Jones Supports Bill Providing $516,073 In Road and Bridge Funding

A release from the office of House Minority Leader Brad Jones:

BOSTON – North Reading is slated to receive $516,073 for local road and bridge repairs in Fiscal Year 2020 under a Chapter 90 bond bill supported by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading). The money for North Reading was included in a $200 million bond authorization approved unanimously by the House of Representatives on a vote of 156-0 on May 8.

“Cities and towns count on this annual funding assistance to carry out critical infrastructure improvements,” said Representative Jones. “This money will enable North Reading to move forward with a number of transportation-related projects that will benefit all of the town’s residents.”

Established by the Legislature in 1973, the Chapter 90 program allocates funding on an annual basis to cities and towns using a formula that factors in the weighted average of a municipality’s population, employment, and total road miles. The funds are paid out as reimbursements to communities for qualifying infrastructure work.

Chapter 90 funds can be spent on a variety of municipal roadway projects, including resurfacing, drainage, sidewalks, guardrails, traffic control, right-of-way acquisition and street lighting. The funding can also be used for bikeways, landscaping and tree planting associated with certain projects, and for purchasing and maintaining certain road building machinery, equipment and tools.

The Chapter 90 bond bill now moves to the Senate for further action.