Budget Amendment ID: FY2019-S4-1191

TRP 1191

Establishing a Berkshire Flyer 2.0 Transportation Subcommittee

Mr. Hinds moved that the proposed new text be amended by adding the following section:-

“SECTION XXXX.  There shall be a transportation subcommittee convened to the Berkshire Flyer working group, as established in Section 137 to Chapter 47 of the Acts of 2017, for purposes of further study to identify and evaluate the issues, benefits, and challenges to creating a seasonal rail service between New York City and Berkshire County.

The subcommittee's responsibilities shall include, but shall not be limited to:  identifying and evaluating the issues, costs, needs, and benefits of existing and non-existing transportation alternatives in Berkshire County for visitors that arrive from New York City at the Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center in the city of Pittsfield; making recommendations to improve ground transportation alternatives for riders who arrive at the intermodal center in the city of Pittsfield, to ensure that Berkshire Flyer riders have reasonable access to transportation options to arrive at their next point of destination in the Berkshires; collaborating with representatives from the ride-sharing industry and other public and private transportation providers in Berkshire County to develop those transportation alternative recommendations; collecting and evaluating data on ridership from New York City to Pittsfield; developing a marketing strategy, in collaboration with individuals and businesses who are employed in the hospitality industry and transportation industry, to promote the seasonal rail service between New York City and the Berkshires; and identifying and developing private partnerships to potentially support a pilot season of passenger rail service in calendar year 2020. The first meeting of the subcommittee shall take place not later than September 1, 2018.

Members of the subcommittee shall include, but shall not be limited to: a designee of 1Berkshire, who shall serve as co-chair; a designee of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, who shall serve as co-chair; a designee of the Secretary of Housing and Economic Development; a designee of the Secretary of Department of Transportation from the Rail and Transit Division; a designee of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority; not less than 3 designees from the hospitality industry in Berkshire County as appointed by the co-chairs; a designee from the Department of Community Development at the City of Pittsfield; an elected municipal official from southern Berkshire County as appointed by the co-chairs; an elected municipal official from the northern Berkshire County as appointed by the co-chairs; a designee of the President of the Berkshire County Board of Realtors; a designee of the State Senator for the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden County District; and existing rail service stakeholders as deemed necessary by the co-chairs.

The subcommittee shall file a report of their findings and recommendations with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural development, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on transportation and the Department of Transportation, not later than March 1, 2019."