AN ACT PROVIDING OPERATING ASSISTANCE TO REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITIES
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to provide forthwith operating assistance to regional transit authorities, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, for fiscal year 2022, $94,000,000 of the amount transferred in item 1595-6370 of section 2E of chapter 24 of the acts of 2021 shall be considered operating assistance and distributed to regional transit authorities; provided, however, that for fiscal year 2022, $90,500,000 shall be distributed based on fiscal year 2021 distributions, in accordance with the fiscal year 2020 bilateral memorandum of understanding between each regional transit authority and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; provided further, that each regional transit authority shall receive operating assistance from said item 1595-6370 of said section 2E of said chapter 24 of not less than the amount received in fiscal year 2021; and provided further, that $3,500,000 shall be distributed to each regional transit authority based on the following formula: 60 per cent based on total transit ridership as reported on the most recent certified national transit data base report, 30 per cent based on population of its member communities from the most recent census, and 10 per cent based on service coverage area determined by the total square miles of its member communities. The department may require each regional transit authority to provide data on ridership, customer service and satisfaction, asset management and financial performance, including farebox recovery, and shall compile collected data into a report on the performance of regional transit authorities and each authority’s progress towards meeting the performance metrics established in each memorandum of understanding.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect as of July 1, 2021.
House of Representatives, September 23, 2021.
This Bill having been returned by His Excellency the Governor with his objections thereto in writing (see House 4054) has been passed by the House of Representatives, notwithstanding said objections, two-thirds of the House (159 yeas to 0 nays) having agreed to pass the same.
Sent to the Senate for its action.
Ronald Mariano, Speaker.
Steven T. James, Clerk.
Senate, September 30, 2021.
Passed by the Senate, notwithstanding the objections of His Excellency the Governor, two-thirds of the members present (37 yeas to 1 nays) having approved the same.
Karen E. Spilka, President.
Michael D. Hurley, Clerk.
Office of the Secretary.
October 21, 2021.