Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2246 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1186 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2246
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Patricia D. Jehlen
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 :Patricia D. JehlenSecond MiddlesexVanna Howard17th Middlesex2/2/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/13/2023Michael O. MooreSecond Worcester2/15/2023Adam GomezHampden2/23/2023Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex2/23/2023 1 of 4
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1186 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2246
18	18	By Ms. Jehlen, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2246) of Patricia D. Jehlen, Vanna
19	19	Howard, James B. Eldridge, Michael O. Moore and other members of the General Court for
20	20	legislation relative to fare free buses. Transportation.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE SENATE, NO. 2340 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to fare free buses.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. (a) There shall be within the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, a
32	32	2pilot program for fare free buses. The program shall establish a minimum 1 year pilot, whereby,
33	33	3access to bus service is free for any person who boards an MBTA bus, without pass, cash fare, or
34	34	4CharlieTicket. The program may include all MBTA bus routes and shall at a minimum include
35	35	5no less than 10 priority bus routes as established by the MBTA, and 10 routes that are not top 20
36	36	6routes, but that experienced higher than average ridership between the months of March 2020-
37	37	7December 2020. The program shall include no less than 3 routes that operate with terminuses at:
38	38	81. MBTA commuter rail suburban stations; 2. MBTA heavy rail or subway stations; 3. bus depot
39	39	9destinations. 2 of 4
40	40	10 (b) There shall be a fare free MBTA bus advisory group consisting of 10 members to
41	41	11oversee the pilot program. The advisory group shall include: the general manager of the MBTA;
42	42	12the director of bus operations; the secretary of transportation or a designee from the department;
43	43	131 members of the fiscal management and control board chosen by the board at a public meeting;
44	44	14a labor designee; the executive director of LivableStreets or a designee; the executive director of
45	45	15ACE or designee; 1 member of the MBTA advisory council, chosen by the council; 1 person
46	46	16representing people with disabilities; 1 seat for an Environmental Justice municipality within the
47	47	17MBTA region.
48	48	18 (c) The fare free MBTA bus advisory group shall create, with the assistance of MassDOT
49	49	19and MBTA staff, goals, standards, and key metrics for the development and tracking of the fare
50	50	20free bus pilot. It shall hold public meetings at which public testimony will be accepted not less
51	51	21than quarterly and present all relevant data and implementation information. The advisory group
52	52	22shall form sub-groups as needed, including to evaluate the impacts on ridership, equity, increase
53	53	23in access to MBTA heavy rail, system efficiency, on-time performances of bus routes, any cost
54	54	24savings as compared to fare revenue impact, impact on fare evasion, impact on bus driver and
55	55	25rider incidents, or any other area identified by the advisory group. The advisory group shall
56	56	26identify ridership community representatives for each of the routes that are part of the pilot and
57	57	27those representatives shall be allowed to participate in each of the meetings or portions of
58	58	28meetings where those routes are discussed. The advisory group shall have full access to any data
59	59	29or record related to the pilot. The MBTA and MassDOT shall identify and assign a team of staff
60	60	30dedicated solely to the support of the advisory group and the performance of the pilot.
61	61	31 (d) The pilot shall commence not later than December 31, 2024. The advisory group shall
62	62	32present formal findings not less than every six months thereafter to the joint fiscal management 3 of 4
63	63	33and control board and MassDOT Boards. A final report on the pilot shall be submitted to the
64	64	34joint fiscal management and control board and MassDOT boards not later than 3 months after
65	65	35the conclusion of the pilot.
66	66	36 SECTION 2. (a) All Regional Transit Authorities operating in Massachusetts shall
67	67	37operate a pilot program for fare free buses. The program shall establish a minimum 1 year pilot,
68	68	38where by, access to bus service is free for any person who boards an RTA bus, without pass or
69	69	39cash fare. The RTA program may include all bus routes within the specified Regional Transit
70	70	40Authority and shall include at least one route that experienced higher than average ridership
71	71	41between the months of March 2020-December 2020.
72	72	42 (b) There shall be a fare free RTA advisory group to oversee the pilot program. The
73	73	43advisory group shall include: 1 representative from each participating RTA; the secretary of
74	74	44transportation or a designee from the department; 1 member of RTAAC; 1 person representing
75	75	45people with disabilities; 1 member from an Environmental Justice community in a participating
76	76	46RTA region; 1 municipal designee within a participating RTA region.
77	77	47 (c) The fare free bus RTA advisory group shall create, with the assistance of MassDOT
78	78	48staff, establish goals, standards, and key metrics for the development and tracking of the fare free
79	79	49bus pilot. It shall hold public meetings at which public testimony will be accepted not less than
80	80	50quarterly and present all relevant data and implementation information. The advisory group shall
81	81	51form sub-groups as needed, including to evaluate the impacts on ridership, equity, increase in
82	82	52access to MBTA heavy rail, system efficiency, on-time performances of bus routes, any cost
83	83	53savings as compared to fare revenue impact, impact on fare evasion, impact on bus driver and
84	84	54rider incidents, any expansion routes or linkage routes that could be brought online, or any other 4 of 4
85	85	55area identified by the advisory group. The advisory group shall identify ridership community
86	86	56representatives for each of the routes that are part of the pilot and those representatives shall be
87	87	57allowed to participate in each of the meetings or portions of meetings where those routes are
88	88	58discussed. The advisory group shall have full access to any data or record related to the pilot.
89	89	59MassDOT shall identify and assign a team of staff dedicated solely to the support of the advisory
90	90	60group and the performance of the pilot.
91	91	61 (d) The pilot shall commence not later than December 31, 2024. The advisory group shall
92	92	62present formal findings not less than every six months thereafter to the joint fiscal management
93	93	63and control board and MassDOT Boards. A final report on the pilot shall be submitted to the
94	94	64joint fiscal management and control board and MassDOT boards not later than 3 months after
95	95	65the conclusion of the pilot.