Bill > S1857

This bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) board of directors to conduct a thorough assessment of the state's transportation system, covering its capacity, safety, and overall condition. This assessment will analyze current and planned spending on operations and capital projects, including those of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and regional transit authorities, and will project available and future revenues from fiscal year 2016 through fiscal year 2026. The assessment must account for maintenance, legally mandated expansion projects, and federally required long-range transportation plans, as well as expenditures for the MBTA's and MassDOT's most recent capital plans. It will also evaluate the Commonwealth's debt and whether transportation spending might exceed current debt policies, including specific debt limits and bond caps. Based on this assessment, the board must recommend operational and governance reforms, cost savings, and potential new revenue sources to address any identified deficiencies and to fund necessary expansions, also considering the impact of these recommendations on debt policies. The assessment and recommendations will be developed after at least six public hearings across the Commonwealth, and the final report, along with any necessary legislative drafts, must be published online, delivered to state officials, and filed with legislative committees within six months of the bill's effective date.