Federal Funds To Be Used To Help Modernize The MBTA: Gov. Baker

QUINCY, MA — Gov. Charlie Baker met several state leaders in the soon-to-be updated MBTA bus maintenance garage in Quincy Monday morning to celebrate the infrastructure law passed by Congress to benefit projects in Massachusetts.

Part of the law is to help "modernize" the MBTA, Baker said, joining with MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Rep. Stephen Lynch to discuss plans to make investments through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Poftak said replacing the current Quincy bus maintenance facility is an excellent first step in improving the MBTA, adding that it will be "the first garage in our system to accommodate a fleet of zero-emission battery and battery-electric buses."

Replacing the Quincy facility will allow the garage to accommodate hybrid and battery-powered buses and expand its capacity from 86 vehicles to 120 vehicles. Before this project, the garage could only accommodate vehicles that entered service before 2010. The project is expected to be complete by 2024, Baker said.

These efforts are designed to help make the MBTA more environmentally friendly, Baker said.

"The good news for us is not just this particular facility today but the statement it makes about where we'll be going and how we'll be moving and moving people over the course of the next decade or so," Baker said Monday morning.

Baker says the Arborway garage is next on the list to be upgraded.

Massachusetts is set to see $9.5 billion during the next five years as part of a federal infrastructure package, Baker said Monday, with another $5.4 billion expected to hit Massachusetts over the next half-decade for roads and bridges.

The federal government still plans to fund the $2 billion replacement of the Cape Cod bridges, Baker said.

Related: 8.7% Of All Bridges In Massachusetts Are In Danger Of Collapsing

The MBTA is expecting the federal infrastructure law to shell out $2.2 billion in funds over the next five years with $1.6 billion already programmed, and $580 million set aside for new projects, Poftak said Monday in a release.

The Federal Transportation Administration has also already approved the first installment of nearly $200 million to Massachusetts, Senator Warren said.