Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has just dropped the mic on state support for local transportation, announcing a budget proposal that's like a multi-vitamin shot for all things municipal, including a massive boost for transportation projects across the Bay State. As reported by the Massachusetts government, the governor unveiled her plans at the MMA Connect 351 Annual Conference, detailing a four-year, $1.2 billion Chapter 90 authorization to give cities and towns a leg-up with $300 million per year.
Not stopping there – because, why would you when the Commonwealth's wheels and steel are concerned – Healey is throwing in a new program named FAIR, shorthand for Funding for Accelerated Infrastructure Repair. This initiative is designed to help towns shrink their to-do lists of bridges that are screaming for a fixer-upper. "We know that cities and towns are struggling with their budgets due to high costs and disruption from the Trump Administration," Governor Healey told the Massachusetts government. Her solution? "We’re continuing to deliver record levels of local aid," ensuring that the flow of construction, education, and critical services is more gushing river than trickling stream.
And because education is the silver bullet, Healey's FY27 budget isn't playing around. It earmarks north of $10.3 billion in local aid, a 4.4 percent hike that includes sweeteners like Chapter 70 payments and veterans’ benefits. Plus, the kicker is a 2.5 percent bump in Unrestricted General Government Aid, laying down the law with project non-surtax revenue growth. Schools, roads, bridges, infrastructure – Healey’s proposal swaps out the chump change for the serious cheddar.
But let's talk bridges – they're getting some prime TLC under FAIR, with MassDOT lining up to strengthen structures such as the Chickley River bridge in Hawley. “The Commonwealth’s transportation network is the fundamental link connecting us to work, school, family, and friends," stated Undersecretary and State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, according to the state's official website. With an acute focus on bridges in municipalities that might normally struggle without this support, the promise of reopened and safe bridges nods to both the enhancement of public security as well as the easing of mobility.
For those on Terra Firma, the Chapter 90 plan promises to map the terrain for the next four years, targeting transportation improvements and supporting long-term investment in municipal transport infrastructure. Throw in the dollars needed to polish up the MBTA’s Rail Reliability Program, and you've got the picture of an administration that's got the pedal to the metal on transit progress.
