Representative William M. Straus (D-Mattapoisett) has been re-appointed by the House Democratic Caucus as Chairman of the Joint Committee on Transportation at the State House. Rep. Straus has served on the Transportation Committee since 2009 as House Chair.
Remaining at the helm of the Transportation Committee on Beacon Hill keeps Representative Straus in a strong position regarding several significant pending transportation initiatives important to the Commonwealth, wrong way/distracted driving, autonomous vehicles, value capture financing and rail expansion projects including South Coast Rail.
“I am honored to serve in this leadership position and welcome the challenge of overseeing legislation to improve the state’s transportation systems” said Straus. “Among the bills I will be pursuing is one I filed this session to address the problem of wrong way driving that directs the Department of Transportation to prioritize for fixing the most dangerous areas in the state. Rep Straus said, “Every time a tragedy occurs, it is too many. Of great importance to my district and the surrounding region is the prospect of conveniently and directly connecting South Coast commuters to the Boston area.”
“I look forward to the challenge to make our transportation system reliable, well-funded, safe, and a contributor to our state’s economic growth,” he concluded.