Bill > H3284

This bill aims to improve the transportation system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to foster economic stability and growth, promote regional fairness, and ensure accountability to state policies. Key provisions include prohibiting the use of capital funds or borrowing for operating expenses within one year of passage to direct bonding capacity towards infrastructure projects, and requiring the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a comprehensive analysis of major transportation projects (costing over $15 million) before final approval. This analysis must assess the project's impact on greenhouse gas emissions, vulnerable populations (seniors, people with disabilities, low-income residents, and people of color), economic development, especially in gateway municipalities and environmental justice neighborhoods, and pedestrian/bicycle access, ensuring consistency with state environmental and public health goals. Furthermore, the bill mandates a goal to triple travel by bicycling, transit, and walking by 2030, requiring the Secretary to establish baseline measurements and report on annual progress, with a focus on investments in existing public transportation and environmental justice communities. Finally, it requires that any new transportation revenue be equitably distributed among the 13 regional planning areas based on population and jobs, and that a sufficient portion be dedicated to maintenance based on safety and use, while also establishing a program to provide funding for gateway municipalities and environmental justice neighborhoods for transportation planning, design, healthy transportation projects, complete streets, and transit-oriented development with affordable housing.