Governor Maura Healey (D) recently kicked off an effort to reform the Chapter 90 roadways program to substantially increase funding for municipal roads and bridges across Massachusetts.
[Above photo by MassDOT]
The governor said in a statement that the newly-filed Municipal Empowerment Act 2.0 authorizes the state to borrow $1.5 billion over the next five years to improve local transportation networks.
Working in tandem with her administration’s recently filed Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal – known as “House 1” – this new bill proposes using voter-approved “Fair Share” surtax revenues to generate roughly an additional $300 million in annual Chapter 90 funds; a 50 percent increase over the traditional $200 million Chapter 90 typically produces.
The governor added that her “House 1” budget also recommends $9.2 billion in local aid, which is a $480 million or 6 percent increase over the state’s FY 2025 budget.
“We know that municipalities rely on the Chapter 90 program to fund critical improvements to their roads and bridges,” Gov. Healey noted.
“Under [this] bill, and with this new, mileage-based formula, every single city and town – including small towns and rural communities – will see a significant increase in Chapter 90 funding,” she explained. “This means that local officials can put these dollars to work easing congestion, strengthening resilience, and improving safety and quality of life for all of their residents.”
Monica Tibbits-Nutt, secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, added that “stabilizing, enhancing, and transforming” the state’s transportation system means “having an allegiance with city and town officials to give them the most resources possible to improve local infrastructure.”
That’s why governor is “requesting an increase in annual support for municipal infrastructure by 50 percent through the Chapter 90 program to help make the state’s transportation system seamless so everyone can get around safer and easier whether people are traveling on foot, by bike, by public transportation, or by automobile,” Tibbits-Nutt pointed out.
MassDOT noted that the state’s Chapter 90 program provides municipalities with annual funding for capital improvements on local public ways—improving pavement quality, building sidewalks, restoring bridges, and financing bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Under the program, Massachusetts municipalities are allocated a portion of total program dollars, which allows them to evaluate their unique transportation needs and goals and distribute funding dollars accordingly.
In addition to expanding capital capacity to grow Chapter 90 funding, the administration’s bill updates the program’s formula to ensure that every community in Massachusetts receives a significant increase in local road support, with enhanced support for small and rural communities.
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