Issue Position: Transportation

Issue Position

Meaningful investments in transit and transportation infrastructure must be a priority for Massachusetts. Increased traffic congestion, outdated public transit, and crumbling roads and bridges make getting around the region an increasing challenge and can ultimately damage our economy. Since the transportation sector is a major consumer of carbon (soon to eclipse the building sector), we need to find ways to encourage the greening of our transportation system. Consequently, I have also been supporting the Regional Ballot Initiatives to give cities and towns an additional revenue tool to levy funds locally in support of transportation. I also support efforts to create Value Capture systems that leverage the new growth in property tax value that is created when the Commonwealth or cities and Towns invest in transportation. This mechanism will provide another option for cities and towns to leverage that new growth and target it to transportation. Finally, I support and have taken votes to endorse efforts to raise the gas tax. At the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, for more than 5 years, as an agency we have been working on numerous position statements and recommendations for increasing transportation revenues.

I believe we will need to be proactive in regulating the new technologies that will become more prevalent, including ride-sharing, and autonomous vehicles to prevent the unintended consequences of an unregulated industry. Without careful measures that incentivize fleets and car-sharing and disincentivize single occupancy vehicles, we will get an increase in trips, reduction in transit use (already being seen today) an increase in congestion, and an increase in carbon consumption. The regulation of these industries should include a VMT fees or tax to discourage single occupancy vehicle trips and encourage ride-sharing. This fee or tax should be dedicated to transit and innovative transportation measures needed in the Commonwealth.

While in Hudson, I served on the Metrowest Regional Transit Authority, and helped to lay the groundwork to create a shuttle to serve that community. While Chair of the MAGIC Subregion of MAPC (the 13 towns in the area north west of Boston), I initiated the first Suburban Mobility Study to evaluate how collaboration can make local shuttle buses more efficient to increase ridership and access to transit. I was an appointed member of GreenDOT, an initiative to green up the Mass. Department of Transportation. We advised on improving transit and bicycle and pedestrian mobility. I also served on the Healthy Transportation Compact Advisory Committee which had some overlap with GreenDOT in its mission.

While President of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council - MAPC - I was responsible for developing the concept for the Complete Streets Incentive Program. That key Complete Streets program is currently expanding bicycle and pedestrian options across the Commonwealth. I would also plan to continue actively supporting the Complete Streets program and ensuring its funding as well as prioritizing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

I am passionate about both Transit and bicycle and pedestrian action and I will continue to focus on funding capital improvements to public transportation. We need to close the "last mile" transit gap that separates our homes and workplaces from convenient access to public transportation. Bicycling and walking options are a piece of this puzzle. We must focus on using data and technology to improve traffic flow, and we must make real investments in public transportation infrastructure.

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