Patrick Sullivan is the Director of Policy and Outreach for the 128 Business Council

Patrick graduated with a Master in City Planning (MET ’11). He credits the MCP for laying down a “fantastic foundation in planning and transportation that allowed [him] to get a job at the Council and thrive in [his] current role.” While studying part-time for the MCP, he secured a job with the 128 Business Council as a Transportation Management Association Program Manager. In the five years that he has been there, Patrick has taken on more responsibilities, allowing him to rise to his current position.

Here’s Patrick in his own words:

In your professional life, what experience or realization has been especially profound?

Something that is really emphasized in planning school, is how important it is in being collaborative and the inclusion of the public in the decision making process. I constantly heard about the need to work with the public and listen to people…, but I wondered how much of that was just checking a ‘box’ and I questioned how much that was really necessary. But since I’ve been working in planning, I’ve realized that it is crucial to have the input of the people who are impacted by a project… You will have a better project at the end with that public engagement.

What do you consider a major accomplishment or something that you’re proud of?

Last year, I was elected President of the New England Chapter of the Association of Commuter Transportation (ACT). It’s a nationwide organization that advocates for better commuter transportation options. I’ve very proud of that accomplishment because it was a position elected by my peers. Personally, I’ve been fascinated by driverless cars and the evolution of them… how they can reinvent our transportation networks and how we think about mobility. Recently, I wrote an e-book called Getting Ready for Driverless Cars – which launched on September 14th2015. I wrote about the technology behind driverless cars, the economic implications and it looks at a dozen different companies that were involved in the development of those technologies…. I wouldn’t have had the guts to do it if it wasn’t for the fact that I have a master’s degree in planning.

What is your elevator pitch for transportation planning?

I entered planning 100% focused on real estate development, but I quickly realized after entering the planning world, how important transit is. It’s the thread that ties all the disciplines in planning together. It is crucial to the growth and sustainability to our cities. Plus it’s interesting and cool! Shout out to Professors Terry Regan and Josh Hassol who co-teach Urban Transportation and Policy: The transportation class was one of the most important classes I took. It gives you a really interesting perspective on the MBTA and helps frame the issues around the T. It helped me understand how transit agencies make decisions, where they spend money and how their budgets work.

Patrick’s advice to current MCP/MUA students:

Seek out a wide variety of experiences – whether it be internships or work with community development. Don’t be shy about asking a lot of questions to the people you are working for. Especially if you have a job with a municipality, don’t be shy about asking to go to meetings. Get out of the office as much as possible. It’ll give you a broader range of experiences and understanding.