HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2108        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3126

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Denise Provost

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to transportation finance and equity.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2108        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3126

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2659 OF 2011-2012.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

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An Act relative to transportation finance and equity.

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.  Section 1 of chapter  64A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out in line 98 the figure “21” and inserting in place thereof the figure:- 49.

SECTION 2.  The department of revenue shall develop a transportation tax credit or exemption for low income individuals and families.

SECTION 3.  18 per cent of new gasoline tax revenues shall be dedicated to the MBTA for reduction of outstanding MBTA debt resulting from the Central Artery/Tunnel project until such a time as that debt is repaid in full.  14 per cent of new gasoline tax revenues shall be dedicated to the MBTA for its capital maintenance program, except that the MBTA Board may vote to dedicate a portion of these funds on an annual basis by priority to specific MBTA expenditures eligible to receive Federal matching funds.

25 per cent of new gasoline tax revenues shall go to chapter 90 aid.  The highway division of the Massachusetts department of transportation shall determine percentages of this revenue to distribute by region.  Cities and towns will have the authority to decide how to spend these funds, within approved chapter 90 categories, provided that 1 percent of these revenues shall be spent on pedestrian and bicycle improvements.

25 per cent of new gasoline tax revenue shall be distributed among the commonwealth’s 15 regional transit authorities according to a formula to be determined by the Massachusetts department of transportation, the commonwealth metropolitan planning organizations, and the Massachusetts association of regional transit authorities.

14 per cent of the new gasoline tax revenues shall be directed to the highway division for the repair of roads, bridges, tunnels, and overpasses under the control of the department, but not for new road construction. An additional 4 percent of new gasoline tax revenues shall go to the highway division annually for the maintenance and repair of roads, bridges, tunnels, and overpasses under the control of the department of conservation and recreation.

SECTION 4.  The existing tolls and discounts on the Massachusetts turnpike shall be frozen until January 1, 2015; except that tolls will be reinstated for the last two interchanges on the turnpike forthwith.  There shall be no tolls on the turnpike between the hours of 10 P.M. and 5 A.M. daily.  Immediate application shall be made to the federal government to institute distance-based tolls on I-93 north and south of Boston.  The Massachusetts department of transportation shall forthwith develop a plan for tolling on I-93, including the central artery system. The highway division shall forthwith develop a plan for “open road” tolling on such roads under its jurisdiction, as it deems appropriate and suitable for tolling.  All surface transportation agencies in the commonwealth shall implement similar electronic toll collection systems, using available technology to collect tolls automatically.  In all roadway, bridge, and tunnel design and redesign projects, capacity for such technology shall henceforth be included.

SECTION 5.  A fixed percentage of any tolls instituted on the central artery and/or its tunnels, as determined by the Massachusetts department of transportation board of directors, in consultation with the highway division, shall be directed to the trust fund for maintenance of the central artery/tunnel project. 

The commonwealth shall establish a state infrastructure bank.

SECTION 6.  Cities and towns that accept this section may charge a tax not to exceed 10 per cent on all commercial parking lots and parking garages in the city or town.  All revenues from such taxes shall remain within the city or town but 100 per cent shall be devoted to transportation improvements and no less than 50 per cent to improvements and amenities for by cyclists and pedestrians and to create bicycle/pedestrian connections around transit nodes.  This section will authorize the establishment of a local revolving fund for such revenues.

“Commercial parking” for purposes of this section, shall mean privately owned parking facilities operated for a profit.