Massachusetts lawmakers have signed a $1.4 billion transportation bond bill that will provide $300 million in Chapter 90 funding for cities and towns and an additional $200 million for statewide transportation improvements that support housing development.
The Massachusetts Chapter 90 program is a state-funded initiative that provides annual reimbursements to all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns for the construction, maintenance and improvement of local transportation infrastructure.
The investments are intended to help communities advance safety improvements, improve mobility, support economic growth and build infrastructure needed to create more homes.
The $300 million Chapter 90 allocation matches last year’s funding level, which represented a 50% increase over previous years. $200 million will be allocated using the traditional formula, and $100 million will be distributed based on road mileage as a way to increase equity for rural communities.
To receive funding, municipalities must submit a project request detailing the work and costs. Towns and cities must fund the projects up front and then apply for reimbursement once construction is complete and meets agreed specifications.
The $1.4 billion transportation bond package includes the following infrastructure investments:
- $500 million for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Bridge and Pavement Lifecycle Asset Management Programs.
- $200 million for transportation improvements that support expanded housing development.
- $200 million for a new Parkway Resilience Improvement and Safety Modernization investment program.
- $200 million for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Rail Reliability Program.
The state released its full list of allocations with descriptions for each of the local government entities here.
Photo by massmatt, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
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