Baker-Polito Administration Outlines Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Plans for Massachusetts

In full transparency, the following is a press release from the Governor’s office submitted to SOURCE media.

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LOWELL – Today, February 3, the Baker-Polito Administration outlined initial plans to make significant and additional investments into roads, bridges, public transportation and environmental infrastructure projects across the Commonwealth with funding from the recently passed federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). 

Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Transportation Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler and Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides made the announcement today near the Rourke Bridge in Lowell, which the Administration committed to advancing and funding the replacement of with the additional resources made available within the BIL.

With an anticipated cost of approximately $170 million, the Rourke Bridge will be funded as part of an anticipated $3 billion bridge program to be implemented over the next five years using a combination of BIL funding and the Commonwealth’s Next Generation Bridge Program.

As part of today’s announcement, the Administration released a list of 146 bridge projects, representing 181 individual structures, to be funded as part of that program.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver billions in funding to the Commonwealth, helping to build on the investments our Administration has made over the past 7 years to improve our roads and bridges, and make our public transportation system more reliable and resilient,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are grateful for the efforts of the congressional delegation to secure this funding for Massachusetts and look forward to working with them and our local partners to deliver critical projects across the Commonwealth.”

“Thank you to the members of the delegation for advocating for this important funding,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “The funding from the BIL will fund hundreds of bridge and road projects across the Commonwealth, delivering important upgrades to our communities.”

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“Significant investments are going to be made in transportation infrastructure thanks to both reauthorized and increased federal funding within the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and these investments will be transformational,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler.  “I want to thank members of the Congressional delegation for delivering this new funding and express appreciation to state legislators, municipal leaders, planning organizations, and stakeholders who will partner with us to advance the Baker-Polito Administration’s FY 2023 budget, advance the Transportation Bond Bill to be filed soon, and support MassDOT as we identify and scope projects which can be accelerated.”

“Since coming into office in 2015, the Baker-Polito Administration has taken significant steps in addressing the Commonwealth’s aging infrastructure, including enhancing its transportation network and modernizing municipal water and sewer systems,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “Massachusetts’ portion of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will further our own efforts, and we thank our federal partners for working to deliver these significant funds that will have an immediate impact in every region of the state.”

“The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes key funding and policies that will transform our physical infrastructure for the 21st century in Lowell, throughout the Commonwealth, and across our country,” said Senator Ed Markey. “I am proud to have helped secure more than $9 billion in direct federal funding for Massachusetts, along with the opportunity to compete for billions more under the law’s numerous grant programs. This important legislation also includes many of my bills to promote safer and more equitable transportation throughout the country and the Commonwealth. Now is the moment to make significant and critical investments in Massachusetts roadways, bridges, public transportation, and environmental infrastructure. I am honored to partner with MassDOT, Secretary Tesler, Administrator Gulliver, and the members of our federal and state delegation to make these investments possible.”

“Fixing our bridges in Lowell and across the Commonwealth will increase safety and improve transportation options for families, students, and businesses,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “The record $1.1 billion that’s coming to Massachusetts through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for bridge replacement and repairs translates to thousands of good paying jobs that will revitalize our crumbling infrastructure and boost local economies.”

“Casting my vote for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was a no-brainer. Whether it’s driving on safer bridges and roads, drinking cleaner water, or riding more efficient public transit, this historic legislation will benefit everyone who calls Massachusetts home,” said Congresswoman Lori Trahan. “I applaud the Baker administration and leaders at MassDOT for moving with urgency to put these federal funds to work in communities across the Commonwealth as soon as possible. Together, we’ll ensure that long overdue projects like the Rourke Bridge and so many others finally get done.”

“I’m proud of President Biden and my colleagues in the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation for securing this historic investment to fix our Commonwealth’s crumbling and outdated infrastructure,” said Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law we passed makes the largest investment in bridge repair since the creation of the interstate highway system, the largest investment in public transit and passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak and supports millions of new good-paying union jobs. Thanks to President Biden’s vision for a stronger and more sustainable America, we are building back better. I’m excited to see the transformative impact this federal funding is going to have on communities throughout Massachusetts.”

“The new infrastructure law is a historic opportunity for Massachusetts,” said Congressman Seth Moulton. “It is a leap toward making our state’s most urgently needed infrastructure investments a reality and creating a transportation system that is more efficient, balanced, and resilient. Residents of our state know better than anyone just how overdue these improvements are. We need to move from outdated and inefficient to sustainable and future-oriented. I look forward to working with Secretary Tesler and Governor Baker to make that happen.”

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“We have just made long overdue investments in this country’s infrastructure and our economic competitiveness,” said Congressman Jake Auchincloss. “We are upgrading our roads and our bridges and our public transportation system; we are ensuring that every family has access to clean water; and we are providing high-speed internet to rural, suburban, and urban cities and counties throughout the country – the 21st Century version of electricity. And, by the way, we’re also upgrading the electoral grid as well. This is about core, physical infrastructure. This is about allowing the United States to compete on the world stage against China, and it’s also about boosting the earning potential of working and middle class families. It’s a big deal.”  

Over 5 years, the BIL will deliver approximately $9.5 billion in total funding to the Commonwealth including $5.4 billion in highway formula funds, $2.2 billion in MBTA formula funds and $591 million in Regional Transit Authority (RTA) formula funds, as well as $1.4 billion in both formula and discretionary funds for environmental work.

The new law will also allow all 50 states to compete for a portion of an additional $110 billion through various discretionary transportation funding, creating multi-pronged opportunities to help finance and advance both locally-significant and major projects like the federally owned Cape Cod Bridges and the Allston I-90 Multimodal Project. MassDOT has begun preparations to work with its local partners and compete for every dollar possible as federal guidance for these programs becomes available.

Funding from the BIL will build on the over $18 billion in investments the Baker-Polito Administration has made in the Commonwealth’s roads, bridges and public transportation systems to reduce congestion, modernize existing assets and expand and improve service for the entire Commonwealth.

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Since 2015, the Administration has invested $9.3 billion in roads and bridges – including $3.8 billion for bridge repairs, $4.6 billion for roadway improvements, $204 million for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and $152 million for grants to municipalities (exclusive of Chapter 90 funding); $7.9 billion in the MBTA system – including $6.1 billion for reliability and modernization of the existing system, $1.6 billion for the Green Line Extension and $301 million for South Coast Rail; and $791 million for MassDOT Rail and Transit projects. Notable investments include $211 million in matching funds for Regional Transit Authority capital projects; $359 million for freight rail improvements; $44 million for Knowledge Corridor improvements; and $39 million to acquire rail lines and maintenance equipment.

Roads and Bridges

MassDOT expects to receive about $5.4 billion in total highway formula funds from the BIL, of which approximately $3.5 billion is the reauthorization of already existing formula programs and $1.8 billion is increased formula funding.

Of the $1.8 billion increase, approximately $449 million is an increase in funding for existing programs, and $1.4 billion is for new formula programs.

With the reauthorized funds, new formula funds, and the required state matching funds, MassDOT will be making $6.7 billion in new investments in roadways and bridges over the next five years with BIL funds.

This $449 million increase in reauthorized formula funding will support the continued advancement and implementation of more than 375 highway projects in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) over the next 5 years, which includes over $1 billion in Fiscal Year 2022 investments to advance 71 highway projects, including:

• the extension of the Ashuwillticook Trail in Adams and North Adams;
• the reconstruction of East Street (Route 9) in Pittsfield;
• the rehabilitation of Route 5 in Holyoke and West Springfield;
• the installation of protective screening on the Route 2 Bridge in Erving and Gill;
• the reconstruction of Route 20 in Charlton and Oxford;
• the reconstruction of the I-90/I-495 Interchange in Hopkinton and Westborough;
• the replacement of the Basiliere Bridge in Haverhill;
• the construction of the Lawrence Manchester Rail Trail in Lawrence;
• the relocation of Route79/Davol Street in Fall River;
• the replacement of the I-95 Bridge in New Bedford;
• the reconstruction of Rutherford Avenue in Boston; and
• the reconstruction of Broadway (Route 107) in Chelsea.

In addition to these projects, MassDOT will work over the coming months with regional partners to develop a prioritized list of roadway, bicycle and pedestrian, and safety projects to be supported with this funding.

The $1.4 billion in funding for new formula programs includes:

• $1.125 billion for a new bridge formula program;
• $106.5 million for a resiliency program;
• $93.7 million for a carbon reduction program;
• $63.5 million for electric vehicle infrastructure; and
• $9.1 million for ferry boats and terminals.

This $1.1 billion new formula bridge funding, coupled with the state’s $1.25 billion Next Generation Bridge program and other funding from the BIL, will allow MassDOT to invest over $3 billion in repairing the Commonwealth’s bridges, addressing more than one-third of the structurally deficient bridge backlog. MassDOT has already begun this process by initiating over 146 bridge repair or replacement projects on 181 bridge structures across the Commonwealth. In addition, the new bridge formula program, as well as some of the new discretionary programs, will provide support for major projects across the Commonwealth like the Rourke Bridge. Additional bridges anticipated to be replaced or rehabilitated with BIL funding include:

• Andover: Tewksbury Street Bridge over railroad corridor
• Bernardston: Route 10 Bridge over Fall River
• Beverly: Bridge Street Bridge over Bass River
• Boston: Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridges over the railroad corridor
• Braintree: Washington Street Bridge over the railroad corridor
• Dennis/Yarmouth: Route 28 Bridge over Bass River
• Great Barrington: State Road Bridge (Routes 7/23) over the Housatonic River
• Holden: Salisbury Street Bridge over railroad corridor
• Lanesborough: Williamstown Road Bridge over Water Bodie Mountain Brook
• Marion/Wareham: Wareham Street Bridge over the Weweantic River
• Oxford: Leicester Road Bridge over the French River
• Springfield: St. James Avenue Bridge over the railroad corridor
• Worcester: the I-290 Bridge over East Central Street

While the process to identify, scope and program additional bridges will be ongoing, the initial list of 146 bridge projects is available here.

USDOT will need to issue guidance for the other new programs; however, working with EEA, MassDOT has begun the process of planning for the use of resiliency, carbon reduction, and electric vehicle infrastructure funding.

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Regional Transit Authorities

The Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) are expected to receive $591 million over the next five years in formula funding.

The estimated formula federal aid will be used to fund operating and capital needs for the RTAs. The most recent capital planning scenarios include the following capital investments funded by federal formula funds in the 2022-2027 period:

• $41.7 million for facility and system modernization
• $80.9 million for facility and vehicle maintenance
• $50.5 million for fleet upgrades
• $10.4 million for replacement facilities
• $96.3 million for vehicle replacement

Additionally, MassDOT expects RTAs to apply for $103.7 million in discretionary federal assistance.  Through the annual 5-year Capital Investment Plan (CIP) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) development process, MassDOT Transit and the RTAs will evaluate and prioritize investments to be made with the additional BIL funding and available state matching resources.

MBTA

The MBTA expects to receive $2.2 billion over the next five years that will fund $1.6 billion in spending already programmed and $580 million for new projects.

As programmed in the current STIP, the MBTA plans to invest $2 billion, including state and MBTA matching funds, over the next five years in a variety of projects including vehicles, signal upgrades and station and facility improvements. These projects include:

·       $852 million for vehicles

§  Green Line 10 Rail Fleet Replacement

§  80 Battery Electric Buses

·       $412 million for stations and facilities

§  Quincy Bus Facility

§  Codman Yard Expansion

·       $295 million for bridges and tunnels

§  Dorchester Avenue Bridge

§  Norfolk and East Cottage Street Bridges

·       $428 million for signal and system upgrades

§  Red and Orange Line Signals

§  Green Line Train Protection

Through the annual 5-year Capital Investment Plan (CIP) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) development process, the MBTA is currently reviewing options for investing the $580 million in the BIL’s additional formula funding. The MBTA expects that most of these funds will go to State of Good Repair projects including funding for projects that are currently only partially paid for in the existing STIP. For information on the CIP please visit here. For information on the STIP please visit here.

The MBTA is also developing a strategy for reviewing and competing for discretionary funding opportunities. This strategy will continue to be refined as further details are provided by the federal government. Projects for which such funding might be sought could include, but are not limited to: bus electrification, dedicated bus lanes, Core Capacity-eligible investments, the Arborway Bus Facility, station accessibility improvements, reconstruction of the Southwest Corridor portion of the Orange Line, double tracking commuter rail lines, commuter rail electrification early action investments, commuter rail additional vehicle replacements to reduce the MBTA’s carbon footprint and drawbridge replacements.

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Rail

The BIL includes $66 billion to address the Amtrak maintenance backlog, modernize the Northeast Corridor, expand intercity rail service, and make improvements to the nation’s freight rail system. This funding will be allocated as follows: $22 billion directly to Amtrak and through multiple competitive grant programs: $24 billion as federal-state partnership grants for Northeast Corridor modernization; $12 billion for partnership grants for intercity rail service; $5 billion for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program; and $3 billion for a new Railroad Crossing Elimination Program. Given productive negotiations with CSX to enable increased passenger service, the Commonwealth intends to work with Amtrak to compete for funds to invest in service improvements between Springfield and Worcester as an initial step to expand service between Boston and Albany.

Energy and Environmental Affairs

Since 2015, the Baker-Polito Administration has invested $1.2 billion in climate mitigation and adaptation to help cities and towns increase resiliency and combat the impacts of climate change, including $120 million in land conservation, $113 million in Green Communities, $51 million in dams and seawalls, and $65 million in our Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Grant Program. This funding is in addition to the more than $1.4 billion in sewer projects, which includes $255 million in combined sewer overflow (CSO) abatement projects that have been financed by the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust. 

The BIL will provide approximately $1.4 billion in formula and discretionary funds to build on these investments and improve environmental infrastructure in Massachusetts.

The formula funding for energy and environmental projects includes:

• Water and Sewer Infrastructure Funding: $1.01 billion over five years. This year $189 million will be received.
• Energy Programs

• $11 million for grid reliability, security and future planning studies
• $2.5 million for energy efficiency conservation block grants
• Environmental remediation: $367.6 million

Many of the energy and environmental infrastructure programs included in the BIL are new programs, and EEA awaits further guidelines from the federal government before finalizing a list of qualifying projects.

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State Matching Funds, Process Improvements and Hiring Resources

Federal funding, both formula and discretionary, requires state matching funds and the increased amounts provided by the BIL will require additional state resources, which the Administration has committed to begin seeking with the filing of a new Transportation Bond Bill in the coming weeks.

Additionally in preparation of the BIL, and the $1.25 billion Next Gen program included in the 2021 Transportation Bond Bill, MassDOT has implemented process improvements to streamline and accelerate the project delivery pipeline, reducing the average length between a project’s bid advertisement and the first phase of construction by 150 days (5 months) or 63%.

The Baker-Polito Administration’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal also includes $3.4 million dollars to further bolster MassDOT’s internal resources and efforts to implement and ramp up both new and existing programs authorized within BIL and to accommodate execution of projects.