Now is the time for Massachusetts’ municipalities to turn their attention to preparing for Chapter 90 allocations for capital improvements on local public roadways.
As the governor and state entities signal how much and where funding will be allocated. It’s no secret that any increase in funding from the state will also increase the competition municipalities face for contractors and products. This means the time to get ready is now.
While it’s still early to know the exact composition of Chapter 90, knowing what Chapter 90 can be used for, and your community’s needs will enable you to act quickly.
Governor Healey plans to file a multi-year transportation bond bill to raise the Chapter 90 program funding to $300 million annually for five years. This $100 million annual increase marks a historic high, representing a 50% boost to support roads, bridges and infrastructure repairs. This comes on the heels of the Massachusetts Transportation Task Force’s 118-page final report.
The report highlighted necessary bridge repair, pavement repair, culvert, and small bridge strategies to build resilience during violent weather occurrences, and funding to solve the MBTA and RTA operating deficits.
Even if the Massachusetts legislature does not approve all proposed Chapter 90 funding, municipalities can likely expect an increase compared to last year. This means cities and towns across the Commonwealth will be competing for the same products and contractors to carry out projects. Shortages are likely to drive costs higher. Therefore, it is important to start planning now.
The amount of annual funding a municipality receives is based on local road mileage (58.33%), population (20.83%) and employment (20.83%). Chapter 90 dollars can be spent on numerous items like:
Bike lanes, drainage upgrades, lighting, landscaping, sidewalks, signage, shared pathways, traffic signals, mill and overlay and full reclamation of streets.
With this opportunity approaching it’s important to ask – When is the last time your community had a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) Survey done? And does your capital plan need any updates?
Having the planning documents ready, along with indicators of need, is crucial for acquiring funding. You may even be able to incorporate additional street projects this year if you are prepared ahead of time.
Capital Strategic Solutions assists our clients with capital improvement planning and obtaining grant funding each year by crafting compelling applications and identifying ways to scale effective programs. We offer a full variety of grant writing, management and technical assistance services customized to the needs of our clients. Our team is skilled at overseeing the entire grant lifecycle process, from proposal to closing, including pre-award management, approval process, tracking payments, reviewing budgets, producing relevant reports and post-award contract compliance.
For more information, email us at [email protected].