RTA Accountability 2

SECTION 72.   There shall be a task force on regional transit authority performance and funding to: (i) evaluate how regional transit authorities can best provide and improve transit services that meet identified community needs: (ii) conduct regular service planning, recognizing the diverse service populations and makeup of different geographic regions, that maximizes ridership using available resources; and (iii) ensure that fares, local contributions and other own-source revenues cover an appropriate share of service costs. The task force shall consist of the following members or their designees: 2 members of the house of representatives, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; 2 members of the senate, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; the rail and transit administrator of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation who shall serve as chair; 3 persons to be appointed by the regional transit authority administrators, all of whom shall be former or current administrators of a regional transit authority; and 11 persons to be appointed by the governor, 3 of whom shall be former or current administrators of a regional transit authority, 2 of whom shall be an expert in bus service planning, 2 of whom shall be the chief elected official or city or town manager of a city or town served by a regional transit authority, 1 of whom shall be a representative of an employer or business organization served by a regional transit authority, 1 of whom shall serve on the advisory board of a regional transit authority as a representative of the rider community, 1 of whom shall serve on the advisory board of a regional transit authority as a representative of the disabled commuter population and 1 of whom shall be a representative of an organization that advocates for regional transit authority riders.

The task force shall make recommendations on and propose guidelines for the establishment of service standards, appropriate ridership, customer service, asset management and financial performance indicators and best practices for regional transit authorities. The recommendations and guidelines shall be used by a regional transit authority and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to develop authority-specific memoranda of understanding under section 74. The task force shall file a report of its study and its recommendations with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on transportation and the secretary of transportation not later than November 1, 2018; provided, however, that the task force may make a draft report available to the public for comment before filing its final version.