Massachusetts Is Building Momentum in Transportation
It may come as a surprise to hear, but we’ve recently turned some big corners in fixing some very real problems. Now we need a vision for the future.
It may come as a surprise to hear, but we’ve recently turned some big corners in fixing some very real problems. Now we need a vision for the future.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its draft capital investment plan for the next five years, which includes lots of money for the construction of a new Cape Cod bridge and almost no money for the $1.97 billion I-90 Allston highway project.
Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt had an unusual exchange with a MassDOT board member on Tuesday that raised questions about whether the Healey administration is serious about funding the $1.97 billion I-90 Allston project.
Using frank language rarely heard on Beacon Hill, Tibbits-Nutt weighed in on a series of major policy issues, from raising more money for transportation, to traffic enforcement and a major unresolved design question for the MBTA’s in-planning West Station.
A $335 million federal funding award clears a “major, major hurdle” for an infrastructure megaproject in Allston that will provide long-awaited access to the Charles River waterfront and push the state closer to a westward passenger rail expansion, a top state official said Wednesday.
A multi-billion-dollar effort to rebuild and straighten the Mass. Pike as it passes through Allston could help spur economic growth 35 miles away in Worcester, and that could give the state a leg up on its latest attempt at securing federal money for the project.
As many in the Boston area await an infrastructure project that would replace an I-90 viaduct through Allston and increase public transit access in the area, members of the MetroWest delegation warned on Wednesday that the project will need to be done with care to not disrupt commuters who live west of the city.
A new phase is beginning for President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package. States are in fierce competition for the largest grant awards that would support multi-billion-dollar projects.