The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish statewide “vehicle miles traveled” reduction goals for 2030 and every five years thereafter. Those targets would then be incorporated into the state’s greenhouse gas limits and used to shape transportation planning, funding decisions, and future regulations.

Supporters insist this is only about “planning,” not limiting individual behavior. But once the state adopts formal reduction targets, agencies are inevitably pressured to meet them, often through higher costs, fewer road investments, parking restrictions, congestion pricing, and other policies that make driving more difficult and more expensive.

This approach mirrors the same top-down climate mandates Senator Creem and Beacon Hill leaders have supported for years, mandates that have already contributed to skyrocketing energy and utility costs across Massachusetts. Now, those same policies are being extended into how far people can drive, regardless of where they live or whether alternatives actually exist.

For residents in suburban and rural communities, driving is not optional. It is how people get to work, reach job sites, access health care, and support their families. Even lawmakers have raised concerns that this bill creates a built-in bias against communities without reliable public transit, yet Senator Creem’s proposal continues to move forward.

At the same time, legislators voting on this policy receive taxpayer-funded travel stipends of up to $20,000 per year, shielding them from the real-world consequences of policies that will fall hardest on working families.

Contact your lawmakers and ask them to reject Senator Creem’s S.2246 and oppose any effort to use climate mandates to micromanage how Massachusetts residents live, work, and commute.