Advancing sustainable transportation
Responsible for roughly 40% of our greenhouse gas emissions, transportation is the single largest source of climate pollution in Massachusetts. In addition to reducing emissions, advancing clean transportation will improve public health, saving the Commonwealth billions of dollars in avoided healthcare costs. We need more electric vehicles (EVs) on the road as well as safe and reliable public transit and expanded walking and biking infrastructure. By investing in electrified transportation solutions, we can reduce emissions, make communities healthier, and drive our state’s competitiveness.
We at ELM advocate for:
- Investing federal funding to reducing emissions in the transportation sector.
- Robust, predictable, and sustainable funding for transit agencies across the Commonwealth to increase ridership and expand electrification.
- Commuter Rail and bus electrification, particularly on routes that serve environmental justice communities and Gateway Cities.
- Expansive EV charging infrastructure to facilitate zero-emission vehicle adoption and travel in communities across the Commonwealth and the region.
- Improving multimodal mobility through funding for both the Complete Streets Program and for biking and walking infrastructure.
HD2742/SD1190, An Act relative to setting deadlines to electrify the Commuter Rail
Sponsors: Rep. Owens, Rep. Armini, Sen. Crighton
Transportation currently accounts for 37% of Massachusetts’s greenhouse gas emissions, the most of any sector of our economy. This bill would establish a timeline for electrification of the Commuter Rail system with priority given to lines serving EJ communities, an initiative endorsed by the MBTA’s Fiscal and Management Control Board in 2019.
The 2022 Climate and Clean Energy Bill (H.5060)’s Impacts on Electric Vehicles
- Requires all vehicles sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2035.
- Increases incentives and rebates for purchasing electric vehicles (EVs), including up to $5000 in rebates, with an additional $1500 rebate for low-income individuals.
- Mandates more EV charging stations, including the installation of EV charging stations at all service plazas on I-90, at least five MBTA stations, and at least one ferry terminal.
- Requires all MBTA buses to be electric by 2040 and prioritizes deployment on routes that go through underserved communities.
- Creates an interagency coordinating council to develop and implement a plan for deploying EV charging infrastructure in an equitable and accessible manner and establishes a Charging Infrastructure Deployment Fund.
