Chapter 90 Bond Bill Enacted And On Governor’s Desk

The House and Senate have finalized a Chapter 90 bond bill that will provide North Reading with $516,699 in road and bridge funding for Fiscal Year 2022.

In addition to authorizing $200 million in state spending on the Chapter 90 program, the bond bill also provides for a total of $150 million in funding increases for six transit-related municipal grant programs. The final bill – which combines elements of two earlier versions of the bond bill previously approved by the House and Senate – was enacted unanimously in both branches on July 15, with the support of House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester).

Established by the Legislature in 1973, the Chapter 90 program is 100 percent reimbursable and allocates funding to cities and towns on an annual basis using a distribution formula that takes into consideration a community’s population, employment, and total road miles. Municipalities can use the funding for a wide range of capital improvement projects such as road resurfacing and related work, including sidewalks, traffic control measures, and roadside drainage.

“The Chapter 90 program represents an important state-municipal partnership that, combined with the increases in municipal transit grants funding, will allow cities and towns to address their priority transportation needs,” said Representative Jones. “I’m pleased that Senator Tarr and I were able to work together to help secure this critical funding for North Reading.”

“Safe and efficient transportation infrastructure is essential for all of us, but a funding challenge for municipal budgets,” said Senator Tarr. “I’m pleased to have worked with Representative Jones to assure that North Reading will receive the important resources this legislation will direct to North Reading.”

In addition to the Chapter 90 bond authorization, the House and Senate have allocated another $25 million apiece to six state grant programs that were initially funded in a comprehensive transportation bond bill signed into law on January 15. These grant programs offer funding assistance for:

• the municipal small bridge program, which helps communities fund construction, repairs and improvements for non-federally aided bridges;
• addressing local bottlenecks that negatively impact traffic flow;
• implementing transit-supportive infrastructure, including dedicated bus lanes and signal prioritization;
• prioritizing and enhancing mass transit by bus;
• increasing access to mass transit and commuter rail stations; and
• assisting municipalities and regional transit authorities with the purchase of electric vehicles and charging stations.

The final bond bill also retains language previously inserted by the House stipulating that funds received through the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund may “be used for maintenance or pay-go funded building of transportation infrastructure, including roads.”

The bond bill is now on Governor Charlie Baker’s desk. He has until July 25 to review and sign it.