CITIES AND TOWNS TO BEACON HILL:
WE NEED ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR TRANSPORTATION
Greater Boston mayors and managers support 15 cent increase
to the gas tax and other funding mechanisms to advance equity, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and support transit oriented development
BOSTON – Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019 – Today, three broad coalitions of municipal officials from
throughout Eastern Massachusetts called on the Commonwealth to raise
significant new revenue and dedicate it to rescuing the state’s ailing and congested
transportation system.
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh,
Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone and the communities of the Metropolitan Mayors
Coalition, together with mayors and managers of the North Shore Coalition and
leaders from the Commuter Rail Communities Coalition, are calling on the
Legislature and Governor Charlie Baker to invest significant new revenue in
transportation.
The Metro Mayors Coalition, an
organization of 15 communities in the urban core of metropolitan Boston,
announced their support for a 15-cent increase in the gas tax and other
vehicle fees, which would infuse our struggling transportation system with
roughly $450 million a year in new revenue.
In addition to the gas tax increase,
the Metro Mayors Coalition identified several other funding mechanisms that it
supports, including: expanding tolling to
more highways; allowing a portion of toll revenue to support transit, which
would help to reduce roadway congestion; expanding municipal revenue-raising
tools heavily used in other states, such as regional ballot initiatives and
value capture; collaborating with other states in the Northeast U.S. to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions through the “cap and invest” system known as the
Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI); and increasing surcharges for
Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft.
The funds raised from these
mechanisms would be invested in ways that advance equity, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, encourage “transit-oriented development” and connect residents to
the places they need to go. Investments would include:
·
enhancing safety and reducing
congestion on our roads and bridges;
·
modernizing and expanding transit
systems, including but not limited to the MBTA; and
·
creating world-class infrastructure
for cyclists, pedestrians and people with disabilities.
“The actions we take now will define
Boston and our region for the next 10 years and the next generation," said
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "We need to take the essential next steps to
improve mobility in our city and our state, and increasing revenue for critical
infrastructure is needed to ensure our current and future residents are able to
move around the region in an equitable, affordable and reliable manner.”
“I urge the Legislature and the
Administration to act quickly to find reliable source of funding for
transportation—such as the gas tax—and to look at new ways of funding and
improving our public transportation system,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone,
chairman of the Metro Mayors Coalition. “We have to think bigger than just
repairing what’s broken—we need to invest today in a transit system that will
work for years to come, which we won’t be able to do with just our current
funding mechanisms. Having a safe, reliable transit system is crucial to so
many of our other goals and values—it's good for equity, it's good for the
environment and it's good for the economy.”
The North Shore Coalition, a group
of 18 cities and towns north of Boston, and the Commuter Rail Communities
Coalition, which represents the many cities and towns served and impacted by
the commuter rail, approved similar resolutions calling upon legislators and
the Governor to prioritize transportation funding.
Early this month, Salem Mayor Kim
Driscoll and the North Shore Coalition announced their vision for
transportation improvements, pairing it with specific principles for how to
raise the money needed to make the vision a reality. Over 100 people gathered
in Salem on Nov. 1 to demonstrate their support.
Led by Lynn Mayor Thomas McGee and
Bedford Town Manager Sarah Stanton, members of the Commuter Rail Communities
Coalition also agreed on priority funding principles. The Coalition is an
alliance of mayors and town managers/administrators that coordinates advocacy
for short- and long-term improvements to the rail network.
In addition to calling on the state
to raise additional funds, all three coalitions are also seeking something
their colleagues in much of the country already have: tools to raise money locally
for critical local and regional transportation projects. These include
municipal revenue-raising tools such as value capture, local and regional
ballot initiatives and transportation improvement districts, which would help
cities and towns to address local needs, give residents a greater say in
meeting local transportation challenges and act as a down payment for
transformative transportation improvements.
“Cities and towns are asking for the
state’s help in meeting our pressing transportation challenges, but they are
also looking for tools that can help local government to play an active role.
The federal government, the Commonwealth, localities and the private sector
must all be at the table—no one can do this alone,” said Rebecca Davis, deputy
director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
Framingham Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer
said, “To ensure that Massachusetts residents can work and live efficiently, we
need to invest in a more robust transportation system. Here in MetroWest, we
depend on the roads and bridges, so their upkeep in critical. But we also have
a growing regional transit system, which serves people who can’t drive while
helping to reduce congestion on the roads.”
The three coalitions also agree on
the need for a 15-cent gas tax increase, expanded tolling, increased TNC
surcharges and implementation of TCI.
“Over three dozen municipal leaders
representing millions of Massachusetts residents are all calling for the same
tools to fund transportation,” said Lynn Mayor Thomas McGee. “We know that
making our transportation system reliable, stress-free, affordable and green is
necessary if we want to support the many people who want to live and work here.
These funding mechanisms are necessary to get us the transportation system we need
today and help us plan for the future.”
“The Greater Boston area has the
worst congestion in the nation, and suburban commuters bear the brunt of
increasing traffic,” said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll. “To alleviate congestion
and the long commutes and greenhouse gas emissions that come with it, we need
to invest seriously in solutions to get people out of their cars and onto
public transit.”
The groups further committed to work
with quasi-public and private entities to leverage all avenues available to
raise revenue.
“We have to work closely with our
partners at MassPort, for example, as we have conversations about
transportation improvements," said Mayor Joe Sullivan of Braintree.
"We need to be thinking longer term so that we can plan for the transportation
system that will work for our residents for the next 20 and 30 years.”
All three coalitions committed to
ensuring that low-income workers and residents can travel affordably throughout
the region, with improved access to jobs, homes, schools and parks.
“We cannot continue our historic
pattern of under-investing in transit, disproportionally burdening low-income
communities and communities of color. These groups need affordable, efficient
and reliable ways to get around,” said Chelsea City Manager Thomas Ambrosino.
“We need to prioritize equity if we want to link everyone in our region to
opportunities.”
“A reliable transportation system
that connects the entire Commonwealth is a cornerstone of long-term economic
vitality,” said Sarah Stanton, Town Manager of Bedford. “When we invest in
local roads and multi-modal infrastructure, we make it safer to get around our
communities. When we connect people to reliable transit, we alleviate
congestion and its negative impacts. We need to have a predictable revenue
stream in order to achieve our shared vision and to meet our needs today and
into the future.”
