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Senate president promises reforms, funding to avoid Pike toll hikes

E-mail|Link|Comments () May 27, 2009 12:23 PM

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Senate President Therese Murray vowed today that the Senate will pass transportation reform legislation and make sure that the state's transportation system is funded well enough that a July 1 toll increase won't be necessary on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

"The Senate intends to honor its agreement with the administration, reached in March, to pass significant transportation reform and dedicate revenue for the Turnpike Authority and other transportation agencies to avoid toll increases," she said in a statement.

"The public cannot be expected to take on any additional burdens, like a toll increase, when they are already being asked to make significant sacrifices for the greater good of the Commonwealth," she said.

Murray's statement came after Governor Deval Patrick warned Tuesday that if reforms aren't made soon to the state's transportation, pension, and ethics systems, there could be sharp Turnpike toll increase, because he will not support the Legislature's sales tax increase.

"If we don't get the reforms, I'm not going to support the new revenue, and in the absence of the new revenue, then we don't have a choice but to increase the tolls," Patrick said, according to State House News Service.

With the state budget faltering due to the staggering economy, Patrick has called for a 19-cent gas tax to boost funding of the transportation system and a variety of smaller tax hikes. The House and Senate have passed veto-proof proposals to increase the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent, with some of the money dedicated to the transportation system.

Patrick has said he wants reforms to be enacted before taxes are raised. Both the House and Senate have passed proposals to change the transportation system. And Murray emphasized today, "Transportation reform legislation will be coming out of conference committee before the budget reaches the governor's desk."

"This is no time for scare tactics," she said. Murray's statement didn't address the MBTA, which has also warned of significant fare hikes and service cuts, unless the state finds more money to fund it.