Massachusetts House Passes Transportation Infrastructure Funding

BOSTON- Representative David P. Linsky (D-Natick) joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts House in passing a bill authorizing $200 million for the state’s Chapter 90 program, which provides municipalities with a funding source for transportation-related improvements, including road and bridge repairs, as well as $175 million for specific programs. The bill also appropriates $25 million for the rural roads program established in last year’s Chapter 90 legislation, which provides additional funding to rural communities.

“Providing funding for critical infrastructure projects through investments in the Commonwealth’s public transportation, roads, and bridges is one of the most important responsibilities that we have as members of the Legislature,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I’m proud of the support for regional infrastructure that this legislation provides, and of the funding that it allocates for the purchasing of electric vehicles by transit authorities. I want to thank Chairman Straus and my colleagues in the House, for prioritizing this vital legislation.”

“Funding for transportation infrastructure across the Commonwealth are a crucial investment that we make each year, and I am proud of the support that the House has offered to municipalities for these purposes,” said Representative Linsky. “These investments are critical for the safety and wellness of our towns and cities, and I want to thank Speaker Mariano and Chairman Straus for their hard work on this piece of legislation.”

This legislation authorizes $150 million in programs that will support various transportation-related projects. This includes $25 million for each of the following:

• Municipal Pavement Program, which focuses on the improvement of municipally owned state numbered routes
• Municipal Small Bridge Program, which provides financial support to cities and towns for small bridge replacement, preservation, and rehabilitation projects
• Complete Streets Funding Program, which provides technical assistance and construction funding to municipalities for streets that provide safe and accessible options for all travel modes such as walking, biking, transit, and vehicles
• Municipal Bus Enhancement Program, which provides grant funding to towns to build out infrastructure related to mass transit by bus, such as bus shelters, curb reconfiguration, bus lanes, and signal prioritization
• Mass Transit Access Grant Program, which provides grants to municipalities for design and construction for improvements to access commuter rail stations or other mass transit stations, such as parking lots, drop-off and pick-up zones, bike storage infrastructure, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• Municipal/RTA EV Grant Program, which provides grants to Regional Transit Authorities and municipalities for the purchase of electric vehicles and related charging equipment

Having passed the House of Representatives 155-0, the bill now goes to the Senate for their consideration.

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