Regional ballot initiatives bill would let Massachusetts municipalities raise local transit funds, MAPC says
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Summary
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council told the Joint Committee on Revenue it strongly supports House Bill 3050 to allow cities and towns to place regional transportation funding questions on ballots, enabling local investment in projects and easing demand on state funds.
State Sen. Jamie Eldridge and House Co‑chair Chairman Madero presided over testimony on House Bill 3050, which would authorize regional ballot initiatives to raise local revenue for transportation projects.
Lizzie Wyant, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), told the committee MAPC has supported this legislation for 14 years and that regional ballot initiatives would enable municipalities to place questions on ballots to raise funds for local and regional transportation projects. MAPC serves “the people who live and work in the 100 and cities and towns of the metropolitan region,” Wyant said.
Wyant said regional ballot initiatives are commonly used across the country to finance projects ranging from road repairs to public‑transportation expansion. She noted that in the 2024 elections, voters approved 46 out of 53 transportation ballot initiatives nationwide, and said the tool allows municipalities to join for a limited period to invest in projects of local or regional significance. MAPC argued the mechanism would not solve the state’s transportation funding shortfall but would reduce demand on state dollars and create opportunities to leverage federal funding.
Wyant said the bill would give cities and towns “more options to raise local revenue and invest in local priorities,” and that the timing is appropriate given the Commonwealth’s deteriorating roads, bridges and transit infrastructure.
The committee recorded MAPC’s testimony; no vote or committee action occurred at the hearing.