Transportation

Federal Relief and Recovery Funding and Massachusetts’ Transportation Future

Reports, Transportation / By

Unprecedented Needs and Opportunity Families and businesses rely on transportation systems like roads, sidewalks, buses, and trains for almost everything we do. These are the ways we get to work, to school, to the store, and how goods get to market. Transportation systems connect us to opportunity, save time and help Massachusetts achieve our commitment …

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Testimony to the Joint Committee on Transportation in support of free public transit and discounted fares for low-income riders

Testimony, Transportation / By

To: Joint Committee on Transportation From: Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center Re: Legislation for fare-free public transit and discounted fares for low-income riders July 28, 2021 Thank you, Chairman Straus, Chairman Boncore, and members of the Committee for this opportunity to speak about important legislation before you. My name is Phineas Baxandall. I am a …

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Does it Make Sense to Collect Bus Fares?

Reports, Transportation / By

Eliminating fares on Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Regional Transit Authority (RTA) buses makes sense for practical economic reasons as well as for equity and environmental sustainability. The resources spent collecting bus fares don’t serve any transportation function. Selling bus passes and tickets, verifying and collecting them, and enforcing fare payments do not help …

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The Dollars & Sense of Free Buses

Reports, Transportation / By

There are many reasons to eliminate transit fares, especially on buses. In addition to advancing equity and reducing climate change emissions, fare-free service is more efficient, faster, and more convenient. Eliminating fares also increases transit ridership and helps stimulate the local economy. The major rationale for continuing to require fares is that officials have become …

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Freeing the Climate: Environmental Benefits of Eliminating Transit Fares

Reports, Transportation / By

In addition to being more efficient and equitable, eliminating bus fares would benefit the climate. The transportation sector is the biggest and fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts, and personal vehicles are responsible for the majority of those emissions. Transportation accounted for 42 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts in 2017, the …

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Testimony before the Health Equity Task Force on the importance of work and family mobility for all, regardless of immigrant status

Health, Jobs & the Economy, Testimony, Transportation / By

Testimony by Monique Ching, Senior Policy Analyst at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, for the Health Equity Task Force public hearing on February 8, 2021. Members of the Health Equity Task Force, thank you for the opportunity to speak today about An Act Relative to Work and Family Mobility During and Subsequent to the …

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