Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3266 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1042 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3266
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Christine P. Barber and David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to fare free buses.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex1/18/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester1/18/2023Steven Owens29th Middlesex1/18/2023Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex1/24/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/30/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/1/2023Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk2/8/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/10/2023Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol2/20/2023Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/22/2023Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester2/23/2023Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex2/23/2023 1 of 4
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1042 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3266
18	18	By Representatives Barber of Somerville and LeBoeuf of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by
19	19	bill, House, No. 3266) of Christine P. Barber, David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and others for
20	20	legislation to establish a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority pilot program for fare free
21	21	buses. Transportation.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3403 OF 2021-2022.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
27	27	(2023-2024)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act relative to fare free buses.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. (a) There shall be within the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, a
33	33	2pilot program for fare free buses. The program shall establish a minimum 1 year pilot, whereby,
34	34	3access to bus service is free for any person who boards an MBTA bus, without pass, cash fare, or
35	35	4CharlieTicket. The program may include all MBTA bus routes and shall at a minimum include
36	36	5no less than 10 priority bus routes as established by the MBTA, and 10 routes that are not top 20
37	37	6routes, but that experienced higher than average ridership between the months of March 2020-
38	38	7December 2020. The program shall include no less than 3 routes that operate with terminuses at:
39	39	81. MBTA commuter rail suburban stations; 2. MBTA heavy rail or subway stations; 3. bus depot
40	40	9destinations. 2 of 4
41	41	10 (b) There shall be a fare free MBTA bus advisory group consisting of 10 members to
42	42	11oversee the pilot program. The advisory group shall include: the general manager of the MBTA;
43	43	12the director of bus operations; the secretary of transportation or a designee from the department;
44	44	131 members of the fiscal management and control board chosen by the board at a public meeting;
45	45	14a labor designee; the executive director of LivableStreets or a designee; the executive director of
46	46	15ACE or designee; 1 member of the MBTA advisory council, chosen by the council; 1 person
47	47	16representing people with disabilities; 1 seat for an Environmental Justice municipality within the
48	48	17MBTA region.
49	49	18 (c) The fare free MBTA bus advisory group shall create, with the assistance of MassDOT
50	50	19and MBTA staff, goals, standards, and key metrics for the development and tracking of the fare
51	51	20free bus pilot. It shall hold public meetings at which public testimony will be accepted not less
52	52	21than quarterly and present all relevant data and implementation information. The advisory group
53	53	22shall form sub-groups as needed, including to evaluate the impacts on ridership, equity, increase
54	54	23in access to MBTA heavy rail, system efficiency, on-time performances of bus routes, any cost
55	55	24savings as compared to fare revenue impact, impact on fare evasion, impact on bus driver and
56	56	25rider incidents, or any other area identified by the advisory group. The advisory group shall
57	57	26identify ridership community representatives for each of the routes that are part of the pilot and
58	58	27those representatives shall be allowed to participate in each of the meetings or portions of
59	59	28meetings where those routes are discussed. The advisory group shall have full access to any data
60	60	29or record related to the pilot. The MBTA and MassDOT shall identify and assign a team of staff
61	61	30dedicated solely to the support of the advisory group and the performance of the pilot.
62	62	31 (d) The pilot shall commence not later than December 31, 2024. The advisory group shall
63	63	32present formal findings not less than every six months thereafter to the joint fiscal management 3 of 4
64	64	33and control board and MassDOT Boards. A final report on the pilot shall be submitted to the
65	65	34joint fiscal management and control board and MassDOT boards not later than 3 months after
66	66	35the conclusion of the pilot.
67	67	36 SECTION 2. (a) All Regional Transit Authorities operating in Massachusetts shall
68	68	37operate a pilot program for fare free buses. The program shall establish a minimum 1 year pilot,
69	69	38where by, access to bus service is free for any person who boards an RTA bus, without pass or
70	70	39cash fare. The RTA program may include all bus routes within the specified Regional Transit
71	71	40Authority and shall include at least one route that experienced higher than average ridership
72	72	41between the months of March 2020-December 2020.
73	73	42 (b) There shall be a fare free RTA advisory group to oversee the pilot program. The
74	74	43advisory group shall include: 1 representative from each participating RTA; the secretary of
75	75	44transportation or a designee from the department; 1 member of RTAAC; 1 person representing
76	76	45people with disabilities; 1 member from an Environmental Justice community in a participating
77	77	46RTA region; 1 municipal designee within a participating RTA region.
78	78	47 (c) The fare free bus RTA advisory group shall create, with the assistance of MassDOT
79	79	48staff, establish goals, standards, and key metrics for the development and tracking of the fare free
80	80	49bus pilot. It shall hold public meetings at which public testimony will be accepted not less than
81	81	50quarterly and present all relevant data and implementation information. The advisory group shall
82	82	51form sub-groups as needed, including to evaluate the impacts on ridership, equity, increase in
83	83	52access to MBTA heavy rail, system efficiency, on-time performances of bus routes, any cost
84	84	53savings as compared to fare revenue impact, impact on fare evasion, impact on bus driver and
85	85	54rider incidents, any expansion routes or linkage routes that could be brought online, or any other 4 of 4
86	86	55area identified by the advisory group. The advisory group shall identify ridership community
87	87	56representatives for each of the routes that are part of the pilot and those representatives shall be
88	88	57allowed to participate in each of the meetings or portions of meetings where those routes are
89	89	58discussed. The advisory group shall have full access to any data or record related to the pilot.
90	90	59MassDOT shall identify and assign a team of staff dedicated solely to the support of the advisory
91	91	60group and the performance of the pilot.
92	92	61 (d) The pilot shall commence not later than December 31, 2024. The advisory group shall
93	93	62present formal findings not less than every six months thereafter to the joint fiscal management
94	94	63and control board and MassDOT Boards. A final report on the pilot shall be submitted to the
95	95	64joint fiscal management and control board and MassDOT boards not later than 3 months after
96	96	65the conclusion of the pilot.