Until a municipality or water district establishes by-laws or other regulations authorizing officials to restrict water usage, the options available in a time of water shortage are only extremes: on one end of the spectrum, officials can request voluntary reduction of water use, and on the other, they can petition for the declaration of a state of emergency by Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.  

Massachusetts transportation agencies must develop comprehensive systems to assess project delivery and operation.  Such a system will have both internal and external purposes: internally, it will help create a “feedback loop” to help transportation agencies improve project delivery and public policy; externally, it will demonstrate accountability and pursuit of efficiency necessary to restore public confidence in the transportation system.

Massachusetts and Metro Boston should make greater use of tolls and other pricing mechanisms to reduce congestion and generate revenue to support transportation system maintenance and alternative modes.  While the gas tax is important and should be increased, there are many reasons to move to a more diversified revenue system with a larger share of tolls and user fees:

Like all other transportation infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle facilities must be maintained and managed so that they operate safely and efficiently.  Bike lanes, multi-use paths, and sidewalks (both publicly and privately owned) need to be kept in a state of good repair, cleared of snow, and made safe through the enforcement of traffic laws.  Greater safety can also be achieved through education and enforcement of traffic laws, as they apply to both motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.  Better monitoring and reporting of pedestrian and bicycle crashes and injuries w

High quality customer service, transit stations, and bus stops can make transit more attractive, increasing transit ridership and supporting transit oriented development.  Stations and stops should be clean, safe, well-lighted, and protected from the weather.  Signage and information should clearly indicate transit route, schedule, and fare, as well as real-time vehicle arrival information.  Stations should be integrated into the surrounding area, with entrances and exits located near key destinations; and nearby development also oriented toward the station.  Customer se

As with all public institutions, the performance of public colleges must be assessed and evaluated.  Building a “culture of evidence” is central to improving the community college system.  Careful assessment can document successes and pinpoints failures; it also supports accountability and evidence-based decision-making.   It is widely recognized that the commonly-used three-year graduation rate is not a sufficient measure of success for community colleges.  While this rate is often correlated with other positive outcomes such as student retention and credi

The challenges of finding affordable and qualified labor are squeezing the region’s farmers.  Availability of low-cost labor is a major challenge for many farmers; survey results from Essex County more than a third of farmers cut back on operations due to lack of labor.  Youth-based agricultural training programs may be one source of labor with corollary social benefits. 

24.a    The Boston MPO should conduct a study on transportation services for farm laborers through the Unified Planning Work Program

All too often, state, regional, and local governments, as well as nonprofit service providers, provide care and services to elders that duplicate or overlap with the work of other organizations.  This lack of coordination is particularly visible in areas of transportation, where different agencies and organizations each have their own vehicles and systems for transporting older adults (and other populations in need of special transportation assistance).  This leads to inefficiencies that drive up the costs of elder services and reduce their effectiveness. 

Providing services to older adults can pose a number of problems, not least that many older people lack the access to information to easily find out what services are available to them.  As well as allowing many individuals in need of support to fall through the cracks, the lack of centralized data also increases the likelihood of duplication of services.  More robust tracking of which of the region’s residents are receiving – or in need of – which services will both increase the quality of service the Commonwealth and municipalities provide and increase the comp

The State-level office would monitor, assess, and address the social determinants of disparities of health access across executive branch departments, with the resources and authority to do so effectively.  Its functions would include: