Millions For Worcester Transportation Upgrades In State Bond Bill

WORCESTER, MA — An $11.3 billion transportation bond bill approved by the state lawmakers over the weekend includes millions for transportation projects across Worcester — although the funds still have to be acted on by the governor.

One key piece of funding in the bill for Worcester is safety upgrades along Stafford Street, where a driver hit a 5-year-old girl in a crosswalk this spring. The roadway — whose lanes are wider than the ones along the Mass Pike — was the site of a June tour by local officials, including state Rep. David LeBoeuf and state Sen. Anne Gobi.

The bill also includes millions to upgrade the Lake Avenue sewage pumping station, the site of a February breakdown that spilled millions of gallons of untreated waste into Lake Quinsigamond.

The bond bill also includes $275 million for the design and construction of the East-West passenger rail project. That project would extend commuter rail trains west of Worcester to Springfield and Pittsfield.

But it's unclear how many of the projects funded in the bill will actually happen. The bond bill authorizes the governor to borrow money to pay for the projects. Gov. Charlie Baker had initially asked for a $9.7 billion transportation bond bill. But with Baker leaving the office in November, it's possible that a new governor will be interested in the larger borrowing authorization created by the Legislature.

Here are the major items for Worcester in the bond bill:

• $50 million for electrification of the Framingham-Worcester MBTA commuter rail line
• $5 million to repair and improve the Lake Avenue pumping station
• $3 million for the Grafton Street/Route 122 Bridge replacement
• $3 million to refurbish the MBTA bridge along Route 20
• $2.5 million to add solar panels to the roof of the WRTA headquarters
• $1.25 million for roadway improvements and climate mitigation near Beaver Brook Parkway
• $1 million to study restoring passenger rail between Worcester and Providence
• $1 million for roadway and intersection improvements in Webster Square
• $1 million for infrastructure improvements to the NippNapp Trail
• $1 million for a beautification study of the Route 12 corridor from West Mountain Street to West Boylston Drive
• $750,000 for bike and pedestrian infrastructure improvements along Stafford Street
• $750,000 for a sound barrier between Burncoat Street and Lincoln Street
• $500,000 for major repairs to the road under the Bond Street Bridge in along Route 12
• $500,000 for roadway and intersection improvements at Clover and Heard streets
• $450,000 for the electric vehicle charging infrastructure along Park Avenue
• $400,000 for the resurfacing of the face of the rail bridge that crosses I-190
• $250,000 for roadway and intersection improvements at Canterbury and Hammond streets
• $50,000 for crosswalk visibility improvements and a bus shelter and speed bump improvements along Pleasant Street between Main Street and Park Avenue