All Not So Quiet on the Western Turnpike
As your State Senator, I have the opportunity to travel on the Massachusetts Turnpike several times a week. Like many residents of western Massachusetts, I am concerned about the reinstatement of tolls on the western most exits of the MassPike. Likewise, the massive vendor signs recently placed at Turnpike plazas are completely out of scope, and should be removed. In a move that I hope will preserve the aesthetic and natural character of the Massachusetts Turnpike and its surrounding towns, I have filed legislation that would restrict the height and size of signs at Turnpike plazas. I have also co-sponsored a bill that would prohibit tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike from Exits 1 through 6.
Fending Off Tolls
In 1996, former Gov. William Weld eliminated tolls in the western part of the Commonwealth. The plan was to increase tolls in eastern Massachusetts and the airport tunnels in 2002 to help offset the costs associated with the Big Dig. This common sense approach was based on the premise that those who would benefit from the Big Dig would pay for it via increased tolls in surrounding areas. Unfortunately, the Big Dig has been riddled with enormous cost overruns, topping $14.5 billion. To that end, there have been calls for increasing toll revenues across the Commonwealth so that the financial obligations associated with the Big Dig may be satisfied. I do not believe that the residents of western Massachusetts, who derive little benefit from the Big Dig, should be forced to contribute additional money to the project. Moreover, the total dollars collected from tolls here will do little to assist with the Big Dig’s financial debacle.
In 1997, the legislature passed, and the Governor signed, a law that established the Metropolitan Highway System. This law separated the Turnpike into two so-called "cost centers," one of which was east of Route 128 and the other west of Route 128. This law, which I supported, was specifically designed to protect western Massachusetts from any cost overruns that might occur on the Big Dig. We passed the Metropolitan Highway System bill because we recognized that it would be unfair to finance the Big Dig using tolls generated by citizens living in the four western counties. The notion of protecting western Massachusetts citizens from Big Dig cost overruns is consistent with the legislation that I have co-sponsored to prohibit the return of tolls to exits 1 through 6.
Downsizing the Pike’s Tall Signs
If you have traveled on the MassPike in recent months, you have no doubt seen the extraordinarily large vendor signs, some of which tower 90 feet in height. These signs are eyesores. They are disruptive to the scenic vistas of many towns that border the Turnpike. Similarly, hikers have reported that the signs are visible along portions of the Appalachian Trail. The legislation I authored has 20 co-sponsors from the Senate and House of Representatives. The bill would require the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to replace the signs along the entire highway with signs that are no taller than 30 feet from the top of the sign to the ground, and no more than 80 square feet in area, excluding supports.
The smaller signs that had been used for years on the highway were more than adequate to advertise the services available at rest stops. The new signs are, in some cases, three times the size of the old signs, which clearly compromises the aesthetic nature of the Turnpike. Limiting their size and height will ensure that the public convenience continues to be served and will help towns along the Turnpike to protect their rural character. Fifty years ago, urban and transportation planners designed an interstate highway system that would be both efficient and beautiful. Robert Moses in New York, William Callahan in Massachusetts, and others around the country envisioned a highway system, including the MassPike, that would be free from commercial clutter. This bill attempts to protect our highway system from the unsightly intrusions that have recently appeared on the Turnpike landscape.
As part of the National Highway System, the Massachusetts Turnpike is a federal-aid highway. Under federal regulations, states are directed to improve areas adjacent to the system by controlling outdoor advertising signs. Both federal law and federal transportation regulations promote the preservation of natural beauty along the nation’s highways. Title 23, section 752.2 of the Code of Federal Regulations states, “Highway aesthetics is a most important consideration in the Federal-aid highway program. Highways must not only blend in with our natural, social and cultural environment, but also provide pleasure and satisfaction in their use." I hope that these bills relative to the MassPike will continue to receive a broad base of support as they work there way through the legislative process.
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