Transit grants added to $200M road and bridge repair bill
Photo | Grant Welker
I-290 through Worcester
A key committee led by Rep. William Straus and Sen. Joe Boncore is recommending that the local road and bridge repair program known as Chapter 90 be funded at $200 million for another year, but the Democrats are also proposing to increase funding for three additional infrastructure grant programs by $75 million.
The chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation opened voting Tuesday on a Chapter 90 bill that would accept Gov. Charlie Baker's recommendation that the program be funded this spring at $200 million.
Municipal officials have been clamoring for years to see the state increase the annual funding level to at least $300 million, and to pass a multi-year bill so cities and towns can plan and sign contracts for longer-term projects. Those requests, however, grew more urgent this year as officials testified in March about the strain the pandemic put on public works budgets, and how the hot housing market has driven the cost and competition for labor up.
The bill the committee is polling would also add $25 million to three different municipal grant programs financed by last session's transportation bond bill.
The municipal small bridge program would grow from $70 million to $95 million, under the legislation, while funding for municipal bus transit grants and municipal transit access grants would climb from $25 million to $50 million each.
Members of the panel were given until 10 a.m. to vote on whether to advance the bill favorably out of committee.
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