Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
A program recently launched by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation seeks to help municipal officials jump-start infrastructure projects, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
On July 17, MassDOT’s Office of Transportation Planning announced the launch of the Local Early and Actionable Planning Program to provide planning and early-stage design assistance to towns and cities. The LEAP program is open to all municipalities, but will prioritize requests from rural and economically disadvantaged communities.
Funding for the new program, totaling $1 million, is included in Gov. Maura Healey’s Capital Investment Plan this year, and will be funded as part of MassDOT’s capital budget for fiscal 2026. In particular, state officials said they want to help support rural and underserved communities, which often face significant barriers when it comes to initiating transportation projects due to limited funding and staffing.
“Our goal is to empower community leaders with the tools and support they need to bring priority projects to life,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt in a statement. “Through the LEAP Program, we’re helping local governments take that critical first step — positioning them to secure the resources needed to advance transportation projects that make streets safer, more connected, and more accessible for everyone, whether they’re walking, biking, riding transit, or driving.”
The LEAP Program is structured to allow municipal staff to request the support they need for early-stage planning and design activities, including, but not limited to:
• Conceptual design and alternatives analyses, such as hydraulic and geotechnical analyses
• Safe Streets network strategy
• Design and engineering for smaller-scale projects, such as Complete Streets Program projects
• Federal grant application development
• Safety analysis, such as conduct crash pattern evaluations
• Traffic analysis, including the collection of traffic volume data
• Speed studies
• Cost estimation
• Visual and mapping support
MassDOT estimates that approved municipalities will receive between $25,000 and $100,000 per project.
Municipal leaders can request support through an online form. The priority deadline for the program is Sept. 30, though the state will continue to accept requests on a rolling basis and may approve them depending on available resources. For requests submitted by Sept. 30, the initial approval notifications are expected on Nov. 14, and any approved requests submitted after the deadline will likely receive notifications on a quarterly basis.
To help local officials and stakeholders learn more about the LEAP program and application process, MassDOT staff will be presenting at a series of public meetings across the Commonwealth through September, and details will be posted, when available, on the MassDOT Municipal Planning and Support website.
Municipal officials can also learn more about the program by reading the LEAP Guidance Document, or by emailing Derek Krevat, manager of municipal planning and support at [email protected].