Rick Dimino
Change is in the air. New people and a new political party will arrive in the executive branch when Gov.-elect Maura Healey takes office Jan. 5. She and her team will face historic challenges related to transportation, climate policy and the greater Boston economy. State government will need new strategies that meet these growing concerns. Fortunately, there are effective ways to start addressing them in the next few months.
Today, our statewide transportation system is in crisis. Rebuilding the existing public transit system to provide safe and reliable service is an immediate challenge for the Healey-Driscoll administration. Some new priorities at the MBTA are unavoidable, in part because of recent Federal Transit Authority orders to address multiple safety concerns. The right leadership for the entire transportation system is essential to bringing a new culture to the MBTA, and there are encouraging signs in the administration’s initial approach.
The next transportation secretary, Gina Fiandaca brings the right skillset, experience and perspective to this critical role. As a former commissioner of the Boston Transportation Department, she understands the value of reliable transit on Greater Boston’s economic competitiveness, transportation equity goals and future growth. Monica Tibbits-Nutt as the MassDOT undersecretary brings another experienced voice who values transit service statewide. The business community and transportation advocates should be excited because they are both familiar with critically important infrastructure projects, like the Allston I-90 Multimodal project, Red-Blue Connector and the modernization of the commuter rail system. Each of these projects can find a path forward in the next four years.
Gov. Healey’s appointment of the next permanent general manager of the MBTA may not happen for a few weeks, but it is a chance to restore public trust in transit and help achieve multiple statewide public policy goals. A successful MBTA is the key to advancing policies for reducing carbon emissions, managing traffic congestion, encouraging economic growth and addressing our lack of affordable housing. Considering these dynamics, it is important not rush when searching to find the correct person for this role.
‘Director of Infrastructure’ Required
Gov. Healey should also look to reorganize state government to maximize the impact of federal infrastructure funds. One option is to create a ‘director of infrastructure’ who will lead the pursuit of federal grant funds. The Biden administration’s federal infrastructure bill is heavily weighted towards competitive grant programs. This offers a potential solution for many of our infrastructure projects, but it can also mean Massachusetts may miss out on major federal dollars if state government is not entirely aligned with federal goals and timelines.
A director of infrastructure can ensure all state government agencies are properly working together to streamline the design and permitting phases of projects that improve the commonwealth’s chances of winning grants worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In the last year, MassDOT applied for large infrastructure grants to support the Cape Cod bridge repairs and the Allston I-90 Multimodal Project.
Unfortunately, Massachusetts has not been successful in securing funding for either project. It is essential to understand why we are failing to win major awards and fix this situation before it is too late. Studies for this project began in 2014 and just last month MassDOT announced a preferred design plan. This year, it is time to complete the environmental review, prepare the next phase to implement this design plan and try to win federal funds.
This infrastructure point person would not just manage the development of transportation projects, but also decarbonization, clean energy and resiliency plans. The Healey-Driscoll administration should speed up the permitting, pricing and financing of renewable energy wherever possible, including in the expanded research and implementation of regional energy solutions. When considering the recent history of the Allston I-90 Multimodal project, a new process for mega-projects in the commonwealth is justified.
New Financing Plans Needed
There are many infrastructure projects – particularly ones related to climate change – that will require leveraging substantial resources at a regional scale and a multi-year effort to complete. State government itself will likely need to change the way it advances these projects, to support a safe and just transition to a decarbonized economy on timelines necessary for funding these goals.
In terms of new projects, every major transportation and decarbonization infrastructure project discussed during the 2022 campaign will struggle to move forward without additional financial resources and new financing plans. The MBTA is facing an operating budget deficit that will exceed $400 million in two years. Additional funding and financing models are needed to scale up building-sector decarbonization and to meet our newly established statutory climate commitments. Federal grants and current state resources cannot address all these upcoming budget deficits. The new governor can start the path towards solutions by creating a blue-ribbon commission on infrastructure funding needs that leads to legislative action in 2024.
The start of a new administration is always a time of great hope and recitation of goals to improve the performance of Massachusetts’ state government. This year is somewhat unique considering the major challenges ahead. However, with the right leadership, focused on the major challenges ahead, Massachusetts can deliver the new infrastructure projects that will benefit people today and generations to come.
Rick Dimino is CEO of A Better City.
