T4MA has established a Policy Council where every member organization has a representative to develop and discuss policy priorities, strategy,and important issues to each member organization.
During the 2nd year of the legislative cycle, the Policy Council gathers to discuss what legislative and regulatory issues that members would like to support and champion based on real life needs and community vision.
We value the exchange of experience and expertise, and we try to create an environment where we are listening to and learning from each other. This collective effort is iterative, consultative, and a product of co-creation.
The Policy Council meets regularly and the Distillery maps out strategic approaches to achieve changes and tangible results.
The Policy Distillery is a subset of the Policy Council that gathers to discuss long term and short term strategy, vision, and work for the coalition. Learn more about our participatory policy process here!
ONGOING POLICY PRIORITIES
Consistent with our recommendations in Funding Our Future, some of our priority advocacies include:
Relative to the State Budget, we are advocating for:
- Increased funding for the MBTA to avoid service cuts that would reduce bus and rail service and curtail operating hours on the commuter rail
- Increased funding for Regional Transit Authorities to expand service hours, increase service and reduce wait times between buses
We are advocating for equity for transit users and drivers:
H.3662/S.2874 An Act to increase opportunity by ending debt-based driving restrictions
- Removes the statutory triggers that force the RMV to suspend a person’s license for failure to pay a fine or fee but would maintain all road safety related license suspensions.
H.3050/S.2009 An Act relative to regional transportation ballot initiatives
- Allows cities and towns to raise revenue to pay for local and regional transportation projects.
H.1251 An Act Relative to Transportation Network Company Fees
- Charges per ride fees for rideshare companies from $.20 per ride to a percentage of the cost of ride to raise revenue for transportation.
S.2246 An Act aligning the Commonwealth’s transportation plans with its mandates and goals for reducing emissions and vehicle miles traveled
- Sets a vehicle miles traveled reduction goal to decrease pollution from transportation.
S.2354 An Act establishing a regional equity and roadway board
- Establishes a regional board to develop and deploy a comprehensive roadway pricing plan for the Boston area and make recommendations to the Legislature.
S.2353 An Act establishing the Metropolitan Transportation Network
- Amends the definition of the Metropolitan Highway System and implements a comprehensive tolling and roadway pricing plan for the system by July 1, 2026.
We are advocating for commuter benefits which supports and encourages the use of public transit:
S.2038 An Act to increase the commuter tax deduction to reflect rising costs
- Increases the commuter deduction on state taxes from $750 to $1500.
S.1345 An Act expanding access to commuter transit benefits offered by employers
- Requires employers of 50 or more employees to offer pre-tax commuter benefits to employees.
We are advocating for the funding of micro-transit for residents in areas there are no other options, and for more transportation options so we fill transportation gaps that are critical to a better quality of life:
S.2366/H.3658 An Act establishing a special commission on micro-transit
- Establishes a commission to define and make recommendations for long term sustainable funding for microtransit statewide.
Want to learn more about these priorities?
We’ve put together a collection of digestible fact sheets to help break down the details and benefits of each of our identified policy priorities. Click the button below to explore, download and share them.
T4MA's Participatory Policy Process
T4MA has established a Policy Council composed of T4MA members to identify policy issues to address as a coalition. Each member-organization has a seat on the council.
The policy development process consists of:
- individual meetings with T4MA staff
- thematic analysis of issues across organizations
- analysis of the political landscape
- in-person gatherings
- review of identified policies
- drafting of potential legislation
T4MA members on the Policy Council are asked to be engaged throughout the 2-year legislative cycle and meet once every quarter or as needed to identify advocacy opportunities and strategies.
A subset of the Policy Council, 10 members are asked to provide additional strategy, organizational help, serve as lead advocates on certain issues, and attend more regular, and sometimes time-sensitive, meetings.
These members will come from geographic and topically diverse organizations within the Policy Council. T4MA intends to ensure that a wide range of perspectives can participate. There will also be a process for regular communication between the wider Policy Council and the Distillery.
How to get involved
If you are interested in any of these activities or just want to connect about T4MA policy priorities, please contact Pete Wilson, Senior Policy Director at policy@t4ma.org.
2025 POLICY WINS
T4MA advocated successfully in 2025 that will improve the lives of residents access the Commonwealth and invest in our transportation systems including:
The 15 RTAs received a total of $259 million in state contract assistance (a $50 million in increase over FY25)for transit operations.
The funding includes $35 million to pay for fare free bus service all all RTAs statewide.
In addition, $10 million in Connectivity Grants has expanded across RTA service in the Merrimack Valley, Western and Southeastern Massachusetts.
The FY25 Budget included a policy provision to require that all RTA service statewide remains fare free for riders. This is a big win for transit riders in RTA communities who rely on daily bus service to meet their needs.
The legislature established the Microtransit and Last Mile Grant Program and appropriated $10 million for micro-transit grant funding to provide grants to mico-transit providers who provide on demand or demand-responsive services for residents, particularly in areas outside the MBTA service area.
The MBTA received $470.2 million (up from $314.2 million in FY25) in appropriations from the legislature in the annual budget.
In addition, the MBTA received an additional $535 million in supplemental funding in FY25 for continued operations.
The legislature has also continued to fund the MBTA low-income fare program with an additional $20 million in appropriations. This program can help over 50,000 residents per year save money on transit fares.
PREVIOUS POLICY & LEGISLATIVE WINS (2022-2024)
S.2884, An Act relative to bus lane enforcement takes steps to enhance bus lane compliance and ensure the efficient operation of public transit systems in Massachusetts.
This bill was signed into law by Governor Healey on January 8, 2025.
Highlights of the bill:
- Prohibits parking, standing, or stopping in bus-only lanes or bus stops unless directed by traffic control or a police officer. Violations are subject to fines ranging from $25 to $125, depending on the type and context of the violation.
- Authorizes the use of bus-mounted and bus stop camera systems to document violations.
- Personal data and images captured by cameras are restricted to enforcement purposes only. Data must be redacted to obscure vehicle operators, passengers, or contents not related to violations.
- Net revenues from fines will be deposited into the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund.
On Monday, July 29th, 2024, Governor Healey signed a $58 billion compromise budget for Fiscal Year 2025 which started on July 1. While over 3 weeks late, the budget makes significant investments in transportation for the MBTA and RTAs.
The budget appropriates $447 million in funding for the MBTA, a significant increase over FY2024, and includes funding for a systemwide low income fare program that will begin later this year.
The $447 million is divided between funding from the general fund and from the Education and Transportation Fund, which is funded by the surtax on millionaires.
The $447 million is divided between funding from the general fund and from the Education and Transportation Fund, which is funded by the surtax on millionaires. The MBTA will receive:
- $314,280,000 for an operating transfer for general MBTA operations funded by the Commonwealth Transportation Fund;
- $60,000,000 for capital improvements for physical infrastructure including $10,000,000 to support climate adaptation and climate readiness capital improvement projects;
- $20,000,000 for systemwide low income fares for riders;
- $36,000,000 for projects to address ongoing safety concerns at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority related to the interim and final findings of the Federal Transit Administration’s Safety Management Inspection initiated in April 2022;
- $7,500,000 for support for ferry service including pilot programs and adding additional ferry service on weekends and route expansion;
- $10,000,000 to establish a pipeline for a skilled workforce across departments including but not limited to power, signals, rails and stations and buildings for capital, operating, preventative maintenance, climate adaptation and other projects.
The budget also makes historic investments in the RTAs including: $94 million from the general fund for general operating expenses and $110 million from the Education and Transportation Fund.
The $110 million investment is divided between operating, funding for free fare statewide, and grant program. The RTAs will receive:
- $66,000,000 in funding for operations;
- $30,000,000 for statewide fare free grants for the entire year;
- $10,000,000 for grants to regional transit authorities for the creation or altering of routes that advance connectivity between existing public transportation routes;
- $4,000,000 for grants to transit providers to support expanded mobility options for older adults, people with disabilities and low income individuals through the Community Transit Grant Program.
These transit investments will provide opportunities for transit service expansion in some regions, free and reduced fares for riders across the state, and establishing a long term workforce for agencies. We know there are more needs to be addressed and more funding needed but this increased investment is a positive step forward.
Massachusetts residents currently enjoy deductions of up to $750 for tolls and select MBTA passes. T4MA has successfully pushed for expansion of commuter benefits to include all daily transit fares across the commonwealth. Previously commuter deductions were only for MBTA monthly and weekly passes.
With this change, riders on regional transit authorities (RTA’s), ferries and bike share can now enjoy the same tax deductions. We’ve advocated for a bill to extend deductions to cover all MBTA and RTA fares, including bike share memberships, lowering the threshold for qualifying expenses from $150 to $50.
While Governor Healey’s tax package made strides by including RTA passes and bike share expenses, daily fares were left out. Here is T4MA’s written testimony before the Joint Committee on Revenue.
In January 2024, Governor Healey announced a spending plan that would put $45 million toward a plan to cut MBTA fares for low-income riders. On March 28, 2024, the MBTA Board approved the implementation of a low-income fares program.
“This long overdue low-income fare program will make it easier for people to get around,” said Reggie Ramos, T4MA Executive Director in the Boston Globe. “This will open new opportunities for people who today face barriers to transportation or have to endure structurally impossible trade-offs between transportation and other fundamental needs.”
The Legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2025 budget with $25 million for low-income fares on the MBTA. This amount is enough for the program to begin and it will benefit over 60,000 residents. We still need to ensure that this program is codified into state law so that it will exist in perpetuity.
Thanks to the revenue from the Fair Share Amendment, state investments in the 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) increased from $96.5 million to $184 million.
This funding includes $15 million in transit innovation grants, $4 million for older and low-income residents, and $15 million fare-free pilot programs.
This funding boost has enabled RTAs across the state to increase night and weekend services, add routes, hire more operators, and expand service hours.
In 2022, T4MA partnered with the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition to support the Fair Share Amendment to raise between $1.4 and $2.2 billion annually for investments in education and transportation.
The surcharge tax on high-income earners has resulted in an increase of $1 billion and $1.4 billion in investments in the FY24 and FY25 budgets, respectively. This means that municipalities are getting additional funding for transportation.