Sen. DiDomenico and colleagues authorize $375M for local transportation infrastructure

Chapter 90 funding would support cities and towns with road and bridge construction, public transit improvement and EV infrastructure

On April 11, 2024, Senator Sal DiDomenico joined all Massachusetts Senators in unanimously approving $375 million in bond authorizations for statewide transportation projects, including the state’s Chapter 90 program. The program creates 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 this legislation improve quality of life for residents in every region of the state, and many play a role in environmental mitigation.

Under the legislation, 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.

“Roads, bridges, buses, trains, bikes, sidewalks and all our means of getting around are the simple yet necessary pieces of our state that connect us to our loved ones, our jobs, and almost every part of our daily life,” said Sen. DiDomenico, who is Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “This is one of the most important things we can fund as a government, and I am proud to help secure millions of dollars, so transportation is safe and seamless for residents in my district and throughout Massachusetts. I want to thank Senate President Spilka and all my colleagues for working together to fund this critical infrastructure for people in every zip code across the Commonwealth.”

“Getting around our communities is a fundamental part of everyone’s day,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Whether the commute takes you on the sidewalk, through a bike lane, across a small bridge, onto your Regional Transit Authority, or to the T, your journey should be quick and safe. By passing today’s legislation, we are empowering our cities and towns with the funding to make improvements to the infrastructure our residents travel on, regardless of where they go and how.”

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

This legislation, which the House also unanimously passed, now awaits final enactment in each branch, before being sent to the Governor’s desk for her review and signature or other actions. On April 16, 2024, an emergency preamble was adopted by the House, declaring the legislation “to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.”