Recent Streetsblog MASS posts about Regional Transit Authorities

A double-parked Lyft driver waits outside of the South Station bus terminal on Thursday, August 8, 2019.

Higher Uber/Lyft Fees Could Boost Funding for Street Safety and Transit

By Christian MilNeil | Jan 14, 2021 | No Comments

Historically, municipalities have used their share of fees on Uber and Lyft to finance local transportation improvements, including quick-build safety projects and small transit services. Under new legislation awaiting Governor Baker's signature, that funding could increase significantly.

The Massachusetts State House in downtown Boston.

Final Bond Bill Sets 20-Cent ‘Transit Access Fee’ For Uber/Lyft Rides

By Christian MilNeil | Jan 6, 2021 | No Comments

In 2018, there were about 50 million Uber and Lyft rides that originated in Boston and Cambridge alone, which could have contributed around $10 million in new revenue for the T had this policy been in place then.

Will the Mass. Senate Salvage Major Transportation Legislation This Year?

By Christian MilNeil | Jul 14, 2020 | No Comments

A House proposal to raise gas taxes appears to be dead; instead, the Senate will debate a $16.9 billion bond bill that would authorize more debt to pay for transportation infrastructure projects.

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority buses at the Springfield Union Station in July 2017. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons user Newflyer504, licensed under Creative Commons.

Washington Sends Over $1 Billion in Relief Funds to Bay State Transit Agencies

By Christian MilNeil | Apr 2, 2020 | No Comments

Massachusetts transit agencies will get just over $1 billion in emergency funding to help sustain service through the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The funding comes from a $25 billion line-item for transit assistance in the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act,” the bill that quickly moved through Congress […]

A WRTA bus in front of City Hall in downtown Worcester. Courtesy of WRTA.

COVID-19 Crisis Stretches Small Transit Providers Thinner

By Christian MilNeil | Mar 19, 2020 | No Comments

Years of service cutbacks have made it difficult for Regional Transit Authorities to adjust their schedules without seriously impacting the ability of transit-dependent residents to get to their service jobs or access vital services.

Governor Charlie Baker at the Massachusetts State House. Courtesy of the Office of the Governor.

Governor Proposes More Transport Funding, Partly Reversing Past Cuts

By Phineas Baxandall | Feb 3, 2020 | No Comments

MassBudget is a nonprofit think tank that conducts research and analysis on economic and budget policy in Massachusetts, with a particular focus on improving the lives of moderate- and low-income residents. This guest post is part of a MassBudget series looking ahead at some major stories to watch for in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 […]

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