Mass Pike chief Mullan in as state transport secretary, Aloisi out (PERSONNEL)

Massachusetts Turnpike chief Jeffrey B Mullan is the new secretary of transport in Massachusettts and will also be executive director of the new Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The tax-supported Highways Department, the Turnpike and the Boston area "T" or transit system will be combined November 1 in the new mega-authority that perpetual optimists think will constitute a cost-saving "reform." (The Boston "T" has a venerable collection of museum piece trolleys that creak and groan under Boston streets at speeds of 15mph, and new farecards charmingly called a Charlie Card.)

Mullan took over as CEO of the Turnpike in May after Alan LeBovidge left.

James Aloisi secretary of transportation was the natural person to run the new MassDOT but he has been eased out - like LeBovidge was earlier in the year.

Massachusetts transport politics is a brutal arena and between the establishment of long fiefdoms like that of Matt Amorello early in the new century there is a rapid succession of personalities. Aloisi only became transport secretary last December.

Mullan is 47 and a lawyer. He got drawn to transportation working in private legal practice acquiring land for the Big Dig. From there he went to the executive office of transportation, a small set of support staff to the secretary.

Described as a quiet insider who keeps in close touch with "key players" in the legislature he "lives down the street" from Deval Patrick, now the Governor, in the suburb of Milton, the Boston Globe reports.

At the Turnpike Mullan was on $160k/yr - right up there with the Turnpike's elite state troopers. At the new MassDOT with the Turnpike reduced to a division, he takes a drop in pay to $150k.

TOLLROADSnews 2009-09-16