Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2269 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. 1939 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2269
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Paul W. Mark
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 to establish fast, frequent, and reliable passenger rail service between Pittsfield and
13	13	Boston via Springfield.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and
17	17	Hampshire
18	18	Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/13/2023 1 of 3
19	19	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1939 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
20	20	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2269
21	21	By Mr. Mark, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2269) of Paul W. Mark and Vanna
22	22	Howard for legislation to establish fast, frequent, and reliable passenger rail service between
23	23	Pittsfield and Boston via Springfield. Transportation.
24	24	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
25	25	SEE SENATE, NO. 2345 OF 2021-2022.]
26	26	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
27	27	_______________
28	28	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
29	29	(2023-2024)
30	30	_______________
31	31	An Act to establish fast, frequent, and reliable passenger rail service between Pittsfield and
32	32	Boston via Springfield.
33	33	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
34	34	of the same, as follows:
35	35	1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
36	36	2Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall run passenger rail service between the cities
37	37	3of Pittsfield and Boston via Springfield at least five-times daily on the existing CSX rail line.
38	38	4The department may utilize the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority or contract with outside
39	39	5entities in order to run said passenger rail service. The department may also utilize a portion or
40	40	6all of the $50 million in capital authorization allocated for East-West passenger rail service
41	41	7pursuant to line item 6622-2184 in section 2E of chapter 383 of the acts of 2020.
42	42	8 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
43	43	9Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall evaluate and identify potential funding 2 of 3
44	44	10sources, including capital investments and ongoing operations and maintenance funding, at both
45	45	11the state and federal level, to support the establishment of fast, frequent, and reliable passenger
46	46	12rail service between the cities of Pittsfield and Boston via Springfield. The department shall also
47	47	13determine all necessary steps the commonwealth must take in order to best position itself for any
48	48	14available federal funding.
49	49	15 The department shall file a report of its findings with the clerks of the house and senate,
50	50	16and with the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on transportation, not later than six
51	51	17months after the effective date of this act.
52	52	18 SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, pursuant to the
53	53	19recommendations of the 2020 East-West Passenger Rail Study conducted by the Massachusetts
54	54	20Department of Transportation, the department shall conduct an economic impact analysis on the
55	55	21economic benefits and transformational impact that expanded passenger rail service between
56	56	22Pittsfield and Boston via Springfield would have in the commonwealth on a community,
57	57	23regional, and statewide level.
58	58	24 The analysis shall examine and evaluate the potential effects said passenger rail would
59	59	25have on the long-term demographic and growth patterns of Massachusetts; the ability to offer
60	60	26affordable housing options, relieve traffic congestion and bring down the high cost of housing;
61	61	27the expansion of regional workforce reach and job opportunities across the commonwealth; the
62	62	28ability to provide significant economic benefits to communities along the rail corridor; and any
63	63	29other effects deemed necessary by the department in order to ensure a complete economic impact
64	64	30analysis. Said analysis shall include, but not be limited to: (i) examining similarly situated
65	65	31projects in other states, including the economic and demographic results achieved and significant 3 of 3
66	66	32contributors to those results; (ii) evaluating the current and prospective factors affecting regional
67	67	33growth in Western Massachusetts; (iii) examining the availability of federal, state, local and
68	68	34private sector funding sources and the potential impact of said investments; and (iv) evaluating
69	69	35how passenger rail service between the cities of Pittsfield and Boston via Springfield may change
70	70	36regional land use and housing policy.
71	71	37 The department shall file a copy of said analysis with the clerks of the house and senate,
72	72	38and with the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on transportation, not later than six
73	73	39months after the effective date of this act.
74	74	40 SECTION 4. Section 1 shall take effect on January 1, 2024.