Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
At a Sept. 26 forum in Fitchburg, a broad coalition of state and local leaders and transportation advocacy groups called for a more robust Chapter 90 local road and bridge program as well as a comprehensive statewide transportation improvement plan.
Transportation Secretary Richard Davey, the keynote speaker, touted the administration’s efforts to improve efficiency and control costs in the transportation system, but he said reforms alone are not enough to solve the “financial crisis” in transportation.
“Are you satisfied with the current transportation system we have today that we cannot afford?” he asked. “We know you need more Chapter 90 just to maintain what you currently have, and I need your help to fight for it.”
The event, sponsored by the MMA and the Massachusetts Highway Association and held during the New England Public Works Expo, was attended by hundreds of public works and municipal officials. It was part of a series of forums being held throughout the state organized by the MMA and other nonprofit organizations such as the MHA, the Department of Transportation, the Metro Mayors Coalition, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Transportation for Massachusetts, and various regional planning commissions.
Several mayors at the forum – Lisa Wong of Fitchburg, Mark Hawke of Gardner, Dean Mazzarella of Leominster and Joseph Curtatone of Somerville – highlighted the importance of the Chapter 90 program and pointed out that it is not keeping pace with the increasing costs of paving, labor and materials.
Local officials and the MMA have been advocating for a multi-year Chapter 90 program with a higher level of annual funding as part of a comprehensive transportation plan.
More transportation forums are being planned for locations including Braintree, Ashland, Cape Cod and the North Shore.
The Department of Transportation, meanwhile, has been holding a series of public information meetings.