While the main agenda in yesterday’s transportation discussion was to fund transportation operations and maintenance, we passed a number of amendments to strengthen transparency. A particular issue that had troubled many observers for decades was the secrecy of the MBTA’s pension fund. The MBTA’s pension plan has been perceived as excessively generous, allowing relatively early retirements. …
Continue reading “Senate Transportation Plan includes Transparency Enhancements”
The Senate passed its own version of the transportation package after a ten hour session on Saturday. The vote was 30 to 5 in favor with 3 Republicans and only two anti-tax Democrats opposed. Many of us had hoped for a broader package, along the lines proposed by the Governor in January — addressing not …
Over the next few days, legislators will cast votes on the transportation finance plan recently released by the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees. My hope is that the plan will evolve and expand before our final vote. I would like to see us add to the plan a stream of additional dedicated transportation revenue …
Continue reading “The Legislature’s Proposed Transportation Plan”
Over the next couple of weeks, the legislature will make preliminary decisions about the Governor’s transportation plans — deciding how much additional revenue to raise to close operating gaps and to fund additional borrowing. The governor has proposed to issue $13 billion in additional debt over the next 10 years to finance his 21st Century …
Continue reading “How much transportation investment can we afford?”
Last week, Governor Patrick filed legislation implementing his transportation investment program. Hearings will begin soon and it’s worth understanding how the vetting process will work. In January, the Governor filed his budget proposal, which is a proposed law, subject to the usual legislative hearing process. In addition, he rolled out his transportation vision document, called …
I want to float a trial balloon. Don’t take my head off, it’s just a thought: What if we were to give the MBTA the ability to raise its own tax revenues regionally subject to periodic voter approval (as in Proposition 2.5)? Some background first: As compared to other major transit agencies in the United …
