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As U.S. House Democrats push to bring cornerstones of President Joe Biden’s domestic spending agenda forward for votes as soon as Friday, Massachusetts may be closer to receiving more than $12.5 billion toward its roads, bridges, water systems and other infrastructure needs.
A breakdown provided by Congresswoman Lori Trahan’s office estimates Massachusetts would receive at least $12.58 billion from the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which the Senate approved in August and may clear the House alongside a separate social spending package on Friday if House leaders succeed in their plans.
Over the next five years, funding formulas would steer at least $4.2 billion to Massachusetts for road improvements, $1.1 billion for bridge replacements and repairs, and $1.1 billion to improve water infrastructure by upgrading community water systems and replacing lead service lines, according to Trahan’s office.
The infrastructure bill would direct no less than $2.5 billion to Massachusetts to modernize public transportation systems and make them more accessible. That money could go toward repairing and upgrading bus and rail fleets, replacing bus fleets with zero-emission vehicles, and retraining operators for modern vehicles, though it wasn’t clear from the summary if agencies like the MBTA could use the funding to make up for decreases in fare revenue stemming from the pandemic.
Advocates have argued that the infrastructure funding should be used to help pay large portions of the bill for projects like the Interstate 90 Allston Interchange rebuild or begin electrifying the MBTA commuter rail system. Other big-ticket items that could draw funding: replacement of the two bridges on and off Cape Cod and a passenger rail connection between Boston and Springfield.
Massachusetts is also poised to get a minimum of $3.5 billion to help weatherize homes and buildings in the face of threats from climate change, which Trahan said would reduce energy costs for families, $100 million to provide statewide broadband coverage, $63 million to expand electric vehicle charging networks, $15.7 million to prevent cyberattacks, and $5.8 million to protect against wildfires.
The Bay State’s total haul could be padded even further by grant funding. On top of dollars that will flow via formula, Massachusetts or individual communities could apply for competitive grants addressing issues such as combined sewage overflows and additional electric vehicle charging.
After months of stalled deliberations and reductions to the packages Biden initially proposed, Democrats in the U.S. House are pushing to vote on both a social spending bill and the Senate-passed infrastructure bill Friday, according to reports from outlets such as the New York Times and CNN.
Correction: 11:26 a.m., Nov. 9, 2021: Due to incorrect information provided to the News Service, a story published on Friday overstated the amount of federal funding Massachusetts could expect for home and building weatherization under the infrastructure bill moving through Congress. Massachusetts will get a portion of a $3.5 billion pot available for weatherization, and Congresswoman Lori Trahan’s office anticipates the state will receive a minimum of $9.08 billion in total formula funding under the bill.
