House, Senate Finalize $375M Transportation Infrastructure Bond Bill

North Reading will receive $515,025 in Chapter 90 road and bridge funding in Fiscal Year 2025 as part of a $375 million transportation infrastructure bond bill that was recently approved by the House and Senate.

House Bill 4529, An Act financing improvements to municipal roads and bridges, was enacted in the House on April 24 and in the Senate on April 25, with the support of House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce E. Tarr (R-Gloucester). The bill is now on Governor Maura Healey’s desk for her review and signature.

The Chapter 90 allocation is part of a $200 million statewide appropriation for the annual state-funded road and bridge program included in House Bill 4529. The bond bill also contains $25 million in road assistance targeted specifically for rural communities and authorizes an additional $150 million in funding for six transportation-related municipal grant programs.

“North Reading’s Chapter 90 allotment will go a long way in helping the town address its local road and bridge priorities, and the additional grant programs included in this bond bill will give town officials other potential transportation funding options to consider pursuing,” said Representative Jones. “I’m proud to have worked closely with Senator Tarr and our colleagues to secure the timely passage of this important funding bill.”

“This infusion of funds comes at the beginning of the construction season, putting significant resources in the capable hands of North Reading officials to make the most of that season with projects to deliver better, safer, and more resilient roads and bridges for residents and visitors,” said Senator Tarr.

Established in 1973, the Chapter 90 program provides funding to cities and towns on a reimbursable basis, using a formula that considers the weighted average of a community’s local road mileage (58.33%), population (20.83%), and employment (20.83%). Communities can use this funding to pay for a variety of construction, preservation, and improvement projects, including installing sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and crossing signals.

The rural roads program, which was launches in 2023, provides funding to assist rural communities with the construction and reconstruction of municipal ways utilizing a weighted formula that considers a municipality’s local road mileage (20%), population (20%), and its status as a rural community (60%). The program defines a rural community as one having a population of less than 10,000 and a population density that is under 500 people per square mile.

House Bill 4529 also provides $25 million apiece to each to the following six grant programs:

• Municipal Pavement Program, which focuses on the improvement of municipally owned state numbered routes;
• Municipal Small Bridge Program, which provides funding to municipalities for the replacement, preservation, and rehabilitation of non-federally aided bridges and approaches;
• Complete Streets Program, which supports the implementation of safe and accessible transit options for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists of all ages and abilities;
• Municipal Bus Enhancement Program, which can be used for bus shelters, bus lanes, and signal prioritization to enhance mass transit by bus;
• Mass Transit Access Grant Program, which can be used for enhancements that increase access to mass transit and commuter rail stations; and
• Municipal/RTA EV Grant Program, which provides grants to municipalities and regional transit authorities for the purchase of electric vehicles and charging equipment.

Governor Healey has until May 5 to sign House Bill 4529 into law.