Norfolk & Plymouth district to receive $3,901,973

For Immediate Release: July 2, 2021

Contact: Peter Jasinski | peter.jasinski@masenate.gov

BOSTON (07/02/2021) — The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday passed legislation to invest $300 million in municipal transportation and infrastructure projects, including a nearly $4 million appropriation for the Norfolk and Plymouth district.

The bill, An Act Financing Improvements to Municipal Roads and Bridges, authorizes $200 million for municipal roads and bridges through the Chapter 90 program and an additional $100 million to support statewide projects to address congestion, support electric vehicle infrastructure, and improve public transit.

Of that $300 million total sum, $3,901,973 will go to fund projects in Sen. John F. Keenan’s district as follows:

  • Quincy, $1,895,699
  • Braintree, $968,106
  • Rockland, $399,364
  • Abington, $386,418
  • Holbrook, $252,386

“With infrastructure on everyone’s minds this summer, we now know the amount of money our municipalities have to spend on projects that can improve our local roads and make our trips safer,” said Senator John Keenan (D-Quincy). “This funding will help our communities strategically plan improvements to bridges and roadways, and ensure that projects are done in a timely manner.”

During floor debate on the amendments to the bill, Senator Keenan advocated for expanding the state’s Chapter 90 funding to $400 million, creating a multi-year appropriation that could make planning municipal infrastructure projects easier for communities throughout the Commonwealth. The amendment was not included in the final Senate bill.

“Expanding funding to cover more than just one year would have made the long-term planning of infrastructure updates much easier for our communities, especially when we are expecting increased financial infrastructure support from the federal government,” said Senator Keenan.

The bill also includes the following components:

  • $200 million in chapter 90 funding for cities and towns for projects to maintain, improve, and repair roadways, bridges, sidewalks, and bikeways.
  • $25 million for the Municipal Small Bridge Program to support replacement or preservation of structurally deficient local bridges critical to local communities and ineligible for existing federal aid programs.
  • $25 million for the Local Bottleneck Program to address localized traffic bottlenecks and invest in infrastructure to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow, and reduce idling and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • $25 million for Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure to support municipalities and regional transit authorities in their efforts to install EV infrastructure and purchase EVs and zero-emission vehicles.
  • $25 million for Transit-Supportive Infrastructure to create dedicated bus lanes, enhance bus stops and train stations, support passenger safety, upgrade technology and modernize infrastructure to meet demand and increase frequency of public transit services, and improve access to public transit.

The Senate version of the bill will be reconciled with a similar bill passed by the House of Representatives before going to the governor’s desk.