21st Century Transportation

What's New

Massachusetts is competing for high speed rail funding for a number of projects in the Northeast and submitted applications under the President’s economic stimulus program. An additional $4 billion investment in high speed rail could help make the commonwealth’s rail vision a reality. Read Congressman Olver's statement here.

Overview

Our current transportation system has many of us stuck endlessly waiting in traffic, all the while spewing air pollution and consuming billions of barrels of oil.

But our federal government has spent nine times more on highway projects than on public transportation. As nationwide transit ridership and gas prices reach record highs, the time is right to change the imbalance in our transportation system.

Light rail, clean bus systems, and other public transit should play a greater part in America’s transportation future. Efficient public transportation systems reduce the number of cars on the road and increase our options for getting around.

We’re working for more and better transit by encouraging public support for new projects and improved service, and asking Congress to invest in solving these problems by better funding public transportation.

Western Massachusetts

MASSPIRG is working to make sure the next federal transportation bill has more funding for public transportation. Here’s what that could mean for Western Massachusetts:

• Commuter rail from Springfield to Boston
• Better funding for regional bus service, like the Pioneer Valley RTA
• Commuter rail connecting the I-91 corridor—from Connecticut
through Springfi eld up to Greenfi eld and on to Vermont
• Commuter rail to New Bedford and Fall River
• Passenger rail connecting Providence, Worcester and
Manchester, N.H.