Governor signs bill with $50M for small bridges

On Aug. 10, Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law an $800 million transportation bond bill that includes a five-year, $50 million authorization for a new municipal small bridge program.
 
The House and Senate had approved the bill on July 31, the last day of the formal legislative session.
 
The new small bridge program addresses bridges with spans of 10 to 20 feet for which cities and towns are responsible. The program will provide much-needed funding for the design, construction, preservation, reconstruction and repair of non-federally aided bridges.
 
The program allows for a maximum reimbursement of $500,000 per year per municipality. Projects will be chosen based on a number of criteria, including a municipality’s financial need and the structural condition of the bridge.
 
There are approximately 1,300 municipal bridges across the state with spans between 10 and 20 feet.
 
The bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to develop a plan for project selection that takes into account need-based criteria and geographic distribution, to be filed with the Joint Committee on Transportation by Sept. 1.
 
Gov. Baker vetoed a section of the bill that would have required that not more than 20 percent of small bridge funds be distributed to projects in one highway district.
 
The bond bill also makes several changes to the “complete streets” program, which encourages cities and towns to redesign and modernize streets to accommodate all types of users. The changes reduce some of the requirements for municipalities to participate in the program. So far, more than 200 communities have participated in complete streets training to learn more about the initiative.
 
The bill includes a $750 million authorization for the federal aid highway program.
 
Gov. Baker vetoed a provision that would have directed MassDOT to submit an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation for funding in federal fiscal 2017 for the Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives Program. The funding would have been used for a vehicle-miles-traveled pilot program for up to 500 volunteer participants.