Regional Transit Authorities
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State House Update: Baker Vetoes RTA Budget Increase, Proposal Advances for New T Governing Board
Governor Baker used his line-item veto power to flat-fund state assistance for regional transit authorities at $90.5 million for the third year in a row.
July 19, 2021
WRTA Board Votes to Extend Worcester’s Zero-Fare Buses ‘Til 2022
“If we suspend fares, it’s just not true that we couldn’t expand service,” Etel Haxhiaj, Zero-Fare Coalition member and Worcester city council candidate, told StreetsblogMASS. “They don’t need to be mutually exclusive.”
May 20, 2021
The WRTA’s Fare-Free Bus Experiment Was Popular, But Won’t Last Without Funding
The WRTA's higher levels of transit ridership, relative to other peer cities, suggest that its fare-free policies may be especially helpful to frontline workers whose travel decisions are more sensitive to fare costs.
May 7, 2021
PVTA to Debut Northampton-Springfield Express Route With Electric Buses
The new Northampton-Holyoke-Springfield Express is expected to start running this July.
March 30, 2021
Fare-Free Buses Gain Momentum on Beacon Hill
Two bills currently in the Massachusetts Senate would eliminate fare collection on some or all of the state's bus routes.
March 25, 2021
Higher Uber/Lyft Fees Could Boost Funding for Street Safety and Transit
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.
January 14, 2021
Final Bond Bill Sets 20-Cent ‘Transit Access Fee’ For Uber/Lyft Rides
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.
January 6, 2021
Will the Mass. Senate Salvage Major Transportation Legislation This Year?
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.
July 14, 2020
Washington Sends Over $1 Billion in Relief Funds to Bay State Transit Agencies
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).
April 2, 2020
COVID-19 Crisis Stretches Small Transit Providers Thinner
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.
March 19, 2020
