MMA.ORGWhereas, a safe, reliable, and connected transportation network is essential for the well-being of every municipality and its residents; and
Whereas, a multimodal transportation infrastructure in a state of good repair is key to safely moving people and goods throughout the state and region, and supporting a thriving economy with opportunity for success in every corner of the Commonwealth; and
Whereas, essential infrastructure facilitating multimodal transportation is under the care of municipalities including sidewalks, paths, and approximately 90% of Massachusetts’ roadways; and
Whereas, cities and towns have limited ability to generate revenues and limited borrowing capacity to support the maintenance of essential transportation infrastructure under their care while facing significant inflation of transportation costs that diminishes purchasing power; and
Whereas, the Chapter 90 road and bridge program is an essential support to municipalities to help ensure that local bridges and 30,000 of the Commonwealth’s 33,000 miles of roads are maintained in a state of good repair; and
Whereas, the Rural Roadway Funding Program is a much-appreciated program to support communities most limited in their local purchasing power; and
Whereas, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change threatens existing transportation infrastructure and requires additional regular maintenance and costly efforts to boost resilience; and
Whereas, the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2050 (2050 CECP) outlines bold actions intended to reduce the effects of climate change, including the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, which relies on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector; and
Whereas, cities and towns are critical partners to achieve the Commonwealth’s climate goals through adoption of low- and zero-emission vehicles, installment of public charging stations, and supporting mode-shift; and
Whereas, the Commonwealth’s public transit infrastructure, service area, and reliability are in urgent need of improvement and investment, and
Whereas, traffic congestion has increased and expanded across the Commonwealth beyond the Boston area and beyond rush hour; and
Whereas, fatalities and serious injuries on Massachusetts’ roadways have risen and traffic safety is a priority;
Therefore, it is hereby resolved that the members of the Massachusetts Municipal Association support the following essential policy positions to ensure a strong local, state and federal partnership to nurture a safe, reliable, resilient, and connected multimodal transportation network across the Commonwealth:
The MMA will continue to take a leadership role in advocating for multi-faceted solutions, and educating the public about the critical needs of the Commonwealth’s local and state transportation systems, including the promotion of a stable, broad-based revenue structure that is adequate to support and maintain our roads, bridges, highways, bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, and transit systems in a manner that shares resources fairly with the cities and towns of Massachusetts; and
In the area of funding critical multimodal transportation infrastructure:
• To help municipalities keep pace with transportation infrastructure deterioration, the Governor and the Legislature should enact a multi-year transportation bond bill that provides a minimum of $350 million annually for the Chapter 90 program, indexed to grow to match construction inflation, on or before March 1, 2025, to maximize project completion during the construction season;
• The Governor and the Legislature should provide regular supplemental road funding via the Rural Roadway Funding Program, including a $25 million authorization in fiscal 2026, while increasing the investment in this program to $50 million annually, indexed to grow with inflation, in future years;
• The Governor and the Legislature should provide reliable supplemental funding for the Chapter 90 program and support other transportation initiatives through the voter-approved surtax via the state budget, including a minimum of $150 million in additional annual aid supporting the construction and preventative maintenance of municipal roadways to help keep pace with roadway deterioration;
• The state should continue to fund targeted grant programs that support municipalities in financing specific road and bridge project needs, including but not limited to the Complete Streets Program, the Municipal Small Bridge Program, the MassWorks Program, and programs to fund culvert replacement and repairs, municipal congestion relief, and funding for locally owned state-numbered roads;
• The MMA supports deliberation on needed transportation revenue generation, including but not limited to congestion pricing, increased TNC fees, local and regional revenue options, gas-tax replacement, and other regionally equitable potential practices to support transportation system improvements; and
In the area of the environment and public works operations:
• State and federal agencies and lawmakers should continue to support efforts to make the Commonwealth’s transportation assets resilient to impactful weather events, with a focus to ensure connectivity in the event of a weather emergency;
• The state should implement and fund the recommendations of the culvert and small bridge working group to streamline environmental permitting, revise engineering standards, and expand grant programs and other financial resources and technical assistance for cities and towns;
• The MMA supports the promotion of innovative and important congestion solutions, including but not limited to equitable congestion pricing, priority bus lanes, managed bus lanes, public private partnerships, and encouraging the use of public transportation;
• The MMA supports creative funding and policy to promote the development and expansion of multimodal transportation networks within and between communities across the Commonwealth, including but not limited to safe bicycle infrastructure, multi-use paths, and public transit options;
• The MMA supports the reduction of transportation-related carbon emissions and encourages the Commonwealth to expand financial resources and technical assistance for cities and towns to help implement associated policies and practices across all departments in municipal government and fostering similar changes for the public;
• To adequately staff and resource municipal departments of public works and associated private sector partners now and into the clean energy future, the state should provide adequate support and financial resources to DPWs to maintain essential equipment inventories; and support for workforce development in key sectors: public works, engineering, planning and design, commercial driver’s licensing (CDLs), and zero-emission vehicle and charging infrastructure maintenance;
• The MMA supports a local option for municipalities to utilize automated enforcement technology to reduce traffic violations that are known to contribute to crashes, increased deaths and injuries, and specifically impact our most vulnerable users, including children using school transportation; and
• The MMA supports the promotion of reasonable safety initiatives that will help save lives and reduce injuries of municipal employees and vulnerable road users.
It is further resolved that a copy of this resolution shall be provided to the Governor, the Members of the Massachusetts General Court, and the Members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation.