Legislature to debate transportation fund options next week
Photo | Grant Welker
Traffic on I-290 passing through Worcester
The House has punted its promised transportation revenue debate until 2020, but lawmakers will hear testimony next week that could forecast how the legislation takes shape.
The Transportation Committee plans a Dec. 5 committee hearing on 50 bills transportation finance and tolls bills, several of which would increase existing fees or explore new forms of revenue.
The agenda includes bills raising fees for ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft (S 2063), calling for a study of expanding roadway tolls to highways that currently do not have them or to the state's borders (S 2060), and creating a task force to pilot mileage-based fees on vehicle users (S 2114).
House leaders planned a fall debate on ideas to raise money for transportation investments, but failed to produce a bill on that timetable and opted instead to push the debate in 2020, an election year.
Revenue Committee Co-chair Rep. Mark Cusack and Transportation Committee Co-chair Rep. William Straus have both hinted that an increase to the state's 24-cent-per-gallon gas tax is likely to be included in their proposal.
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