Transportation spending
State transportation officials this month said it’s going to take about $3 billion in fiscal year 2016 to keep Massachusetts up to speed with repairs, maintenance and upgrades.
The spending proposal for the fiscal year, which begins July 1, combines capital investment plans (CIPs) for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). A CIP is separate from an operating budget, which covers such costs as salaries and buildings.
Many businesses and business organizations place a high value on investments in transportation infrastructure and public transit to help ease the daily flow of both goods and employees.
How will the $3 billion be divided?
Roughly $2 billion would go toward MassDOT projects, $1 billion for the MBTA.
What's in the MassDOT piece?
There are projects throughout the commonwealth. The list includes $10.8 million for ongoing work to widen the Burns Bridge over Lake Quinsigamond, and myriad smaller projects. Among those are reconstruction and improvements on the Route 12/20 overlap in Auburn and Oxford, work on the North Central Multiuse Pathway in Winchendon, and a bridge replacement over Monoosnoc Brook in Leominster.
With many projects having spent years in the lineup, there are few surprises in the state’s annual transportation budget. The vast majority of the MassDOT spending is for existing contracts and to maintain assets, the agency says
Highway and bridge work take up the lion’s share of the funding, but money would also be allocated for bus fleets, trains and smaller airports. The plan also includes $500,000 for electric-vehicle plug-in charging stations around the state.
What's in the MBTA budget?
The MBTA is the fifth-largest transit system in the U.S. — and perhaps the most maligned, after last winter exposed serious shortcomings in equipment and management.
In addition to funds for projects that have been in the works for a while, such as the Fitchburg commuter rail line extension, $83.7 million is designated for lesson-learned “winter resiliency” repairs and upgrades. For instance, $12.7 million will upgrade Red and Orange line tracks, including heaters for the third rails. The plan calls for $235 million for commuter rail operations, which includes track, signal and communication improvements on the Worcester and Fitchburg lines.
How can citizens help guide the decisions?
A public comment session will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 tonight (June 22) at the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission office inside Union Station (2 Washington Sq.), in Worcester.
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