Rick Dimino

It is well established that our economy is being held back by traffic congestion and an underperforming transit system. We frequently hear about the transportation crisis through media reports, expert studies and through our daily commuting experiences.  

Fortunately, a consensus approach to delivering additional transportation revenue is emerging, with overwhelming support from the business community, municipal officials and transportation advocates. This stakeholder alignment presents strong momentum for legislative action, but it also represents the opportunity to address regional equity issues in how Massachusetts funds transportation services.  

In the past two months multiple business organizations, including A Better City, the Kendall Square Association and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, each publicly called for a transportation finance plan to raises new revenue for current and future transportation needs. A 28–member statewide group called the Massachusetts Business Coalition released their findings and recommendations. Transportation advocacy organizations, most notably the statewide group Transportation for Massachusetts, also proposed specific approaches to improving our statewide infrastructure needs.  

Most recently, municipal officials in the Metro Mayors’ Coalition, the North Shore Coalition and the Commuter Rail Communities Coalition joined the call with their own vision. Fortunately, it is very similar to the funding approach outline in both the business and advocate plans. 

Mayors from the inner-core area of Greater Boston, the North Shore and communities served by the MBTA commuter rail announced support for raising the gas tax, expanding tolling locations onto additional highways, joining the regional Transportation Climate Initiative and raising fees on Uber and Lyft rides. This collection of financing steps is the same approach endorsed by a majority of business groups.  

While each group varies on the size of a potential gas tax increase, the four main components to a transportation funding plan have overwhelming support from stakeholders. This sends a clear message as the legislature prepares for their debate in early 2020.  

Tolls Offer Policy Benefits 

While all sources of transportation revenue are important to meet significant system-wide needs, expanding highway tolling is the option with the chance to truly transform Massachusetts in a positive manner. Expanded roadway pricing is necessary to do more than just raise new revenue; it can ensure regional equity, create better incentives for mass transit and help to manage and reduce congestion. With the mayors of Somerville, Boston, Quincy and Braintree all in support of expanded tolling, a historic step forward is possible.  

It is time to rectify a flaw in how Massachusetts sets a price for driving on our major highways in metropolitan Boston. If we assigned a consistent price in all directions for vehicles coming into Boston, we would make a big difference in solving our transportation, congestion and carbon emission challenges.  

While each group varies on the size of a potential gas tax increase, the four main components to a transportation funding plan have overwhelming support from stakeholders. This sends a clear message as the legislature prepares for their debate in early 2020.  

For decades now, we have asked drivers from communities in Metrowest and beyond to pay a toll when driving to and from Boston. We treat drivers from the North Shore using the Tobin Bridge and Boston harbor tunnels the same way. However, we still do not ask drivers for a toll when entering the Boston area from the north or south on Interstate 93.  

If we approach roadway pricing through a regional equity perspective, it is reasonable to design and implement a policy where a 10- mile drive into Boston costs the same rate on any major highway. This would create a statewide policy that is fair and also finances the transportation infrastructure needs of the metropolitan Boston region. In the age of all-electronic toll collection, this new approach is justified.  

Match the Magnitude of the Challenge 

A Better City has released a detailed analysis on the magnitude of our statewide transportation challenge. We concluded that we need a minimum $50 billion in new revenue over the next 20 years to achieve a number of common goals, such as keeping the transportation system safe and reliable, improving access and transit to meet a growing economy and population, relieving congestion and achieving the decarbonization and resiliency goals of Gov. Charlie Baker’s Future of Transportation Commission report.  

More than half of the new revenue for this long-term plan is assumed to come from expanded roadway pricing. These revenue assumptions are based on toll rates that are in line with what drivers on the Turnpike and Tobin are paying today, as opposed to dramatic congestions pricing rates that are in place in some international cites.  

Regional equity is also important for how we set fares on our subways and commuter rails rides. A subway ride from Braintree to South Station on the MBTA Red Line currently costs $2.40 to travel 12 miles. In Lynn, where there is no rapid transit subway option, riders can take the commuter rail 10 miles into North Station; this costs $7 each way. Recalibrating our entire transit pricing system should also be a priority to create the correct incentives for commuters and account for social equity concerns.  

There are many reasons to believe a comprehensive transportation finance plan is possible in 2020. The mayors of eastern Massachusetts and statewide business leaders understand that we are facing a transportation crisis that requires major interventions. Solutions to our roadway congestion and limited mass transit options will require transportation revenue, but the path to generating this revenue while also addressing regional equity concerns continues to build political support and strength as the best way forward.  

Rick Dimino is president and CEO of A Better City.