During today’s Senate Transportation Finance debate, Senator Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) offered Amendment #30, which would require the MBTA to seek private sponsorship and naming rights of stations. The Senate Republican Caucus agrees that the MBTA needs to join in such partnerships to capture the much needed revenue. So much so, the Republican Caucus has been calling for such actions for quite some time.
The Senate Republican Caucus even included the measure in Amendment #41, which provides an alternative solution to raising taxes. Unfortunately, Senator Montigny’s amendment directs the revenue gained through sponsorship to be dedicated to transportation expansion projects. The caucus believes that before the MBTA expands services, it should first address existing infrastructure.
The amendment garnered enough votes to pass by a margin of 20-12. Posted below is the roll call vote taken on amendment #30.
