If you’ve heard a lot about the federal government’s new two-year transportation funding program but aren’t sure what it means for Massachusetts, Transportation for America is here to translate this significant bill into Bay State terms.
T4A Director James Corless visited the State House today to outline what the $105 billion re-authorization bill means for our state’s projects. The bill, signed by President Obama in July, is estimated to bring half a billion dollars to Massachusetts in 2013 and 2014, according to State House News Service.
At the briefing, which was hosted by Senator Thomas McGee (D-Lynn) and Transportation for Massachusetts, MAPC’s Executive Director Marc Draisen said the state shouldn’t keep from planning “ambitious transit projects” because of the slow economy or scarce revenue.
“You plan them now. You fight for the resources,” Draisen told State House News, citing the significant transit expansion projects underway right now in Los Angeles, Baltimore and New York City.
Corless told the group there’s currently a “crisis” in the transportation world, with national investments scheduled to stay the same under this bill, which is funded by gas tax revenues that dwindle as fuel efficiency standards grow.
“Whoever wins your U.S. Senate race in November is going to be very important to the future of the federal transportation program,” Corless told the briefing room.