Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere, but I've been following the transit discussions on this board for a while and while we all love to debate the merits and technical feasibility of transit expansion plans, we only somewhat get into the realm of what's feasible from a funding and implementation standpoint. Other cities and regions have implemented dedicated transit funding sources through referendums and/or value capture strategies. And they have big plans and are seeing big results with this money (see Seattle's light rail expansion and LA's regional transit expansion plans).
The Boston region needs similarly bold plans if we want our growth to continue, and in a manner focused on multimodal transportation nodes. My questions:
The Boston region needs similarly bold plans if we want our growth to continue, and in a manner focused on multimodal transportation nodes. My questions:
- What is the best, most feasible transit funding strategy (or strategies) that the Boston region should pursue beyond existing T income sources? How much money do you think this could result in over a 30-year horizon?
- Using this funding, what is the most bang-for-the-buck work plan that the region needs? How much would you allocate to state of good repair (SOGR) vs system expansion? Which SOGR and expansion projects are the most critical to regional access, mobility, connectivity, and overall growth that they should be a part of this work plan? How should these projects be phased over a 30-year time horizon?