House, Senate Finalize $350M Transportation Infrastructure Bill

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) are pleased to announce that North Reading will receive $514,529 in state funding for road and bridge maintenance, after the House and Senate unanimously approved a $350 million bond bill to assist cities and towns with their local transportation infrastructure needs.

House Bill 4638, An Act financing improvements to municipal roads and bridges, was enacted on June 16 by a vote of 155-0 in the House of Representatives and 38-0 in the Senate. The bill is now before Governor Charlie Baker for his review and signature.

In addition to authorizing $200 million in Chapter 90 appropriations for Fiscal Year 2023, the bond bill also includes $150 million in funding increases for several transportation-related grant programs the state offers to municipalities, including:

• a $40 million increase for the construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, repair and improvement of pavement and surface conditions on non-federally aided roadways;
• a $30 million increase in the municipal small bridge program, which supports the design, engineering, construction, preservation, reconstruction and repair of, or improvements to, non-federally aided bridges;
• a $30 million increase for the Complete Streets Program, which provides technical assistance and construction funding to eligible municipalities seeking to provide safe and accessible travel mode options for people of all ages and abilities;
• a $25 million increase for grants to municipalities for the prioritization and enhancement of mass transit by bus; and
• a $25 million increase for grants to municipalities to expand access to mass transit and commuter rail stations.

“The Chapter 90 program represents an ongoing state-municipal partnership that provides much-needed funding to our cities and towns for critical road and bridge repairs,” said Representative Jones. “I’m pleased that in addition to approving the new $200 million Chapter 90 allocation, the House and Senate were also able to reach an agreement on providing an additional $150 million in state funding to help communities address other important transportation priorities this year.”

“Safe and dependable roads and bridges are essential and the expense of repairing and maintaining them strains municipal budgets,” said Senator Tarr. “Chapter 90 funding is an important element of local aid that directly addresses this issue, and I’m pleased that we are providing the funding that the program and cities and towns deserve.”

Established in 1973, the Chapter 90 program allocates funding annually to all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns, using a formula that incorporates the weighted average of a community’s local road mileage (58.33%), population (20.83%) and employment (20.83%). The program provides funding on a reimbursable basis, with cities and towns paying up-front for eligible expenses before receiving state compensation.

Chapter 90 funding can be used for a variety of construction purposes, including road resurfacing, sidewalk repairs, direction and warning signs, traffic signals, crosswalks, and street lighting. Other eligible construction projects include structural work on bridges, culverts, footbridges and pedestrian bridges, and retaining walls.