Lawmakers announce hearings on tolls, taxes, aiding Turnpike
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House and Senate leaders yesterday announced a series of public hearings on tolls, taxes, and other methods of raising money for the state's troubled transportation system, as they launched what will probably be the most intense debate of the upcoming legislative session.
Governor Deval Patrick had been hoping his ideas to reorganize the bureaucracies that oversee the state's roads, tunnels, and bridges would be foremost on the Legislature's agenda. But his delay in releasing a reorganization plan that he first promised last year has motivated members of the Legislature to introduce competing ideas.
"There is some level of frustration by a good many of us in the Legislature about the pace at which transportation reform is moving along, with concern about the way in which it appears to be moving forward," said Representative Joseph F. Wagner, a Chicopee Democrat who is cochairman of the joint transportation committee.
Proposed ideas include: increasing the state gas tax, leasing the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to a private company, and freezing toll increases. In a joint statement, Wagner and his counterpart in the Senate, Steven A. Baddour of Methuen, expressed "reservations about increasing the state gas tax and increasing tolls to the level proposed by the turnpike authority." Patrick backs the toll hike but has not supported raising the gas tax as a short-term solution. "Clearly, I think, there hasn't been a comprehensive plan put forth by the administration, but we're working with them as well," Baddour said.
The hearings begin tomorrow at 1 p.m., with a discussion of leasing out the turnpike and the Big Dig to private companies in exchange for up-front payments. On Dec. 9, the committee will discuss Patrick's reorganization ideas, which he outlined last month, and on Dec. 17, it will turn to tolls and the gas tax. On Jan. 6, there will be a fourth hearing, on recommendations submitted by a state commission on transportation finance more than a year ago.
Patrick's communications director Joe Landolfi said that the administration has been working on a series of cost-saving issues for the past year and that a comprehensive plan to dismantle the turnpike authority would be fleshed out this month and submitted to the Legislature in detail in January.
"We think we, along with the Legislature, have begun to address more than a decade of neglect," Landolfi said, promising to participate in the hearings.
Here is the schedule for tomorrow's hearings:
WHAT: Joint Committee on Transportation Informational Hearing on Public-Private Partnerships
WHERE: State House, Room 222
WHEN: Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at 1:00PM
The second oversight hearing will be on the status of the Patrick Administration’s plans to reform transportation agencies:
WHAT: Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight Hearing on Patrick Administrations transportation plans
WHERE: State House, Room TBD
WHEN: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 11:00AM
WHAT: Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight Hearing on Tolls and Gas Tax
WHERE: State House, Room TBD
WHEN: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 11:00AM
WHAT: Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight Hearing on Transportation Finance Commission Recommendations
WHERE: State House, Room TBD
WHEN: Tuesday, January 6, 2008 at 11:00AM
Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.
