Rail Service to Berkshires Study
SECTION 137.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall convene a working group, not later than October 1, 2017, to identify and evaluate the economic and cultural benefits and political, legal or logistical challenges to the Berkshire and western Massachusetts regions of the commonwealth and the commonwealth as a whole of establishing direct seasonal weekend passenger rail service between the city of New York, New York and the city of Pittsfield between Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends modeled on the CapeFLYER passenger rail. The working group shall contact state, local and county officials of the state of New York to identify opportunities for collaboration and mutually-beneficial improvements and expansions in passenger rail infrastructure and service. The working group shall include, but not be limited to, a designee from the secretary of housing and economic development, elected officials from the state and federal legislative delegations, the duly elected mayor of city of Pittsfield, the Berkshire County Regional Planning Commission and existing rail service stakeholders. The secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shall designate a qualified individual to chair the working group. The working group shall submit its findings to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on transportation, the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means and the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural development on or before March 1, 2018.