Regional Transportation Ballot Initiatives are when local governments like cities and towns or county governments come together and sponsor a ballot initiative to allow voters to decide on funding for transportation improvement projects. It is another tool in the toolbox to create revenue to fix our crumbling transportation infrastructure and build critical expansion projects for the MBTA, MassDOT and Regional Transit Agencies.
This method of increasing funds for improving transportation systems is available in other states as well, including California, Colorado, Kansas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan.
- Downtown Denver's RTD Light Rail (Photo by Robert Kearns)
Regional Transportation Ballot Initiatives like Measure M in Los Angeles County have been successful in funding improvments and expansions to the Los Angeles Metro system.
In Massachusetts, cities and towns are not currently allowed to put forward Regional Transportation Ballot Intiatives. Bills to change this are a part of our 2019-2020 Legislative Priorties.
See more information about Regional Transportation Ballot Initiatives from Transportation for Massachusetts, a transportation coalition organization of which Massachusetts Sierra Club is a member.
See MassInc's testimony in support of Regional Transportation Ballot Initiatives.
Regional Transportation Ballot Initiatives are also Legislative Priorities of Boston Mayor Walsh and of MAPC (Metropolitan Area Planning Council).
- Zero Emission Electric Bus operated by PVTA between the Environmental Justice Communities of Holyoke and Springfield (Photo by Robert Kearns)
- MBTA Redline and Blue Line Subway and the Historic Mattapan Trolley Line (Photo by Robert Kearns)