Over the past six months, I have been participating in meetings with two separate business coalitions that were asked by the Massachusetts House Speaker and Senate President to recommend funding options to address our region's transportation crisis.

Our goal was to propose revenue streams that would modernize our public transportation system, while reducing congestion and carbon emissions. We also explored ways to hold our transportation agencies accountable and make sure projects and investments are properly prioritized and managed.

It was really important that the business community got together to speak collectively and take this first step. We know that our inadequate public transportation system and clogged roads are bad for our economy. It hurts productivity and our ability to hire. And, yes, it leaves us all in a bad mood; getting our days off to a slow start and adding stress to our commutes home.