|
THE CONTEXT
KEY TRENDS AND FINDINGS
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND INNOVATIONS 2002 - 2004
REMAINING CHALLENGES
THE CONTEXT
All roads converge on downtown Boston, which since 1959 has been the scene of recurring traffic delays on the under-designed, elevated Central Artery. The replacement project, the $15 billion Central Artery/Tunnel or "Big Dig," was almost complete as of March 2005, after more than 10 years of construction. The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority operates the Artery's 160 lane-miles of tunnels and roads and the east-west Mass Pike or Instate 90. Other major highways serving Metropolitan Boston are operated by the Massachusetts Highway Department and include I-93, a north-south radial road, and both inner (Route 128/I-95) and outer (I-495) circumferential or ring roads. The roadway portion of Boston's transportation sector also includes local roads operated by Boston and other cities and towns and historic parkways owned by the Division of Conservation and Recreation (successor to the Metropolitan District Commission). Just as critical as this network of roads and highways is the network of public transit services operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), including an urban core of bus, trolleybus, subway, and trolley operations, and longer-distance commuter operations, including express bus, commuter rail, and ferry boat services. The City of Boston has both a seaport and a major airport within its municipal boundaries, both of which are owned and operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority, a state agency which also operates the Tobin bridge. Bicycle paths and lanes, sidewalks and other pedestrian facilities complete the extensive network of transportation facilities that allow residents, workers and visitors to travel to and around metropolitan Boston.
KEY TRENDS AND FINDINGS
Car ownership grew rapidly with the economic growth of the 1990s, especially in the City of Boston. Between 1996 and 2002, the number of cars registered rose by 42% in the City of Boston and by 26% in Metro Boston. In 2003, however, as the economy slowed, registrations fell by 3% in Boston and 5% in the region. Another indicator of rising car ownership and use in the City of Boston is the number of residential parking permits, which rose 75% between 1990 and 2004. There are now more than 76,000 residential parking stickers issued, which in some neighborhoods means there are two to four times as many stickers as on-street parking spaces. The percentage of households in the City of Boston without a motor vehicle declined to 35% in 2000, although car ownership rates vary widely by neighborhood. Data collected in connection with the environmental review of the Urban Ring found, for example, that less than half of households within one-half mile of Ruggles Station and Dudley Square own cars. (see indicator 10.4.1)
While public transit use remains high, ridership has declined or remained flat in recent years. Massachusetts, and especially Greater Boston, continue to use public transportation at higher rates than most other metropolitan areas. The MBTA is the fifth largest transit system in the country, and Massachusetts commuters ranked fourth highest in the nation in their use of public transportation, trailing only New York, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. But a long-term trend of rising ridership overall masks the fact that ridership on the subway, bus and trolley lines is down from its 2001 peaks, and the 20 million passenger decline on these modes since 2001 offsets nearly the entire increase of 20 million new commuter rail passengers since 1991. (see indicator 10.2.2)
Fuel consumption is rising. More car owners in Massachusetts and across the country are purchasing Sport Utility Vehicles and pickup trucks, which do not meet the same Federal fuel economy standards as passenger cars. However, a variety of technologies have been deployed which can greatly improve fuel efficiency, with hybrid gas-electric vehicles the most prominent new vehicles. With gas prices having moved from $1.50 to $2.00 per gallon in the past two years, seemingly to stay, consumer demand may shift. In the meantime, the higher gasoline consumption is increasing emissions of greenhouse gases, making the global warming problem more difficult to solve.
The Big Dig continues to influence Massachusetts' spending on highways, roads and bridges. Massachusetts continues to use much of its Federal highway money to finish the $15 billion Central Artery/Tunnel project. In addition, in order to ensure the fair expenditures of state highway dollars geographically, the Commonwealth is required to spend $450 million annually on non-Artery highway projects around the state through fiscal year 2012. Thus, the Artery will continue to limit Massachusetts' ability to make transportation investment decisions for years to come. Deferred maintenance during the decade-long Artery project has created a backlog of hundreds of bridges to repair and other safety projects, yet state officials and the legislature refuse to consider new funding sources. The state gasoline tax has not been changed since 1991, even as its real value has been eroded by inflation, and political efforts have focused on reducing tolls rather than to supporting additional transportation investment.
The MBTA is in financial trouble. Since 2001, the MBTA has been required by law to live within its budget and depend on 20% of sales tax revenues, rather than annual appropriations, for its share of state funding. With sales tax receipts flat, lower ridership, and local community assessments declining, the MBTA has fewer resources. At the same time, costs for fringe benefits, debt service, and increased operations have increased. Following the first fare increase in nearly a decade in 2000, a second increase took effec
|
