Personal cars continue to be the primary source of transportation for Greater Bostonians. Vehicle registrations in Massachusetts, Metro Boston and Boston continued to increase through 2008, when 64% of the city’s households and 90% of those in the Metro region had access to at least one car and, according to theTexas Transportation Institute, drivers in Metro Boston traveled more than 75,000 miles each day in 2007, ranking 13th among the nation’s 100 largest Metro Regions (see Indicator 10.4.1).
Demand for fuel-efficient, eco-friendly, cost-effective private and public transportation options is increasing TheMBTA— the nation’s 5th largest public transit system in passenger trips—has seen record increases in ridership across all modes. In 2008, total MBTA ridership reached the highest level since 1991, with 378,414,160 boardings—up 11%from 2003 (see Indicator 10.2.2). Likewise, more of the cars that are on the road are hybrid or shared vehicles. (see Indicator 10.4.3).
The City of Boston is increasingly linking transportation planning to strategies that address climate change, environmental health and healthy lifestyles, particularly by making the city more walkable and bikable (for progress on bicycling options, see above, Accomplishments & Developments). In 2008, more than 14% of Bostonians walked to work, up from 12% in 2007, when Boston lead the nation in the percent of commuters who walk to work.
New and emerging technologies are presenting innovative options for transportation information, efficiency and equitable revenue generation. In 2009, the MBTA and Google announced the integration of Google maps with MBTA schedules and travel time data, including a real-time feed of bus routes and locations that has been made available by Mass DOT for open source development of data visualization and tracking systems. The MBTA has also made alerts and schedule changes available in RSS feeds and as an iphone app. Statewide, technological innovations are creating new options for revenue aside from tolls and gas taxes, including the use of GPS and FastLane technologies for a potential Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax being considered as a more equitable source of transportation revenue generation thantool and fare hikes.
Massachusetts’ transportation infrastructure faces a potentially crippling backlog of deferred maintenance as well mounting debt that threatens not just the reliability of the system but its fiscal health and that of the Commonwealth. Following completion of the massive, 16-year, $15 billion Big Dig in 2007—which reduced congestion at the core of New England’s network of major highways—the region faces a backlog of deferred maintenance, with 56%of the state’s bridges structurally deficient and 41%of roadways in poor or mediocre condition, according to theAmerican Society of Civil Engineers.
By 2026, Mass Highway will faces a $2.4 billion gap in funding for bridges and a $4.6 billion gap in funding for road maintenance and construction. A major independent review of the MBTA conducted in 2009 found that the transit system is facing $3 Billion in deferred maintenance and that only 6% of necessary projects are funded. The report found that 51 un-funded projects totaling $545 million classified as “a danger to life and limb to passengers and/or employees” and pose a critical threat to passenger safety.
Boston neighborhoods that are home to among the highest concentrations of Boston’s children, families in poverty and people of color remain underserved by the high-speed rail transit. Due to the system’s fiscal woes, many long-planned and even federally-mandated projects such as the Green Line Extension, Fairmount Line, Urban Ring and New Bedford/Fall River Commuter Rail Line have been put on hold or permanently shelved due to lack of funding. Expansion of public transit could create jobs, decrease the number of cars on the road, reduce CO2 emissions and reduce the cost of living for low income residents.
Greater Boston’s transportation network has improved options for those with disabilities and for elderly residents. Following a series of lawsuits for violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the MBTA made improvements to many transit stations to increase accessibility, including the recently re-opened Arlington Street station. Since The Ride—the MBTA’s para-transit system—signed a contract with a new service provider in 2008, on-time service has been near or above 90% (see Indicator 10.3.3).
Savings associated with taking public transportation are greater in Metro Boston than in any other urban area in the nation and Boston commuters save more than $12,000 annually by using public transportation as opposed to driving a car, but the cost disproportionately burdens low-income households. Residents of Metro Boston, on average, pay 19% of household income for transportation,. However, according to analysis conducted by theCenter for Neighborhood Technology, the average working family in Metro Boston with an incomes between $20,000 and $50,000 spends a combined 59% of income on housing and transportation costs—29% toward housing and 30% toward transportation and among Metro-Bostonians, those making less than $20,000 spend 43%of income on transportation compared to 12%for those making $50,000-$75,000 and 6% for those making more than $100,000.
Massachusetts has yet to identify an equitable, sustainable funding source for current and future transportation and infrastructure development. Facing mounting debt and declining revenues, the Massachusetts Legislature and Governor Deval Patrick authorized a 25% sales tax increase to 6.25% after losing a bid to increase the gas tax to fund transportation projects. Bids to increase MBTA fares and Mass Pike tolls were also defeated, and Massachusetts transportation leaders anticipate that the Commonwealth will likely be forced to revisit a gas tax increase—which has not been raised since 1991—or explore a Vehicle Miles Traveled tax.