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May 21, 2021
The Chamber submitted the following letter to Senate regarding transportation amendments to S.3, the fiscal 2022 budget proposal:
Dear President Spilka and Chairman Rodrigues,
I am writing to share the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s position on the following proposed transportation amendments to the Senate Ways and Means FY 2022 budget proposal:
SUPPORT Amendment #1: Permanent MBTA Governance Board
The Chamber supports a permanent Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority board of directors (MBTA Board) to replace the Fiscal and Management Control Board and recommends three refinements to strengthen the proposed board’s operations. The new MBTA Board must have the ability to operate independently, therefore we recommend granting the MBTA Board the authority to appoint the general manager position. To strengthen and maintain the Board’s independence, any ex officio members should not have voting powers. Finally, to reflect its large financial contribution to the system, the City of Boston should have a designated seat on the MBTA Board.
SUPPORT Amendment #23: Transportation Network Companies
The Chamber strongly supports increased TNC fees and data collection requirements. This amendment reintroduces language that was vetoed by Governor Baker as part of the Transportation Bond Bill. With a date for full reopening set, we must prepare to create and manage a 21st century transportation system.
One tool to create a 21st century transportation system should be changing the fee structure for TNC trips. While commuting patterns will change to a degree, TNCs will continue to draw riders away from public transit and contribute to congestion, especially in urban areas. The state should structure fees to incentivize shared transportation and distribute the revenue to invest in regional transportation authorities across the state. The Chamber also strongly supports an additional surcharge on luxury rides, which introduces a greater degree of equity to transportation funding mechanisms.
SUPPORT Amendment #12: Shovel Ready MBTA Capital Projects
The Chamber supports intentional investment to design and prepare shovel ready projects that improve transit options and reduce carbon emissions. The MBTA will be better positioned to secure and deploy federal funding when it becomes available if it has shovel-ready projects. Accelerating project delivery is key to ensuring the MBTA creates the 21st century transportation system the region needs to thrive.
SUPPORT Amendment #7: Commuter Benefits
The Chamber supports aligning the state with the federal tax code by increasing the amount of public transit costs that can be paid with pre-tax income from $140 per month to $265 per month. This change would promote public transit usage by simplifying the process for employers who wish to provide pre-tax commuter benefits and make public transit a more affordable commuting option for riders. We also support the expansion of the commuter tax deduction to include bike repair costs and bike share costs, as this helps encourage alternative forms of transportation in the commonwealth.
OPPOSE Amendment #4: Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) Operating Assistance
The Chamber opposes this amendment because it eliminates the requirement that $3.5 million in Regional Transit Authority (RTA) funding be distributed as performance-based grants. We support the funding being tied to performance-based grants because these grants encourage RTAs to explore ways to improve service in their regions. We encourage RTAs to work with large employers in their regions to ensure that service is meeting the needs of employees as we continue to return to the workplace.
The Chamber looks forward to continuing to work with the Legislature on both the FY2022 budget and improving our transportation infrastructure. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.
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Benjamin Stuart
Senior Director, Technology & Business Systems
[email protected]617-557-7355
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