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Comment Letter Re: Support for H.3437, An Act requiring backup cameras on certain vehicles

January 18th, 2022

Joint Committee on Transportation
Representative William Straus, Chair

Re: Support for H.3437, An Act requiring backup cameras on certain vehicles

Dear Chairman Straus, Vice Chairs Keenan and Devers, and members of the committee,

Members of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition respectfully request that the committee report out favorably on H.3437 An Act requiring backup cameras on certain vehicles.

H.3437 An Act requiring backup cameras on certain vehicles would require the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to include regulations around having rear visibility camera systems, or “backup” cameras for motor vehicles over 10,000 pounds that are owned or leased by the commonwealth or a city or town of the commonwealth. As of May 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires all new vehicles to be manufactured with backup cameras. However, this only applies to vehicles under 10,000 pounds, meaning large trucks are not included in this law. These large trucks have significant blind spots¹, making it challenging for drivers to see what is behind them when backing up. Requiring backup cameras could be an important safety measure for preventing backover crashes involving large trucks and vehicles, and protecting vulnerable road users like people walking and biking—particularly children and older adults who are most impacted by these kinds of crashes².

In Massachusetts over the last five years (2017-2021), there have been 33 crashes involving trucks backing up and people walking, resulting in 2 fatalities³. Additionally, two workers at a construction site in Boston were struck and killed when a co-worker backed up a truck and pushed them into a trench in February 2021. While the ownership history of all of these trucks is unknown, we are confident that beginning with state- and municipally-owned vehicles will act as a model for private operators to install video technology; the impact of which will help prevent the needless loss of life of people walking on roadways and sidewalks in Massachusetts.

Implementing these requirements, particularly when paired with other truck safety measures included in H.3549 An Act to reduce traﬃc fatalities, would make measurable improvements for the safety of vulnerable road users around large trucks.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition

Cheryl Pavlik, Allston Brighton Health Collaborative
Galen Mook, Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition
Jarred Johnson, TransitMatters
Adam Shutes, WalkUP Roslindale
Becca Wolfson, Boston Cyclists Union
Stacey Beuttell, WalkBoston
Janie Katz-Christy, Green Streets Initiative
Emily Stein, Safe Roads Alliance
Alex Epstein, Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets
Julia Wallerce, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
Catherine Gleason, LivableStreets Alliance
Josh Ostroff, Transportation for Massachusetts

¹ Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads/large-blind-spots)
² NHTSA Report on Backover Crashes (https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811144.pdf)
³ MassDOT IMPACT portal (https://apps.impact.dot.state.ma.us/cdp/home)

Comment Letter Re: Opposition to H.3399, An Act relative to increasing penalties for texting and driving

January 18th, 2022

Joint Committee on Transportation
Representative William Straus, Chair

Re: Opposition to H.3399, An Act relative to increasing penalties for texting and driving

Dear Chairman Straus, Vice Chairs Keenan and Devers, and members of the committee,

Members of the Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition respectfully oppose H.3399 An Act relative to increasing penalties for texting and driving.

H.3399 An Act relative to increasing penalties for texting and driving would increase fees from a first offense from $100 to $250, and would escalate at a greater rate for subsequent offenses—$500 for a second and$750 for a third. In addition to increased fines, a license suspension of 90 days could be issued for the first offense of texting and driving. This escalation of harmful and punitive measures is a problem for a few reasons:

Research has shown that increasing the severity of punishment is an ineffective deterrent to crime, and often worsens racial and economic disparities¹, suggesting that increasing penalties would not have the intended effect of lowering the number of people texting and driving.
Data on the hands free law in MA has shown that this law is being inequitably enforced². In traffic stops for using a phone while driving between April and December 2019, Black, Hispanic, and Asian people were more likely to be issued citations than white people for the same infraction. The increased punitive measures proposed in this legislation will disproportionately burden Black drivers and drivers of color in Massachusetts.
These large fines can be debilitating for lower income individuals who may not be able to afford them, and as the law is currently written, non-payment of these fines can compound with late fees and can result in debt-based license suspensions and potential incarceration—an inequitable and ineffective practice that forces individuals to make the impossible choice between driving on a suspended license, risking additional fines and incarceration, or risk being unable to get to work and lose the income they need to access and afford essential services, much less pay their fine (note: there are other bills in this committee that would eliminate this practice that the Coalition is supportive of—H.3453 and S.2304).

While we know that distracted driving is a safety concern on our roads, we don’t believe these punitive measures are the solution. We ask that the committee take this into account with respect to this proposed legislation and oppose H.3399.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition

Cheryl Pavlik, Allston Brighton Health Collaborative
Jarred Johnson, TransitMatters
Becca Wolfson, Boston Cyclists Union
Stacey Beuttell, WalkBoston
Emily Stein, Safe Roads Alliance
Julia Wallerce, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy
Catherine Gleason, LivableStreets Alliance
Galen Mook, Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition
Adam Shutes, WalkUP Roslindale

¹ National Institute of Justice (https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/five-things-about-deterrence)
² Hands Free Data in MA (https://www.wcvb.com/article/massachusetts-data-white-drivers-got-more-breaks-for-hands-free-cellphone-violations/35421474#)

Comment Letter on Support for S.2277/H.3413 in order to increase regional transit accessibility in the Commonwealth – A pedestrian’s perspective

July 30, 2021
Joint Committee on Transportation

To: The Honorable William Straus, House Chair & The Honorable Joseph Boncore, Senate Chair

RE: Support for S.2277/H.3413 in order to increase regional transit accessibility in the Commonwealth – A pedestrian’s perspective

Dear Chairs Straus and Boncore,

Thank you for allowing public testimony on this critical and timely piece of legislation. Regional transit is integral to mitigating the climate crisis and connecting communities hardest hit by the pandemic to essential resources to help us become a healthier, more sustainable Commonwealth. We must act now to ensure Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) have access to stable, sustainable funding to improve and expand upon service to meet communities’ needs.

WalkBoston works in communities across the Commonwealth to build safer, more accessible pedestrian infrastructure to help ensure that people of all ages, abilities and incomes can comfortably access economic opportunities, connect to their communities, and reach other essential destinations. However, people can only get so far on foot. To achieve true mobility justice, we must adequately fund public transit and expand services to reach the communities that need it most.

The benefits of investing in RTAs will be felt throughout the state but especially in communities at the frontlines of the climate crisis, the ones least served by public transit options. In Gateway Cities and other historically underinvested communities in particular, car-dominated infrastructure and vehicle emissions continue to harm frontline communities by polluting the air, producing a heat island effect, and creating unsafe roads that claim hundreds of lives every year. Robust regional transit services will make our state healthier, safer, more climate resilient, and create much-needed economic opportunity.

RTAs are a lifeline to residents in over 250 communities beyond the reach of the MBTA, including essential workers who have relied on RTA service throughout the pandemic, and a disproportionate number of people with very low incomes, older adults, and people with disabilities. Chronic underinvestment and limited technical support have made it challenging for the RTAs to maintain stable service level and make sustainable improvements to service. We must pass S.2277/H.3413 to increase accessibility of regional transit for the 55% of Commonwealth residents who live in an RTA service area.

WalkBoston stands ready to work with the Legislature to strengthen our regional transit system and urges you to report S.2277/H.3413 favorably out of this committee without delay. Every Massachusetts resident should have the freedom to get to their daily destinations in an affordable and accessible way, and should not be deprived of that freedom because of underinvestment by the Commonwealth.

Thank you again for the ability to submit testimony. Please reach out with any questions.

Sincerely,

Ayesha Mehrotra
Program Associate, WalkBoston