Transportation Committee releases revised, 1-year Ch. 90 bill

The Joint Committee on Transportation yesterday released a new version of the annual Chapter 90 bond bill that would reduce the authorization to one year and add authorizations for $150 million in transportation-related grant programs.

The new bill (H. 3546) would maintain funding for the Chapter 90 local road and bridge program at $200 million while adding $25 million for each of the following existing multi-year grant authorizations:
• Municipal Pavement program
• Small Bridge program
• Complete Streets
• Municipal Bus Enhancement program
• Mass Transit Access grant program
• Municipal/RTA Electric Vehicle grant program

Gov. Maura Healey’s Chapter 90 bill called for a two-year authorization totalling $400 million. The MMA has long advocated for a multi-year bill as well as an increase in the overall authorization.

At a Transportation Committee hearing on March 7, the MMA was joined by a number of municipal officials in testifying in support of the governor’s proposed two-year Chapter 90 authorization, while requesting an increase to at least $330 million per year, indexed to inflation.

Through in-person and written testimony, the MMA emphasized that the program has been generally level funded for the past 11 years, and the program has lost two-thirds of its purchasing power due to inflation. According to the MMA’s most recent biennial Chapter 90 survey, communities need an estimated $715 million to address road and bridge repairs in fiscal 2024 alone.

The Chapter 90 road and bridge program was launched 50 years ago to help municipalities maintain local roads and bridges. Cities and towns are provided an annual reimbursement allotment based on a formula that accounts for local road miles, employment and population.

The revised bill (H. 3546) was referred to the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets.

MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith said legislators are moving the bill quickly in recognition of the need to allow communities to make full use of the construction season, which begins in earnest in April.

“Ideally, Chapter 90 will return to multi-year authorizations at some point soon so that the Legislature doesn’t have to act on this issue every year,” he added. “Cities and towns look forward to continued engagement with their partners in the Legislature on increases in Chapter 90 funding to make up for rising construction costs and high inflation.”