Worcester Transportation Chief Takes Seat On WRTA Board

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester City Manager Eric Batista appointed the city's transportation director to fill a vacancy on the Worcester Regional Transit Authority board following the departure of Gary Rosen.

Department of Transportation and Mobility Commissioner Stephen Rolle will take the Worcester seat held over the last several years by Rosen, a former city councilor and the WRTA board's more recent chair.

"I’m looking forward to working with the advisory board and new leadership at the WRTA to ensure that public transportation is an accessible, affordable and convenient option for getting to jobs, healthcare, school and more," Rolle said in a news release. "Improving and expanding public transportation is an essential aspect of the city’s mobility planning in the years to come."

Rolle took over the new DTM department in 2022 after working in Worcester's development department, and serving previously on the planning board. Rolle has said the motto for the new department is "safety, equity and sustainability."

Rosen, a former at-large councilor, was a longtime proponent of WRTA's current fare-free system, which he voted to continue multiple times since joining the board in 2020. Rosen also recently oversaw the appointment of WRTA's new chief administrator, Joshua Rickman.

The WRTA board includes representatives from all 37 communities that are part of the transit system's service area from Northborough to Brookfield.