Senate Passes Bond Bill Supporting MetroWest Environmental, Energy Projects

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a bill authorizing $1.7 billion to fund environmental and energy projects across the Commonwealth, including the preservation and improvement of land, parks and clean energy in the MetroWest region, state Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, announced.

“Well-maintained, accessible recreational trails and open space have a significant impact on quality of life in MetroWest and across the state,” said Senator Spilka. “These projects will encourage people to get outdoors, be active and create connections with the community while enjoying the beautiful natural resources our region has to offer.” 

Senator Spilka successfully advocated for funding for the following projects to preserve and improve recreational trails and access to open space in MetroWest: 

• $5,000,000 for the preservation of and improvements to the Birch Road well field in Framingham

• $1,200,000 for the planning, acquisition, design and construction of an extension of the Upper Charles Trail in Holliston

• $1,500,000 for the planning, acquisition, design and construction of an extension of the Upper Charles Trail from Milford into Hopkinton

• $4,000,000 for the planning, acquisition, design and construction of multi-use recreational trails in Ashland

• $1,000,000 to acquire and increase public access to open space in Medway, including the construction of improvements and facilities that increase the accessibility of walking trails and outdoor programming for children with special needs

• $2,000,000 to create a network of recreational trails on aqueducts owned by the MWRA and located in Central Massachusetts and MetroWest 

• $1,500,000 for the design and construction of improvements to the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT) where it crosses Prospect Street in Franklin 

Spilka also worked to include funding in the bill for a Massachusetts Water Technology Innovation Trust Fund, which will be administered by the Clean Energy Technology Center, to promote water innovation in the Commonwealth.