Alumni Spotlight: Patricia Cahill

Alumni Spotlight is a series highlighting former affiliates of the Initiative on Cities (IOC).  We catch up with our alumni to feature their current work, updates, and accomplishments. Today, we highlight Patricia Cahill, a former Program Manager with the Initiative on Cities.

Patricia is a Transportation Planner in the Office of Transportation Planning at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). In the Transit Planning group, Patricia manages planning studies that help MassDOT, and the MBTA meet their goals of providing an equitable, reliable, and resilient transportation system.

Her recent projects include the MBTA’s Bus Network Redesign, municipal transportation action plans, and the MBTA’s 10-Year Strategic Plan.

Before her role at MassDOT, Patricia worked as a Community Planner for the U.S. Department of Transportation Volpe Center. Patricia has also served on regional and municipal planning committees, including the City of Somerville’s SomerVision 2040 Plan and MAPC’s MetroCommon 2050 Plan. Patricia dedicates her work to creating transportation infrastructure and a built environment promoting safe and sustainable mobility.

Patricia worked at the Initiative on Cities from 2015 to 2018, managing IOC events, Early Stage Urban Research Awards, and student fellows and staff. While at the Initiative on Cities, she completed her master’s degree in City Planning at BU’s Metropolitan College. She is a native of the Boston area, an alumna of Boston Latin School, and received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.