Connecting the Commonwealth Key Public Transportation Projects and Their Benefits for Massachusetts MASSPIRG Education Fund Connecting the Commonwealth Key Public Transportation Projects and Their Benefits for Massachusetts MASSPIRG Education Fund Tony Dutzik Frontier Group Eric Bourassa MASSPIRG Education Fund Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank Fred Salvucci of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Shanna Vale of the Conservation Law Foundation, and Phineas Baxandall of U.S. PIRG for their insightful review of this report. Thanks also to the Center for Neighborhood Tech- nology for the use of their map of household transportation expenditures. Finally, thanks to Susan Rakov and Elizabeth Ridlington of Frontier Group for their editorial support. The authors bear responsibility for any factual errors. The recommendations are those of MASSPIRG Education Fund. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of those who provided editorial review. Copyright 2008 MASSPIRG Education Fund With public debate around important issues often dominated by special interests pursuing their own narrow agendas, MASSPIRG Education Fund offers an independent voice that works on behalf of the public interest. MASSPIRG Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organiza- tion, works to protect consumers and promote good government. We investigate problems, craft solutions, educate the public, and offer Bay Staters meaningful opportunities for civic participation. Frontier Group conducts research and policy analysis to support a cleaner, healthier and more democratic society. Our mission is to inject accurate information and compelling ideas into public policy debates at the local, state and federal levels. For more information about MASSPIRG Education Fund, or for additional copies of this report, please visit www.masspirg.org. Cover photo: Anna Yu / istockphoto.com Design and layout: Harriet Eckstein Graphic Design Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 8 The Case for More and Better Public Transportation in Massachusetts 10 Travel Trends: More Driving, Rising Transit Ridership 10 The Benefits of Transit in Massachusetts 13 A Vision for the Future of Public Transportation in Massachusetts 16 Goals of Transit Investments in Massachusetts 16 Greater Boston 17 Regional Rail 28 High-Speed Intercity Rail 37 Regional Transit Authorities 38 From Vision to Reality: A 21st Century Transit System for Massachusetts 41 Federal Government 41 Regional Coordination 42 State Policy 42 Conclusion 43 Executive Summary assachusetts’ transportation sys- more global warming pollution from tem is in trouble. High gasoline transportation than they did two de- Mprices are draining consumers’ cades ago. pocketbooks, traffic congestion wastes valuable time and energy, and our cars and • Vehicle travel on the Commonwealth’s trucks produce pollution that harms Bay highways increased by approximately Staters’ health and contributes to global 57 percent between 1980 and 2007. warming. The number of vehicle miles traveled Public transportation makes a vital con- per person has increased by 39 percent tribution to Massachusetts’ transportation over that same period of time. system, relieving congestion, reducing our dependence on oil, curbing pollution, • Massachusetts residents spent about stimulating the economy, and helping $4.3 billion more on gasoline in 2007 to sustain healthy, vibrant communities. than they did in 1998, a product of While Massachusetts has made many im- more miles being driven in less ef- portant transit investments over the last ficient vehicles, coupled with higher several decades, many important projects gasoline prices. have been left on the drawing board. Massachusetts needs a transportation • Congestion on Bay State roads has system that meets the needs of the 21st cen- continued to get worse. In 2005, tury—one in which public transportation Boston area residents spent about 93 plays an even bigger role than it does today. million hours in traffic delays, while To get there, we need to start investing now congestion cost the area’s economy in critical public transportation projects. about $1.8 billion. Massachusetts residents drive more • Transportation is a leading source of miles, spend more on gasoline, experi- global warming pollution in Massa- ence more congestion, and produce chusetts. Massachusetts’ transportation Executive Summary system produced 19 percent more car- o Public transportation is helping to bon dioxide in 2005 than it did in 1990. reduce global warming pollution in the Commonwealth, averting about Public transportation helps address 1.2 million metric tons of carbon Massachusetts’ energy, transportation dioxide pollution in 2006. and environmental challenges. • Travel via public transportation in • Public transportation pays dividends Massachusetts has increased at a faster for Massachusetts residents and our rate than automobile travel since the economy. early 1990s—with the number of passenger miles traveled on transit o In 2006, public transportation in jumping 34 percent between 1993 and Massachusetts saved approximately 2006. 153 million gallons of oil, saving consumers more than $400 million • Transit ridership continues to in- at the pump. crease. In the first five months of 2008, ridership on the Bay State’s o Public transportation prevented transit lines jumped 6 percent versus more than 21 million hours of traf- the year before, compared with a 1.7 fic delay—equivalent to about 2,400 percent drop in vehicle travel. person-years—in the Boston met- ropolitan area in 2005, saving the • However, nearly 74 percent of Massa- economy more than $400 million chusetts residents drive to work alone in wasted time and lost productivity. while only 8.6 percent take public Figure ES-1. Year-Over-Year Change in Transit Ridership vs. Vehicle Miles Traveled, January-May 2008 versus January-May 2007 7% Transit Ridership +6.0% 6% 5% 4% 3% hange C 2% Car and Truck Vehicle Miles 1% Traveled -1.7% Percentage 0% -1% -2% -3% 2 Connecting the Commonwealth Figure ES-2. Means of Travel to Work in Massachusetts, 2006 Work at Home Other 1% 4% Walk Public 4% Transportation 9% Carpool 8% Drive Alone 74% transportation, meaning that there are • Connecting the MBTA Blue Line plenty of opportunities to entice new and Red Line at Charles/MGH sta- riders to transit. tion and extending the Blue Line to Lynn—easing connections in down- There are dozens of worthy public tran- town Boston, providing more travel sit improvements that would give Bay options, and improving links between Staters alternatives to the rising cost of Lynn and Boston. driving, reduce congestion by removing cars from the road, save oil and reduce • Improving the quality of service along pollution. Many of these projects have the MBTA’s Fairmount commuter rail been stuck on the drawing board for line—which runs through some of decades but their importance is greater Boston’s most transit-dependent and than ever. economically challenged neighbor- hoods—and adding several new stations. A comprehensive transit system for Massachusetts would include the fol- • Completing the final phase of the lowing (not in order of priority): Silver Line, improving transit connec- tions in downtown Boston. Greater Boston • Building high-capacity transit from • Extending the MBTA Green Line, Mattapan to a connection with the improving transportation service to Silver Line at Dudley Square, and the state’s most densely populated city, potentially converting the entire Sil- Somerville, as well as neighboring ver Line Washington Street corridor Medford. to light rail service. Executive Summary • Building a high-quality, rail-based High Speed Rail: Construction of high- Urban Ring that would connect the speed rail along Massachusetts’ federally “spokes” of the MBTA transit system, designated high-speed rail corridors— speeding travel around the Boston eventually linking Boston with Montreal, area and drawing thousands of new Albany, and Auburn, Maine; and Spring- transit riders each day. field with New Haven and New York City—via trains traveling 125 miles per Regional Rail hour or more. • Restoring commuter rail service to Bus Service: Improvements in bus service Fall River and New Bedford and across the Commonwealth, particularly eventually Cape Cod, linking the service provided by Massachusetts’ re- South Coast to the Greater Boston gional transit authorities (RTAs). With ad- rail network. equate and predictable funding, RTAs can provide Bay State residents with efficient • Connecting fast-growing southern and affordable alternatives to driving. New Hampshire to the MBTA commuter rail network. Massachusetts faces a transportation funding crisis, which could prevent • Introducing commuter rail service the Commonwealth from making the between Springfield, Hartford and investments required to build a 21st New Haven, reducing congestion century transit system. The Com- on I-91 and providing better monwealth should do the following to transportation options to residents of address both and future current trans- the Pioneer Valley. portation needs: • Improving passenger rail service • Develop a statewide public transporta- in the Worcester area, including tion plan that sets out an ambitious, improved service on the Worcester- long-term agenda for transit system Boston commuter rail line and improvement and expansion. The plan possible extensions of the commuter should identify needed projects, esti- rail network to Springfield, New mate