Transportation Finance Reform Working Session Highlights
June 9, 2009

MAPC kicked its Transportation Finance Reform campaign into high gear on Tuesday, June 9th, with a working session at its MetroFuture: From Plan to Action event.  The session was designed to provide participants with information about the current status of transportation finance reform on Beacon Hill, and give them the tools and knowledge to advocate for responsible transportation solutions in Massachusetts.  An affordable transportation system that provides Greater Boston’s residents and businesses with convenient options is an integral part of the MetroFuture vision.  MAPC is working with its allies to advocate for increased and diversified revenue streams for transportation, which are needed to avoid extensive cuts to MBTA services, increased fares and tolls, and other measures which will negatively impact transportation standards.  Additionally, the campaign advocates for providing municipalities with needed flexibility to raise and allocate new revenues for their own local infrastructure demands. 

MAPC Transportation Manager Eric Bourassa detailed efforts in the legislature to improve transportation finance, including Governor Patrick’s reform and revenue plan that included a 19 cent increase to the state gasoline tax. However, both the House and Senate rejected the gas tax, instead moving forward with transportation reorganization and a 1.25% increase to the state sales tax. The legislature carved out $275 million of the sales tax for transportation—mostly for mitigating Turnpike toll and MBTA fare increases, with very little left over for other critical transportation needs. MAPC estimates that just to adequately maintain our existing transportation network, without any new enhancements, the system needs at least an additional $800 million annually.  Currently both the House and Senate reform bills and state budget legislation are in conference committees and will likely be passed by the full legislature by the end of the month.

Following the presentation, participants discussed how transportation impacts their lives and the kind of transportation investments they would like to see. They also discussed the need to invest further in transportation, using diverse mechanisms such as the gas tax, congestion pricing, and open road tolling. Participants felt there needs to be an effort to create a constituency for public transit that will educate state decision makers. Action steps included:

• Creating an MBTA caucus or public transit working group in the state legislature;
• Contacting state legislators to support a gas tax increase for transportation; and
• Analyzing what the region would look like without the MBTA, RTAs, or active bicycle & pedestrian access.

MAPC continues to analyze notes from the discussion in the transportation finance reform working session, and will be inviting its participants and incorporating their ideas into the Transportation Finance Reform campaign.

Click here to download the working session background paper as a pdf.

For more information, visit the Transportation Investment campaign page.