An Accessible, Affordable and Sustainable MBTA is Critical to Massachusetts’ Prosperity
ABOUT US
Transit is Essential is a diverse coalition of more than 50 environmental justice, mobility justice, and business organizations working to ensure the MBTA is safe, robustly funded, and affordable for everyone in the region.
Public transit is a public good and is a critical lifeline for many to access essential health services, employment, education, social connections, and opportunities. Unfortunately, the MBTA is underfunded, understaffed, and unable to provide the robust and quality service needed to support the Commonwealth.
Our coalition advocates for practical solutions that will sustain the MBTA long term. It’s time to get the MBTA off the fiscal cliff and back on track.
OUR PRIORITIES
We are advocating for solutions that will ensure everyone in the region has access to safe, reliable, and affordable MBTA service—and for sustainable and equitable funding for the MBTA.
Consistent with our recommendations in Funding Our Future, our priorities include:
Lawmakers should look toward a wide array of revenue options, including those that are not directly derived from transportation services. The first step in the process should be to look toward options that ask those who benefit the most from transportation investments to contribute the most – and to close loopholes that are increasing inequities and leaving money on the table.
Some examples of more equitable sources of transportation revenue the legislature should prioritize are:
- New Corporate minimum tax tiers
- Eliminating special exemptions, deductions or credits that reduce the value of taxes on personal income or corporate profits
In many ways, transportation is experienced at the local and regional level. Massachusetts lags behind other states that have allowed for options for local and regional generation of transportation funds. While these are not short-term solutions, they would provide longer-term sustained fudning and would allow for cities, towns, regions and agencies to raise revenue and shape transportation improvements in their communities.
It’s important to note that some regions have more ability to raise their own resources than others, so it is vital for the State to structure these programs ensuring some degree of revenue sharing or matching funds for low wealth and/or environmental justice communities.
Some of these options include:
- Regional Ballot Initiatives (RBIs)
- Transit-Oriented Development Value Capture
It is common to implement user fees and other consumption-based taxes towards covering the cost of transportation.
Although consumption taxes and user fees overall tend to have a greater impact on lower income individuals and households, policy details can make a difference. Taxes and fees can include tiers and exemptions designed to nudge those policies to fall relatively less on people with lower incomes.
When considering a user fee, the legislature should ask the following:
- Does the user fee help change a behavior and/or make progress toward a mobility, climate or public health goal?
- What is the potential for disproportionate impact on low income individuals?
- If there is a disproportionate impact, are mitigation measures possible and reasonable to implement?
If Massachusetts is truly going to reclaim its place as a national leader in transportation, it needs to set more robust targets for the future. Beyond funding our immediate needs, we must also build in policies that will ensure we meet our mobility, climate and public health goals and that we reduce our dependence on revenue streams that are volatile or declining.
Such policies include:
- Setting a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) reduction goal for 2050
- Creating a plan to reduce reliance on the gas tax and transit fares by 2050 and 2030 respectively
- Provide adequate resources to electrify transit statewide
OUR CURRENT POLICY PRIORITIES
SD.663/ HD.1740 – An Act relative to regional transportation ballot initiatives
- RBIs allows cities and towns to raise revenue to pay for local and regional transportation projects.
SD.1292 – An Act relative to third party delivery fees
- Implement a .20 fee on certain deliveries made by 3rd party platforms
HD.1034 – An Act reinvesting in transportation through assessments on parking
- Municipalities would be given a mandate to implement parking fee structures
HD.2374 / SD.1288 – An Act Relative to Transportation Network Company Fees
- An increse in charges per ride fees for ride-share companies from $.20 per ride to a percentage of the cost of ride to raise revenue for transportation
SD.1327/ HD2579 – An Act aligning the Commonwealth’s transportation plans with its mandates and goals for reducing emissions and vehicle miles traveled (Also known as Freedom to Move)
- Sets a vehicle miles traveled reduction goal to decrease pollution from transportation by including this in the STIP (State Transportation Improvement Plan) process
In addition to our current policy priorities, as a coalition we support the following bills:
- SD.1273 – An Act establishing a regional equity and roadway board
- SD.1267 – An Act establishing the Metropolitan Transportation Network
- HD1395/SD1701/S.2359 – An Act relative to setting deadlines to electrify the commuter rail
- HD.2371 – An Act relative to third party delivery data reporting
- HD.3390/SD.1684/S.2033 – An Act Combatting Offshore Tax Avoidance (re GILTI)
- HD. 631 / SD.1109 – An Act relative to fare free buses
- SD.380 – An Act to increase the commuter tax deduction to reflect rising costs
- SD.957 – An Act expanding access to commuter transit benefits offered by employers
OUR WINS
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.
A 10-year effort by Transit is Essential and our coalition partners succeeded in reducing fares for more than 60,000 riders with lower incomes. The program will offer half-priced fares on every MBTA service, including commuter rail and the RIDE paratransit services.
By beating back massive service cuts and staff reductions during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.
OUR MEMBERS INCLUDE
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
For individuals
CLICK HERE to sign up to join the T4MA newsletter and receive updates and action alerts from Transit is Essential.
For Organizations
Please contact casey@t4ma.org to learn more about becoming a Transit is Essential member.
Transit is Essential is co-convened by TransitMatters, Alternatives for Community & Environment, Conservation Law Foundation, Transportation for Massachusetts and LivableStreets Alliance.