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Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Gov. Maura Healey (center, seated) signs a transportation bond bill in Melrose on May 3.
At an event in Melrose today, Gov. Maura Healey signed a transportation bond bill that includes $200 million for the Chapter 90 local road and bridge program for fiscal 2025 and $175 million for specified additional infrastructure programs.
In addition to funding for the Chapter 90 reimbursement program, the $375 million bond package includes $25 million for a supplemental road maintenance program favoring rural communities, and $150 million for the following six existing transportation-related programs:
• Municipal Pavement Program
• Municipal Small Bridge Program
• Complete Streets
• Municipal Bus Enhancement Program
• Mass Transit Access grant program
• Municipal/RTA Electric Vehicle Fleets program
The law introduces a formula to guide the disbursement of the rural road-focused funding for fiscal 2025, recommending that the distribution be weighted 20% on local road mileage, 20% on population, and 60% on whether the municipality is considered rural.
Last year’s transportation bond act created the new Rural Roadway Funding Program, which has recently been apportioned for fiscal 2024.
“We know that residents’ quality of life and our state’s economic strength depends on people being able to get where they need to go safely and on time,” Healey said. “These Chapter 90 funds and millions more for six grant programs will help us deliver on critical road, bridge and infrastructure projects that communities and the traveling public need. We’re proud to sign this bill into law today, and grateful to the Legislature for their partnership.”
The governor began the Chapter 90 process for fiscal 2025 when she filed her bill in Janaury. The Legislature enacted the bond bill on April 24 in the House and April 25 in the Senate.
The governor is now expected to file a companion bond terms bill, which must go through the legislative process before funding can be made available to communities.
The Chapter 90 program benefits every community in Massachusetts, and municipal officials across the state are grateful to have the transportation bond bill enacted in time to put the funds to use during the current construction season.
In her fiscal 2025 state budget plan, the governor proposed additional funding to support local road and bridge maintenance, using $124 million in “Fair Share” surtax revenue to distribute $100 million through the Chapter 90 formula and $24 million solely for rural communities. The fiscal 2025 state budget bill passed by the House in April would use $25 million in Fair Share revenue for supplemental local roads funding.
The MMA has been advocating for at least $350 million in discretionary funding for municipal roads and bridges in fiscal 2025, and is seeking supplemental aid through the state budget process.