Advocates ask committee to allow regional ballot measures for local transportation funding

Georgia Barlow of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council and Pete Wilson of Transportation for Massachusetts testified in favor of Senate 2009, a bill to allow regional ballot initiatives that would let municipalities place local ballot questions to raise revenue for transportation projects.

Barlow told the Joint Committee on Revenue that the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which serves 101 municipalities in Greater Boston, supports legislation enabling local or multi‑municipal ballot questions to fund Massachusetts transportation projects such as transit service, road and bridge repairs, bikeways and other local infrastructure. “Across most of the country, regional ballot initiatives are regularly used to finance transportation projects ranging from road repairs to public transit,” she said, citing recent successful measures in other states.

Pete Wilson, senior policy director at Transportation for Massachusetts, said the bill “is not a revenue raising bill” but would provide municipalities the authority and flexibility to choose revenue sources appropriate for local needs, with sunset provisions tied to project timelines. Both witnesses urged the committee to view regional ballot initiatives as one tool among others to address a projected decline in federal transportation funding and to give communities more control over funding priorities.

Witnesses pointed to national examples where regional ballot initiatives funded transit fleets, new rail, and local road and pedestrian projects. They said Massachusetts municipalities need flexible options — a sales tax might work in one municipality and a local room occupancy or other targeted measure in another — and recommended local control and transparency so voters know how funds will be spent.

No committee vote or formal action was recorded during the hearing on S 2009.