Staff

Gretchen M. Ashton

Gretchen Ashton is president and founder of Ashton Associates, Inc. Ashton Associates was formed in 1996, and is a consulting firm with a primary focus in transportation demand management and urban planning, Ms. Ashton has extensive experience in survey development and analysis, with additional skills in marketing and group facilitation. She oversees all aspects of projects, particularly in the area of design and implementation. Ms. Ashton also has hands-on experience with developing and managing many innovative and strategic projects for both the public and private sectors. She specializes in facilitating public/private partnerships, creating and administering surveys, conducting access and mobility analysis, managing parking and commuter services, and developing policy. She has considerable knowledge of federal, state and local public-sector processes as well. Ms. Ashton has a Masters Degree in Urban Affairs from Boston University.

Ashton Associates, Inc. is a Massachusetts certified WBE/DBE firm. The firm has operated in eight states (Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, Virginia and Kentucky). Ashton Associates was awarded Best of Boston in 2009 and again in 2010.

Ashton Associates is currently working with nine Massachusetts companies to conduct annual and bi-annual transportation surveys for compliance with certain state and local regulations. The companies and universities include: Boston University Charles River Campus, Boston University Medical Center/TranSComm, City of Cambridge, Harvard University, Lesley University, MassMutual Insurance Co., Northeastern University, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, and Pfizer/Wyeth Biopharma.

Ashton Associates administered a parent involvement survey over a four year period with ICF Macro (a national opinion research firm located in Maryland) for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Special Education Planning & Policy Development Unit (MADESE) to be compliant with the Federal Government’s State Performance Plan.  Each year 45,000 paper surveys were distributed by bulk mail with a return reply to Ashton Associates. All surveys were optically scanned into a data base and analyzed for a report to the State. Currently Ashton Associates is working with ICF Macro and the Massachusetts Department of Education to develop an online pilot survey for both general education and special education parents that would reach 350,000 students in 57 school districts.

Recently Ashton Associates worked with ICF Macro and the state of Maryland’s Early Childhood Education Department to survey parents of 8,109 students using Early Intervention Services across 24 local jurisdictions in Maryland, including Baltimore City. The Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program were interested in learning about the experiences of families receiving early intervention services through their local Infants and Toddlers Program.

As a consultant to Yale University’s Sustainability program Ashton Associates conducts annual surveys primarily online, but also distributed in paper form to those employees who do not have regular internet access at work. The surveys ask faculty, staff, and graduate students about the commute modes they used to get to campus as well as a variety of other quantitive and qualitative questions.  The survey uses a stratified random-sample methodology. In addition to providing direction for transportation initiatives, the survey results are used for tracking the success of Yale’s Sustainable Transportation Programs on an annual basis, and as a benchmark to measure against its peers.

As part of a master plan Ashton Associates worked with C&S Companies and Rochester University to develop a methodology for a 2008 Parking and Transportation Opinion Survey to evaluate its facilities and land use implications for future University programs, and to gather employee and student opinions concerning possible long term and short term solutions to expansion pressures on parking. Ms. Ashton created a five page paper survey instrument along with a companion electronic version. The firm conducted the parking and transportation opinion survey for both the Medical Center and the River Campus. She analyzed the combined campus results and the results for both campuses separately, and wrote the draft reports. The survey was created to provide Rochester University with an initial baseline assessment of Rochester’s transportation and parking initiatives and how Rochester’s population commutes to campus.

As a consultant to the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) she worked with the Mid-Coast Collaborative for Access to Transportation (MCC), which is a local grass roots organization committed to ensuring that the needs and wishes of all citizens; including persons who have disabilities, long term illness, seniors, and others who lack the resources to own and operate an automobile, along with representatives of the MDOT and the City of Brunswick.  MDOT and MCC were planning to institute a public bus route between Brunswick and Topsham. Ms Ashton was responsible for coordinating the community input, and for conducting the research for the three pronged study, which was initiated by the state to identify opportunities for transit services. The study included:  the feasibility of limited fixed/flex route service in the area; coordination of volunteer transportation; and opportunities for sharing resources among existing transportation providers, and developing a bus route system.

Ms. Ashton also worked with MDOT to review all Section 5311, 5310, 5307 Grants for FTA Triennial Reviews and assisted staff in updating the procedural and reporting requirements to meet any new regulations identified in the then SAFETEA-LU regulations. The project included: creating electronic forms and documents for tracking and monitoring all MDOT’s regional transit authorities and the statewide plan. She also developed an electronic process for monitoring statewide ADA Plans for all MDOT’s regional transit authorities; and rewrote the state’s Title VI/Environmental Justice Program for 2009 report as set forth in the FTA Circular 4702.1A.

Ashton Associates was a co-consultant to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ $5 million Access to Jobs (AtJ) Initiative. During a five year time (1999 – 2003) frame the team enabled the successful transition of welfare recipients into the workplace utilizing the regional transit systems statewide. Ms. Ashton assisted in the creation of the state wide model and its implementation plan. She was specifically responsible for: writing legislative reports, administrative processes and guidelines for delivery of transportation services to transitioning welfare recipients; determining the guidelines for contract administration; and defining the administrative mechanisms for the distribution of funds. Because of its unique integration of state and federal resources and programs the AtJ program won the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) 1999 Access to Work Award.

Prior to forming her company, Ms. Ashton was responsible for administering CMAQ funds available through the program under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Bureau of Transportation Planning & Development (BTP&D) and managed the contract for CARAVAN for Commuters.

While working for the City of Boston Transportation Department she evaluated and monitored Access Plans for 23 downtown businesses, and developed employer/ employee benefit and tenant amenities packages for developers. In addition, she designed and implemented several employer trip-reduction programs and was responsible for developing the survey methodology that the firms utilized, as well as the environmental compliance reports for a number of large employers.

Kristine M. Keeney

Ms. Keeney is the Technical Research Assistant and office manager for Ashton Associates.  She has expertise and skills in research, editing, proofing and preparing reports for full production, and survey/database preparation directly related to tracking systems and market research.  Kristine is responsible for scanning and processing data, data entry for all optical and web based surveys, and providing customer service and bookkeeping. She also performs extensive research into local, state and federal transportation and environmental laws, regulations and programs. Ms. Keeney has a Bachelor Degree from American University in Washington, DC, where she double majored in Political Science and International Relations with concentrations in American government, foreign policy, and European affairs.

Prior to her work at Ashton Associates, Ms. Keeney served as Campaign Manager for a State Representative campaign in Massachusetts’ 13th Norfolk District during the fall 2010 election cycle. She was responsible for crafting the overall campaign message, acted as spokesperson in dealing with the press, contributed to concepts for direct mail and newspaper ads, scheduled the candidate’s call time, meetings and all event appearances. She also recruited and managed large numbers of volunteers and coordinated all major campaign events and fundraisers.

She also worked in two Boston consulting firms, Capital Associates Inc. and The Liberty Square Group where she assisted in providing clients with expertise in government policy, state budgeting, procurement, fundraising, and media and public relations.

Before moving to Boston, Ms. Keeney worked in Washington, DC on Capitol Hill with Chairman Edward Markey’s Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and in Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro’s office.  Duties included, conducting research into legislative initiatives, writing memos to members of Congress urging them to support specific legislation, assisting with preparations for Congressional hearings and briefings, as well as providing constituent services, and assisting with the daily administrative activities of the offices.