Massachusetts H 4987: An Act financing long-term improvements to municipal roads and bridges

Bill Text

1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5589 FILED ON: 1/23/2026
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No.

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
STATE HOUSE · BOSTON, MA 02133
(617) 725-4000

MAURA T. HEALEY
GOVERNOR
KIMBERLEY DRISCOLL
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

January 23, 2026

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives,

I am filing for your consideration a bill entitled “An Act Financing Long-Term
Improvements to Municipal Roads and Bridges.” As part of our administration’s plan to partner
effectively with local government and to invest in long-term improvements to our state’s
transportation infrastructure, this bill authorizes the Commonwealth to borrow $1.2 billion to
fund improvements to municipally-owned roads and bridges through the Chapter 90 program
over the next four years.
The Chapter 90 local roadways program has provided vital funding for all 351 cities and
towns for over 50 years. However, when my Administration took office, state support for
Chapter 90 had stagnated. That is why, starting last year and again this year, I am recommending
an enhanced Chapter 90 program with additional funds to help cities and towns face challenges
in infrastructure funding, including inflation, rising construction costs, accessibility needs of
their residents, and the impacts of storms and climate change. These added state resources have
enabled our municipal partners to improve pavement quality, repair roads, build sidewalks, and
more. My Administration has added $100 million of annual funding for Chapter 90, allocated on
the basis of lane miles, which increases resources available to every city and town in the state,
especially rural and small communities.
Through this legislation, my Administration is also supplementing the capital funding for
MassDOT’s Bridge and Pavement Lifecycle Asset Management Programs (LAMP) and Rail
Reliability Program (RRP), which will contribute to improved conditions of bridges and
pavement across the state and advance state of good repair for MBTA vehicles and locomotives.
These expanded Chapter 90, LAMP and RRP programs are all made possible by leveraging Fair
Share surtax revenues that are dedicated to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund (CTF),

2 of 5
which unlocks capital for an historic $8 billion comprehensive transportation investment plan
over the next 10 years. This strategy of optimizing Fair Share resources to expand the CTF credit
is a cornerstone of this Administration’s approach, using innovative financing tools to accelerate
capital projects and put construction crews to work on needed infrastructure across the state.
This year, we are building on the Administration’s comprehensive transportation
infrastructure investment strategy to accelerate deferred maintenance by establishing a new $200
million Parkway Resilience Improvement and Safety Modernization (PRISM) investment
program to stabilize and enhance another segment of critical transportation infrastructure in
Massachusetts. The Department of Conservation and Recreation within the Executive Office of
Energy and Environmental Affairs is the steward of over 100 lane miles spanning 30
communities, including roads, bridges, culverts, bicycle paths and pedestrian paths that serve as
important multi-modal transportation corridors for their users. DCR’s transportation assets have
a dual role: they provide access to recreation and enjoyment for Massachusetts residents and
visitors, while many also serve as major arterials for people on their way to jobs, business
opportunities, health care, homes and families. Many DCR roads and bridges have significant
deferred maintenance needs, are vulnerable to climate change, and in need of upgrades to
improve safety and ease congestion. Highlighting collaboration between MassDOT and DCR,
PRISM will provide much needed funding to invest in better infrastructure, ease congestion,
improve resilience, and modernize the extensive transportation infrastructure in the DCR system.
For users, this will provide an opportunity to connect a world class multi-modal network across
the state, resulting in better reliability, safety, resilience, and upgraded asset conditions that the
public expects and deserves. These investments are consistent with the recommendations of the
Transportation Funding Task Force to evaluate critical aspects of the state’s core transportation
infrastructure which are in poor condition, vulnerable to climate change, and in need of repair
and modernization.
Through this legislation, we will also deploy $200 million for transportation
improvements that directly support new housing development. The Transportation Funding Task
Force called on the Commonwealth to enhance transportation infrastructure that supports
connections to housing, economic opportunities, and workforce mobility, to ensure that
Massachusetts communities and our state economy continue to grow and thrive. Massachusetts is
experiencing a housing shortage, and my Administration is pursuing a ‘whol