighter, quicker, and cheaper approach as a pathway for improvements that benefit all roadway users.

Leadership
·Lead the implementation of Complete Streets policies, which strive to make our streets green, multi-modal, and smart, through increased collaboration and transparency of the Public Improvements Commission
·Forge new public private partnerships and more formalized relationships with existing Transportation Management Associations and local business groups.
·Strengthen ties with surrounding communities and relative state agencies to foster a regional approach to public infrastructure and transportation solutions
·Deliver top-quality public services with focus on data-driven results in the maintenance of public infrastructure, waste reduction, and improved permitting processes

Management
·Provide continuity to agency operations across the Public Works and Transportation Departments to drive effectiveness in serving constituents;
·Align department resources to provide a clear and transparent review process for large-scale capital projects and private development;
·Management of department Directors, who oversee daily operations, programs, and planning activities.

Chief of Streets, Transportation, & Sanitation Cabinet:

This cabinet position oversees the Public Works and Transportation Departments, as well as the Office of the Parking Clerk and Boston Bikes. The Cabinet Chief is also the link to the Boston Water and Sewer Commission – which is overseen by a separate Executive Director and a Board of Commissioners appointed by the Mayor.

Transportation Department: Works to promote public safety and enhance the quality of life for residents through the management of the Citys transportation network. This includes long-range visioning and planning, engineering, education, parking enforcement, and policy setting.

Public Works Department: Provides core basic services essential to neighborhood quality of life, including snow/ice control, trash and recycling collection, street sweeping, street lighting, utility coordination, and road resurfacing and reconstruction projects.

Preferred Candidate Qualifications:

The ideal candidate:

·Is a seasoned manager with strong transportation or public works planning, policy and/or operations experience.
·Has a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Public Policy, Public Administration, Engineering or a closely related field, and the knowledge typically gained through a Master’s program or professional degree program in a relevant field.
·At least five to seven years of management experience in a complex urban environment is preferred.
·Significant work experience involving transportation policy, budget management, traffic, and urban planning is an essential prerequisite
·The successful applicant will possess a combination of technical skills, organization management skills, and leadership skills
·Will be able to demonstrate success in moving forward a vision through to complete implementation, overcoming significant challenges
·Can work collaboratively with a team – both inside and outside of their departments
·Experience working between tiers of government to deliver on an agenda
·Candidates conversant in multiple languages are encouraged to apply
·Boston residency is required.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet