A Transportation Option: Local Option Taxes; With New State Funds Unlikely, Cities Need to Act

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PDF icon A transportation option_ Local option taxes - CommonWealth Magazine.pdf

A Transportation Option: Local Option Taxes; With New State Funds Unlikely, Cities Need to Act

Commonwealth Magazine

March 24, 2014

THE RECENT HISTORY of transportation funding in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts suggests that new approaches to the funding of our transportation infrastructure must be considered. The chronic underfunding of our transportation systems, including construction and operations, has placed Greater Boston at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace. Without a greater commitment to funding our transportation systems on the part of the state Legislature, which is unlikely, it is time for municipal and regional governments to consider a different approach to closing the funding gap. One such approach is a local option transportation tax, known as a LOTT.