House passes Ch. 90 bill; letters to go out

The House yesterday passed a $200 million bond bill to fund the Chapter 90 local road and bridge program for fiscal 2013.

At a meeting with the MMA’s Policy Committee on Public Works, Transportation and Public Utilities today, Transportation Secretary Richard Davey said the administration expects to send Chapter 90 authorization letters to communities tomorrow, while the bill awaits action in the Senate.

Davey added that the administration has written a terms bill, to enable the disbursement of Chapter 90 funds, and was ready to file it as soon as the Legislature enacts the Chapter 90 bill.

The Senate Bonding Committee has scheduled a hearing on the bill on April 5.

The bill would fund the program at the same level as this year.

The MMA and local officials have urged lawmakers to pass a bond bill quickly to ensure that cities and towns can be notified of their Chapter 90 authorization amounts by the statutory deadline of April 1 and take full advantage of the construction season.

Last year, the Legislature passed a transportation bond bill on time, but the administration did not file a “terms bill” until mid-June, delaying the actual disbursement of Chapter 90 funds until August.

At a March 14 hearing before the Joint Committee on Transportation, local officials reminded legislators that cities and towns are responsible for the maintenance of nearly 90 percent of all the roads in Massachusetts.

Danvers Assistant Town Manager Diane Norris, who chairs the MMA’s Policy Committee on Transportation and Public Works, said there is “clear documentation,” referring to a recent MMA statewide survey, that at least $300 million is required to support basic road and bridge needs.

While the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has garnered headlines for its $161 million deficit, she said, cities and towns are facing a $1.3 billion shortfall for transportation infrastructure.

“Almost as important as the money, and maybe more,” she said, “is the commitment to a long-term solution.”

Joining Norris at the hearing were MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong, and Massachusetts Highway Association Vice President Michael Valenti.

The Patrick administration had filed a $1.5 billion transportation bond bill with $200 million for Chapter 90 for fiscal 2013, but the Legislature spun off Chapter 90 in a separate bill.

Breaking with tradition, this would be the second straight year that the state would fund Chapter 90 with a one-year bill.

During a meeting of the Massachusetts Mayors’ Association in Newton yesterday, the governor said he would be receptive to a multi-year transportation bill with funding for Chapter 90.

Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan, a former House chair of the Transportation Committee when he served in the Legislature, said, “We would like to get that three-year-commitment – a billion-dollar program over three years. We could get some consistency and predictability.”

Patrick replied, “I’m open to that.”