Chapter 90 funding would support cities and towns with road and bridge construction, public transit improvement, and EV infrastructure
BOSTON (4/11/2024)—Today, Senator Cindy F. Friedman (D-Arlington) and the Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved $375 million in bond authorizations for statewide transportation projects, including the state’s Chapter 90 program, which would create a reliable funding source for local infrastructure investments like roads, bridges, regional transit equipment and infrastructure, bicycle infrastructure, and electric vehicle infrastructure, among other things.
Projects funded by the annual legislation often improve quality of life for residents in every region of the state, and many play a role in environmental mitigation.
Every city and town in the Commonwealth would receive a share of $200 million in funding to be used on maintenance and construction of roads and bridges. $150 million would be allocated equally to six programs targeting specific transportation infrastructure, and $25 million would be allocated to cities and towns through the rural roads program.
“The annual Chapter 90 funding bill is our Commonwealth’s commitment to safe, accessible, and well-maintained transportation systems across Massachusetts,” said Senator Friedman, Vice Chair of the Senate Committe on Ways and Means. “Ensuring our communities have adequate resources for common transportation, while also incentivizing transportation goals such as Complete Streets and supporting mainstream use of electric vehicles, is so vital, and Chapter 90 funding is just one of the ways the Massachusetts Legislature helps keep our residents moving.”
Of the $375 million in total authorizations, the legislation would allocate $25 million to each of the following programs that target specific infrastructure areas:
- 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 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 build out infrastructure related to mass transit by bus.
- Mass Transit Access Grant Program, which provides grants for design and construction 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.
A previous version having been passed by the House of Representatives, the legislation now awaits final enactment in each branch, before being sent to the Governor’s desk for her signature.
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