Presentation to 495/MW Partnership 9.26.2017 Who is Transportation - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Presentation to 495/MW Partnership 9.26.2017

Who is Transportation for Massachusetts?

• T4MA is a statewide coalition of more than 70 member

and partner organizations. We advocate for better, smarter transportation policies across the

• Commonwealth. Our members include:
• Environmental advocates
• Planning agencies
• Business associations
• Community-based organizations
• Grassroots non-profits
• Transportation user groups and advocates

Our values for better transportation

• Transportation is the path to opportunity and social

equity

• Transportation is a determinant of public health
• Sustainable transportation is key to solving and

mitigating climate change and local pollution

• Good transportation choices create strong

communities

Negative environmental impacts of transpo.

• The transportation sector is the largest emitter of

greenhouse gases

• More than the power sector
• This is now true not just in Massachusetts, but

across the country

• Significant contributor to local pollution
• A study by Tufts and Boston University found that

people who live close to highways have higher risks of cardiovascular disease

Coalition investment priorities

• Transit
• MBTA repair and maintenance
• Targeted MBTA expansion
• Regional Transit Authorities
• Active Transportation for Vibrant Communities
• Walking
• Cycling
• Roads + Bridges
• Investment in maintenance + repair
• Better management of demand and capacity
• Tying Transportation to Land Use
• Supporting “Great Neighborhoods” that are vibrant and prosperous, and

easy to get around in without a car

The good news: Massachusetts is #1!

Massachusetts is the #1 state in the country according to U.S. News & World Report rankings

Massachusetts is #1!

#1 Overall #1 in Education #2 in Healthcare

But we rank #45 in transportation

#1 Overall #1 in Education #2 in Healthcare #45 in Transportation

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Congestion is a costly problem for Massachusetts commuters and businesses

• Congestion costs Boston-area drivers $1,759 per year

($150/month) in lost time and wasted fuel. At $300/month for a household with two drivers, that’s more than what many pay for cellphones or cable television.

• Boston-area drivers spent the highest percentage of their

travel in congestion of any large-metro commuters in the country.

• Business associations cite transportation as the number one

concern of their members.

Source: INRIX 2016 Global Traffic Scorecard. INRIX, a Microsoft spinoff, is a partner of FHWA and many state DOTs.

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As volumes hit “peak of the peak”, average vehicle speeds drop

Source: MassDOT volume and speed data from weekdays in May and June, 2017

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10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000

12:00 AM 1:00 AM 2:00 AM 3:00 AM 4:00 AM 5:00 AM 6:00 AM 7:00 AM 8:00 AM 9:00 AM 10:00 AM 11:00 AM 12:00 PM 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:00 PM

Newtonville Eastbound Gantry

Avg Vehicle Volume Avg Vehicle Speed (MPH)

Technology presents opportunities

• The Baker Administration’s

transition to all-electronic tolling presents an opportunity to think differently about how we can address congestion.

• We can now take new

approaches to old problems, and improve quality-of-life for commuters.

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Congestion Reduction Pilot Proposal

• Recruit ~500 commuters who regularly use currently

tolled roads in Massachusetts

• Provide approved pilot drivers with an automatic

discount for driving off-peak on weekdays

• Constrain pilot to small pool and time period to limit

MassDOT revenue loss while still demonstrating proof of concept

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Goals of the Pilot Program

• Show technological capability to offer discounted

tolls for off-peak driving

• Demonstrate goodwill to toll-paying communities
• Assess qualitative response of drivers to the
• pportunity to pay less for off-peak trips
• Advance differential pricing as a policy that could

potentially help alleviate congestion on some key Massachusetts commuting corridors

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Potential Long-Term Benefits of Reduced Congestion Through Off-Peak Pricing

• Drivers who take advantage of off-peak pricing:
• Cheaper trip
• Potentially faster and more reliable trips
• Drivers who don’t (or can’t) take advantage of off-peak

pricing:

• Faster and more reliable trips through congestion

reduction

• Transit (bus) riders:
• Faster and more reliable trips through congestion

reduction

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Appendix

Coalition revenue priorities

• Millionaire’s Tax and Sales Tax
• Congestion reduction through smarter

pricing policies

• Empowering cities and towns by enabling

Regional Ballot Initiatives

• Supporting a “RGGI for transportation”

A track record of success

• Fought MBTA service cuts and proposed 43% fare hikes
• Coordinated statewide campaign to win new revenue
• Advocated for statewide Complete Streets program
• Worked for Project Selection criteria to align investments with

values

• Frame innovative mobility in line with equity and climate

values

Transportation must serve everyone

• Transportation is important not for what it

is, but for what it does:

• Connects communities to each other
• Connects people with jobs, healthcare,

education, and other opportunities

• Helps businesses move goods

At volumes above highway capacity, each new vehicle contributes more congestion than the last

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Travel Time from 495 to Back Bay Traffic Volume 25 Minutes Without Traffic Highway Capacity 45+ Minutes at Peak

Shifting trips away from “Peak of the Peak” produces significant travel time savings for commuters

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Time Savings Reduction of 100 Vehicles Reduction of 100 Vehicles Highway Capacity “Peak of the Peak”

Current Toll Rates w/EZ Pass

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Tobin Bridge (each way): $1.25 Sumner + Ted Williams Tunnels (each way): $1.50 128/Weston to I-93: $1.70 Newton to Allston/Brighton: $1.00 Framingham to Allston/Brighton: $1.85 495 to Copley: $2.45 Worcester to South Boston: $2.90

Scenario Costs of the Pilot Program

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# of Drivers: 500 500 Average Discount: $0.50 $1.00 Discounted Trips/Month/Driver: 10 45 Number of Months: 6 6 Total Value of Discounts: $15,000 $135,000 Staff time for administration, media, marketing