A Massachusetts Senate report released Tuesday presented residents’ vision for the state’s transportation system, calling for an efficient system of rail and bus, with many of the more than 700 participants in nine regional sessions favoring investing in transportation through broad-based general taxes, although some support higher user fees.
As outlined in MassMoves, all nine transportation workshops supported allowing towns and cities to raise money for local projects.
More than 80 percent of participants said the overall transportation system, as well as their regional transportation systems, are not in good condition, with 94 percent calling for elected officials to make transportation improvements a higher priority.
Focusing on projects to spur economic growth and improve affordability, they called for improved rail and bus service, and said that in addition to repairing and maintaining public transit, there needs to be more frequent service running for longer hours.
For western Massachusetts, improved bus and rail service, along with increased funding for public transit, were the top priorities, each garnering about the same level of support.
“For buses, (western Massachusetts) participants were most interested in expanding and improving service including the frequency and hours of service, and better interconnection among regional transit authorities and between buses and other modes of transportation,” the report states. “For funding, participants wanted to increase funding for all forms of transportation including using innovative sources (including local gas taxes), increasing dedicated RTA funding, and making funding more regionally equitable.”
The Senate launched its MassMoves initiative following a Commonwealth Conversations Tour, one that included stops in Conway and Amherst last March, to gather ideas from residents envisioning a better transport system across the state.
“Keeping solutions focused on supporting transportation — a proven catalyst for growth — will leave tomorrow’s generation poised for success so that innovation, brain power and jobs follow.” said Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst. “This report has illuminated for us what work needs to be done to support transportation, which includes further investment in our transportation system to meet current and future demands and help our state compete globally and nationally.”