Voter choice on transportation projects: are we missing out?
It's common across the United States for local voters to decide whether to fund transportation projects. In Colorado, Kansas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and many other states, cities or counties bring proposals directly to the public. Transit, roads, bikeways and more projects are often funded through locally-assessed taxes. But not yet in Massachusetts.
On March 18, an autonomous vehicle (AV) killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona. Initial evidence suggests that the backup driver was distracted, and the vehicle did not make any attempt to avoid the collision. This should serve as a wake-up call. We believe that with the right policies and procedures in place, autonomous vehicle testing can be safe. However, it is clear that at least in some conditions, this is not yet the case.
At a time when the Commonwealth should be promoting public transportation, several Regional Transit Authorities that provide bus service outside of the MBTA system are actively planning service cuts and significant fare hikes to balance their budgets, in response to Governor Baker’s recommendation to level-fund state operating assistance to RTAs. While state assistance is only one of several revenue sources, four years of level funding at a time of increasing costs is causing harm to riders and communities across the state.
Transportation in Massachusetts: What Does The Public Think?
A new poll of registered voters shows strong interest in better transportation, and a willingness to invest in better mobility. Most voters don't perceive recent progress, and have a range of reactions to variable pricing to address traffic congestion. The survey of 709 voters was conducted by MassINC Polling Group and funded by the Barr Foundation.
Last year, Massachusetts was named the #1 state in the entire country by U.S. News & World Report, thanks largely to our #1 ranking in Education and #2 ranking in Healthcare. But we were ranked #45 in transportation, including placing #47 nationally in both road quality and commute time.
Massachusetts is abuzz with talk about whether Amazon might choose one of our communities for its second North American headquarters. Just days after Amazon announced a nation-wide search for “HQ2,” we visited the company’s longtime home, Seattle, with a delegation of more than a dozen Massachusetts leaders.
This study tour – funded by the Barr Foundation to see how another region is approaching transportation – was an eye-opener for our group of civic, government, mobility, environmental and housing leaders.
The Boston Neighborhood Bike Forum on April 29 was a landmark event for Boston and cyclists. Sponsored by the Boston Public Health Commission and the Boston Cyclists Union, it was organized with the help of Angela Johnson, the Program Associate at the Transportation for Massachusetts coalition. We caught up with Angela to get her take on this event.