Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Chapter 90 bond bill for fiscal 2023 that the House passed on March 31 has been sent to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, where it awaits review.
The House bill includes $200 million for the Chapter 90 program to maintain local roads and bridges, along with $150 million for other municipal infrastructure grant programs.
The additional grant funding includes:
• $30 million for the Municipal Small Bridge Program
• $30 million for Complete Streets
• $40 million for design, construction, repair and improvements on non-federally aided roads and bridges, including state routes and municipal roads
• $25 million to improve bus stops and stations
• $25 million for mass transit and commuter rail stations and parking lots, and related enhancements
Base Chapter 90 funding has been level-funded at $200 million since fiscal 2012. Adjusting for inflation, the MMA calculates a 42.6% decrease in purchasing power over the past 11 years, from $200 million to $117 million. The MMA’s testimony to House members on March 30 includes a comprehensive analysis of the declining value of Chapter 90 funding.
During the House debate, Rep. William Straus, House chair of the Transportation Committee, indicated he is hesitant to increase Chapter 90 funding without a review of the formula, which some say favors more populated municipalities by calculating allotments based on population and employment as well as road miles.
The MMA and local officials continue to advocate for a $100 million-a-year increase in the Chapter 90 reimbursement program to maintain 30,000 miles of local roads and bridges in a state of good repair. The MMA also seeks a multiyear bill to help municipalities better plan their road projects, with future year increases tied to the rate of inflation.
The MMA’s recently updated biennial statewide survey shows that cities and towns need $600 million in Chapter 90 funding to adequately fund municipal road and bridge projects.
“With a tightly capped property tax,” the MMA wrote to House members, “communities do not have the resources to close this massive $400 million gap.”