Sen. Sal DiDomenico and his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate recently passed legislation to invest in municipal transportation projects and establish a new leadership board for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
The bill, An Act financing improvements to municipal roads and bridges, authorizes $300 million in municipal roads and bridges through bonding, an $80 million increase over the 2019 Chapter 90 appropriation. The legislation also establishes a new seven-member MBTA Board of Directors to succeed the current oversight body, known as the Fiscal Management and Control Board. The MBTA Board of Directors will be responsible for governing and exercising corporate powers of the MBTA.
“This $300 million dollar investment will not only help us meet our immediate transit needs, but also ensure we can continue working on long-term projects and improvements to our transportation system that were needed long before COVID-19 began,” said Senator DiDomenico. “This bill is a win-win: by funding local improvement projects now, we can kick start our economy, all while moving forward with the development of a safe and equitable transit system for decades to come. I would like to thank Senate President Karen Spilka, Senate Ways & Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues, and Senate Transportation Chair Joe Boncore for their work and leadership on this legislation.”
The bill includes the following components:
•Increases the Chapter 90 bonding to $300 million, an increase of $80 million over the 2019 investment. This funding will support transportation infrastructure projects in cities and towns.
•Creates a professional, and diverse MBTA Board of Directors by requiring the Governor’s five appointments to include a member with experience in transportation operations and safety, a member with experience in public or private finance, a member with experience in transportation or urban planning, a member who is a representative of a labor organization, and a member who has municipal government experience in the service area constituting the authority. The Secretary of Transportation will serve as an ex-officio member, and one member will be appointed by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Advisory Board. Additionally, at least two members of the MBTA Board of Directors must also serve on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
•Keeps the MBTA Board of Directors transparent and accountable by improving the public meeting process by requiring the Board to meet at least once per month and 20 times per calendar year. Members of the MBTA Board of Directors, except the Secretary of Transportation, will serve for four-year terms and have a stipend of $12,000 per year.
•Provides greater autonomy and authority to the MBTA Board of Directors by empowering the Board to make decisions over hiring the MBTA General Manager, and delegate specific powers and responsibilities to the General Manager. Affirmative hiring votes will require at least five members if the Transportation Secretary is not in the voting majority. Voting on financial decisions by the MBTA Board of Directors on matters related to construction and acquisition that uses bonds or debt service payments must also have at least five members voting in the affirmative if the Transportation Secretary is not in the voting majority.
The legislation must now be reconciled with the Massachusetts House of Representatives.