Jones and Tarr Announce $100M in Transportation Infrastructure Grants

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce E. Tarr (R-Gloucester) are pleased to announce that North Reading will receive $262,036 in additional funding in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) as part of a state plan to distribute $100 million in grants to assist cities and towns with their transportation infrastructure needs.

The latest round of funding supplements the annual Chapter 90 appropriation for municipalities, which was finalized by the House and Senate on July 27 and signed into law on August 3. That legislation provided North Reading with $517,703.12 for road and bridge repairs in FY24.

“This new infusion of grant funding will allow North Reading to carry out critical infrastructure improvements to address the town’s local transportation priorities,” said Representative Jones. “This program is a perfect example of the Legislature’s ongoing commitment to fostering stronger state and municipal partnerships that will benefit all residents of the Commonwealth.”

“Projects such as paving streets, securing the structural soundness of bridges, building safe sidewalks, and others, are important priorities for cities and towns, and they need and deserve state partnership,” said Senator Tarr. “These grants of additional resources confirm once again that the legislature also prioritizes and supports them when the opportunity presents.”

Jones and Tarr noted that the new round of transportation infrastructure funding was authorized by the Legislature through a line item inserted into the Fiscal Year 2024 state budget, which was signed into law on August 9. The funding is being distributed using a two-prong formula, with $50 million being awarded using the traditional Chapter 90 formula, which factors in a community’s local road mileage (58.33%), population (20.83%) and employment (20.83%). The remaining $50 million will be distributed based on each community’s share of road mileage.

North Reading will receive $132,610 for its road mileage and $129,426 based on the Chapter 90 formula, for a total apportionment of $262,036.

Cities and towns can use the new grant funding to pay for a variety of construction, preservation, and improvement projects. This includes installing sidewalks, bicycle lanes, crossing signals, and other transportation infrastructure work.