MMA letter to the Bonding Committee urging support for Ch. 90 bill

Senate Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets
State House, Boston

Dear Senator Joyce and Members of the Committee,

On behalf of the cities and towns of the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Municipal Association strongly urges your favorable consideration of H. 3324. The bill would enable the state to issue bonds to support an urgently needed $200 million Chapter 90 allocation for fiscal 2012. The bill would increase the program above the current $155 million level.

Swift passage of this legislation is vital, because the remaining authorization for the program left over from the last transportation bond bill is only $45 million. Timely passage is essential because the state has passed the official April 1 deadline to formally notify cities and towns of their fiscal 2012 authorization.

By securing new authorizations as part of the Senate’s early legislative agenda this year, you and your colleagues will ensure that local transportation needs are met and that cities and towns are able to maintain the nearly 90 percent of the state’s road miles for which they are responsible. Chapter 90 provides communities with desperately needed funds to repair and maintain local roadways and transportation infrastructure.

The MMA greatly appreciates the commitment to timely and consistent release of Chapter 90 authorizations, evident by language included in previous bond legislation that requires an April 1 release. By releasing funding by April 1 each year, you help stretch these dollars, maximize local construction seasons, and facilitate local officials’ efforts to plan projects in advance.

The state Transportation Finance Commission has projected a funding gap of $15 billion to $19 billion over the next 20 years just for maintenance of our current transportation infrastructure, not including sorely needed improvements and expansions. As part of that projection, the commission estimates a $1 billion Chapter 90 spending shortfall if needs are not met. According to MMA research, the actual annual Chapter 90 need is more than $300 million.

The MMA strongly opposes language earmarking any portion of Chapter 90 funds for Complete Streets, and appreciates the fact that this flawed provision has been eliminated from earlier versions of the bill. Earmarking Chapter 90 funds is unprecedented and would reduce the total amount of funds available to many communities. For most cities and towns, Chapter 90 is the only source of funds available to repair roadways. Earmarking and limiting these dollars for any particular use would clearly interfere with local planning and prohibit communities from making full, efficient and effective use of the funds if other projects are higher in terms of immediate local need and priority.

Earmarking a portion of Chapter 90 for street and sidewalk lighting, bicycle storage, bicycle parking, bicycle routes, wide travel lanes or bike lanes, street trees, boulevard landscaping, street furniture, and drainage facilities would divert these funds from other projects such as basic road repaving and reconstruction, intersection improvements, core maintenance and safety steps, and other crucial needs. There are other funds that are available to assist with Complete Street development, and these funds should be accessed rather than creating a first-ever earmark to divert vital Chapter 90 dollars.

According to the Boston Globe, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ranks last in the nation among all states in requesting federal funds for bike lanes, rail-trails, and other similar improvements, and the state has failed to use more than $80 million in federal dollars set aside for such enhancements, drawing on only 37 percent of the grants available. The Commonwealth needs to do a better job of allocating the federal funding that is already available and should not mandate that communities spend a proportion of their Chapter 90 funding for this purpose.

We deeply appreciate your commitment to local transportation priorities, notably Chapter 90, in order to ensure safe and passable infrastructure and to generate high-paying jobs. We look forward to working with you and your colleagues on a strong multi-year Chapter 90 bill later this year that sets an annual target at the full $300 million level, which is the amount necessary to enable cities and towns to adequately fund their long-term infrastructure maintenance needs. In the meantime, H. 3324 is urgently needed to ensure a timely increase and authorization for fiscal 2012.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey C. Beckwith
Executive Director, MMA