Report: More money won't solve Massachusetts' transportation problems

Posted September 26, 2017 at 12:57 PM | 

Updated September 26, 2017 at 03:19 PM 

 

 

By Shira Schoenberg / The Republican 

 

More money alone will not solve Massachusetts’ transportation woes, according to a study released Tuesday by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

The report found that it is not only a lack of adequate funding creating problems but inadequate data, inefficient spending, inconsistent project management, added costs due to the impacts of climate change and lost revenue due to technological advances.

The report argues that a full review of the state's transportation system is necessary.
“What is clear is that the state lacks the requisite information to make profoundly difficult choices,” the report writes. “Questions such as which projects to fund and when, and how revenue sources should be allocated must be included as part of a long-term sustainable transportation finance plan to address our transportation needs. Unfortunately, the state has not yet adopted such a plan.”

Among the report’s key findings:

 

Roads and bridges

Massachusetts spent $4.3 billion more than state officials had projected having available on road and bridge projects between 2007 and 2016, but roads and bridges are still in poor condition. This is because poor data management meant the state had inaccurate projections of how much it would cost to keep the roads in good repair, according to the report.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has since updated its databases to ensure better cost projections going forward.

The MBTA

Although lawmakers made some changes to employee pensions and benefits to reduce costs at the MBTA, the report states, they did not do as much as they could have to save money with management or privatization.

The MBTA then delayed making debt payments and pushed off making repairs in order to save money — which will hurt the system going forward.

“Reduced capital spending over an extended period caused a further degradation of the MBTA’s infrastructure which will ultimately force the state to spend billions more than what the MBTA projected was needed to bring the system up to a state of good repair,” the report found.

Tight state finances

The state is reaching its debt limit, which affects how much money it can borrow for capital projects like transportation improvements.


Slow tax growth is also constraining state spending.

Kristin LaFratta | kristin.lafratta@masslive.com

 

Climate change

The state transportation system is already unable to deal with flooding and storm water management, according to the report. Climate change is expected to exacerbate weather-related problems, such as storm surges, heat waves and flooding. This could affect roads, rails, tunnels, signals and other transportation infrastructure. Planning will have to take this into account.

Technology

 

Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, self-driving cars and electric cars are all advancing, changing the way people drive.

As a result, the state may lose money from taxes on car sales and gasoline and from registry and inspection fees.

“These are inevitable trends that must be considered as capital plans are made and revenue streams to pay for them are identified,” the report finds.

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“What is clear is that the state lacks the requisite information to make profoundly difficult choices. Questions such as which projects to fund and when, and how revenue sources should be allocated must be included as part of a long-term sustainable transportation finance plan to address our transportation needs. Unfortunately, the state has not yet adopted such a plan.”
— Massachusetts Taxpayers' Foundation

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Mike Plaisance | mplaisance@repub.com

 

What's next?

The report recommends first figuring out how reliable existing transportation revenues are, given technological advances and the state political climate.

Then the report recommends developing a new plan that lays out the state’s capital needs and recommends ways of paying for them.

“While the scope of the work is a tall order for any single commission, the state must undertake such a robust planning process,” the report concludes. “Failure to do so will lead to an inadequate transportation system and a weaker economy in the Commonwealth.”

Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack. (File photo / The Republican)

 

Forum scheduled

 

On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation is hosting a forum on transportation financing. Speakers will include Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack as part of a panel on capital planning in an era of disruption, Secretary of Administration and Finance Mike Heffernan as part of a panel on rethinking resources, and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.