Massachusetts Transportation Committee Hears $5.5 Billion Road and Transit Bond Bill

BOSTON — March 3, 2026 — Massachusetts lawmakers heard testimony Monday on a $5.5 billion transportation bond bill that would guarantee $300 million per year in Chapter 90 municipal road funding for four years. Interim Secretary of Transportation Phil Eng, Under Secretary Jonathan Gulliver, and Undersecretary for Administration and Finance Jennifer Sullivan testified in support of House Bill 4987 before the Joint Committee on Transportation, co-chaired by Senator Brendan P. Crighton and Representative James Arciero. The bill also authorizes $200 million for housing-linked transportation projects, $200 million for MBTA rail modernization, and $200 million for DCR parkway infrastructure, for a total package Sullivan described as backed by Commonwealth Transportation Fund revenues insulated from general budget pressures. Representative David Paul Linsky challenged whether the state could sustain a four-year commitment given a November ballot question that would cut income tax revenue by 20 percent and ongoing federal funding volatility. Municipal officials from Sherburne, Conway, and Yarmouth testified that the predictable funding stream is critical, with Conway town administrator Veronique Blanchard noting her town can currently pave only one mile of road per year from a 40-mile paved network at prior funding levels.