(BOSTON – 07/14/2022) The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday passed legislation that authorizes more than $10.84 billion in bonds for a wide array of transportation infrastructure projects and initiatives to make the Commonwealth’s transportation system more modern, safe, environmentally sound, and accessible. An Act relative to Massachusetts transportation resources and climate, also known as MassTRAC, ensures that Massachusetts is well-positioned to compete for federal grant opportunities, particularly those dollars available from the federal bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“I am pleased to see the passage of MassTRAC, a bill authorizing the funding of many important infrastructure projects in communities around the Commonwealth,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “This money, if approved by the Governor, will make transformative investments to our transportation infrastructure – including in the Second Worcester District.”
Senator Moore passed five amendments authorizing spending on projects in the Second Worcester District, listed below:
· $1.6 million to replace the Sword Street Culvert in Auburn
· $1.2 million to improve sidewalks, restore George Hill Road, and design/construct Westboro Road in Grafton
· $1 million to repair and improve the Sutton Street Bridge in Northbridge
· $1.2 million to replace the Bowman Lane Culvert in Westborough
· $5 million to repair and improve the Lake Avenue Pumping Station in Worcester
Additionally, Senator Moore passed an amendment authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, to study the feasibility of creating wildlife crossing projects throughout the Commonwealth. The agency will also create an action plan on how these crossings will be implemented and maintained.
“Many of our roadways cut right through the natural habitats of wildlife, especially in Central and Western Massachusetts,” Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury) said. “When animals try to cross these busy roads, all too frequently it results in tragic traffic accidents, injuring or killing countless people and animals – not to mention the economic cost of damaged cars and infrastructure. Creating wildlife corridors is not only good for ecosystems, they also make roadways safer for humans too.”
“Wildlife crossings provide animals an opportunity to safely travel between habitats and allows animals to access a wider geographic territory — mitigating some of the impacts of human infrastructure and fragmented wild places,” says Stephanie Harris, senior legislative affairs manager for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. “We are grateful to Senator Moore for his stalwart dedication to wildlife protection and to the Massachusetts Senate for passing this legislation to facilitate the establishment and maintenance of wildlife crossings projects in the Commonwealth.”
"Wildlife Vehicle Collisions cost the US $8 billion in damages each year along with the tragic loss of people and animals,” said Dylan McDowell, Acting Executive Director for the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. “Wildlife corridors are one of the best available tools we have to address this problem, while also improving habitat connectivity for species. Massachusetts is quickly emerging as a leader as a growing number of states introduce legislation to support wildlife connectivity and public safety.”
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The MassTRAC bill invests billions of dollars in improving, maintaining, and modernizing the Commonwealth’s bridges, roads, and other critical infrastructure, including sidewalks, curbs, parking spaces, and airport improvements. The legislation also takes crucial steps to make the state’s transportation system more environmentally sustainable and resilient to climate change by making investments in emission reduction, low or no emission vehicles for Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs), climate adaptations for Massachusetts roads, and support for multimodal transportation such as bike lanes alongside roads. Building on the Drive Act, passed by the Senate in April this year, the MassTRAC bill increases support for electric vehicles for personal, commercial, and governmental use, as well as for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The breakdown of the bond authorizations included in the bill is as follows:
$3.5 billion for discretionary federal grant projects
$2.8 billion for federal highway systems projects
$1.375 billion for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) modernization
$1.27 billion for non-federally aided roads and bridges
$407.7 million for local and regional transportation projects
$400 million for MBTA safety projects
$275 million for the East-West rail project
$225 million for emissions reduction initiatives, including $50 million to support access to electric vehicle charging infrastructure
$114 million for airport improvements
$85 million for state-numbered routes road pavement improvements
$82 million for the industrial rail access program
$64.9 million for Regional Transit Authorities’ (RTAs) capital projects
$25.5 million for the mobility assistance program
$25 million for municipal road pavement improvements
$20 million for the Complete Streets program
$10 million for the public realm improvement program
$1 million for local and regional transportation projects
The legislation marks another step towards implementing East-West passenger rail in Massachusetts. In addition to the more than a quarter of a billion dollars that is granted for the project itself, this legislation creates a commission to investigate and report on creation of an East-West rail passenger authority. To promote regional equity and smart, sustainable financing of the transportation system, the bill creates a mobility commission to investigate, study, and make recommendations on the development of regionally equitable transportation pricing, roadway pricing and congestion pricing.
In addition to $1.375 billion for modernization of the MBTA, the bill authorizes $400 million for MBTA safety projects and tasks the MBTA with creating and annually updating safety improvement plans.
During the debate several notable amendments were adopted. Significantly, one amendment would create a low-income fare program to provide free or discounted transit fares to qualifying riders. Another amendment would require the MBTA to develop and implement short-, medium-, and long-term plans for electrifying the commuter rail fleet. Finally, an amendment was adopted to provide regulatory oversight for electronic bicycles, or e-bikes, to help spur their adoption.
A version of this legislation having previously been passed in the House of Representatives, a conference committee will now be appointed to reconcile any differences between the versions of this bill.
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