The Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently rolled out an interactive online dashboard. It counts passenger vehicles registered in the state, and shows whether vehicles run on fossil fuels, electricity or are hybrid.
Users can filter the data for all kinds of localization — if they can figure it out.
Chris Lisinksi, a reporter at the State House News Service, explains the purpose of the dashboard:
Chris Lisinski, SHNS: This is a way, basically, to track how the state is doing as we set off on the path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Obviously, the transportation sector is going to play a key role in that effort. Something like 42% of all carbon emissions in Massachusetts right now come from transportation — much of that from single passenger vehicles that so many of us drive that spew carbon emissions.
So, you know, this isn't exactly the most intuitive tool, but it is a pretty powerful way to get a snapshot look at where in Massachusetts electric vehicles are being embraced and where there are still really big gaps in the rollout.
Carrie Healy, NEPM: So who's supposed to be using it?
This is likely already being used by policymakers and those in state government who have to track this kind of thing. But the fact that it's a public-facing site gives a lot of opportunity to researchers, to advocacy groups, to groups like the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission in eastern Massachusetts, all of whom have a pretty vested interest in keeping an eye out and effectively being a watchdog on how well Massachusetts is doing at hitting these rollout goals.
And looking ahead this week, state senators are considering how Massachusetts could use digital innovation in government with several related bills lined up for a hearing. Some reporting I read at the Urban Institute highlights inequity in the use of crypto technology. They say that people of color are the ones investing more heavily in crypto, thus putting those communities at greater financial risk. So what will lawmakers likely hear during this hearing on blockchain, digital assets and digital privacy?
One significant theme we're expecting is simply going to be that state government needs to do more to study and understand these trends. A lot of this is is seen as cutting-edge stuff that many people in state government don't have a great handle on.
Several of the bills would create commissions and panels, bringing experts together to help try and translate everything. We're also expecting some calls for state government itself to make better use of things like blockchain technology for some of its services.
Recently, state lawmakers heard from advocates looking to expand the bottle redemption law, adding more types of beverage containers and doubling that deposit to $0.10. Chris, other nearby states handle bottles differently than we do in Massachusetts. More kinds of bottles are redeemable in Maine — and the same for Connecticut, which will also increase its deposit next year.
The last push to expand bottle redemptions in Massachusetts failed 9 years ago. So is this the right time?
It certainly could be the right time. Again, as we look at a real environmental shift needed in Massachusetts in the next two-and-a-half decades, plastic bottles are a source of pollution. They clog up landfills. They don't break down very well. So climate advocates kind of have the moment laid out for them to highlight this as a piece of broader reforms underway here in Massachusetts.
Is there legislative support for that?
There is some legislative support. We've got bills filed that have some co-sponsors. What we have not seen yet is any momentum among the top Democrats in the House and Senate who really have the final say on if anything's going to emerge for a vote.
Finally, Chris, since your office is in the Statehouse, what's the lawmaker count on any given summer day on Beacon Hill?
That's a great question. You know, I would put it at somewhere around a dozen total out of 200. There might be others who are in their offices, but just don't really head out and roam the halls. But it is certainly a fraction, at best, of the kind of crowds we see during formal sessions in the spring and the fall.
