LYNN — State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) and Lynn officials are pushing for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to speed up its commuter rail electrification efforts.
The Massachusetts Senate adopted an amendment to its climate policy bill on April 14, which was filed by Crighton, co-chair of the Transportation Committee, and would require the MBTA to stop purchasing diesel-powered locomotive trains by the end of 2030 and transition to electric service.
“It seems like it is a long time away, but with 400 miles of commuter rail track, this is putting a very hard limit that our commuter rail will not be a carbon-based transportation system in the future,” Crighton said.
The new climate policy bill S.2819 titled “An Act driving climate policy forward” was approved by the Senate before the holiday weekend. It focuses on expanding the clean-energy industry and decreasing greenhouse-gas emissions from the transportation and building sectors.
The transportation sector produces 43 percent of carbon emissions, said Crighton. The bill aims to improve carbon emissions by moving to electric vehicles, making it easier for private persons to purchase electric passenger cars, investing into electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and electrifying the MBTA bus fleet by 2040.
Crighton’s amendment also requires the MBTA to complete detailed short-, medium- and long-term plans for each line of the rail system in order to make the system more productive, equitable and decarbonized and take immediate action along the Environmental Justice corridor, which includes stretches of the commuter rail from Boston to Everett, Chelsea, Revere, Lynn, Salem and Beverly.
“The environment is a big part of this, but it is also making it a service that all residents have access to and that really serves their needs,” said Crighton. “When we say electrification, we mean more frequent service, we mean at a lower cost, and we mean more reliable.”
In 2019, the MBTA’s Fiscal Management and Control Board approved the electrification of the Fairmount and Providence lines along with portions of the Newburyport/Rockport line, as well as reducing fares to levels comparable to the subway and increasing frequency.
“Despite both of those votes, the MBTA is not moving with a sense of urgency,” Crighton said.
He is hoping that the bill will be adopted by the Massachusetts House of Representatives before July 31 when the Massachusetts General Court ends its formal session.
Meanwhile, the City of Lynn is also advocating for bringing rapid ways of transit to the area. The City Council adopted a resolution last week, prepared by Council Vice President Buzzy Barton and Council President John “Jay” Walsh, urging the MBTA to include electrification of the Newburyport/Rockport line in its capital investment plan for 2023–27.
The resolution calls for construction of infill stations in Everett, Revere, and Salem and a bus connection from downtown Peabody to Salem Depot.
“The City Council resolution means a lot,” said Crighton, as the comment period on the MBTA capital improvement plan ends on April 25. “It is important that we get money set aside quickly, so that the work can get going as quickly as possible.”
“We see the commuter rail project as a more feasible way to bring the region rapid transit in a near to medium term,” said Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson. “Our region is underserved by rapid transit. There is a huge need for rapid transit.”
The Lynn administration has been coordinating with neighboring communities to create a coalition in support of the electrification of the Newburyport/Rockport line as it is critical to the city’s transit strategy, Nicholson said. On March 24, federal, state and local officials from Beverly, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Nahant, Peabody, Revere, Salem and Swampscott signed a letter urging the MBTA to follow through on the commitment to electrify the commuter rail and prioritize it in the upcoming five-year capital investment plan.
“Decisions are made at a regional level by the MBTA board, and so that is where we have focused our advocacy,” said Nicholson. “I appreciate Senator Crighton’s leadership at the state level.”
