Ways and Means Hears $1.8 Billion Transportation Plan, Presses Rail and Energy Costs

BOSTON — March 10, 2026 — Massachusetts lawmakers grilled transportation and energy officials for more than six hours at UMass Amherst on the Healey administration's fiscal year 2027 budget. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means, co-chaired by Senator Joanne M. Comerford and Representative Lindsay N. Sabadosa, heard testimony from MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, whose agency presented a $1.8 billion combined transportation package spanning a $1.3 billion House 2 operating budget, a $784.7 million fair share supplemental, and a four-year $1.2 billion Chapter 90 authorization. A $100 million lane-miles-only addition to Chapter 90 is delivering a 61 percent average funding increase to rural communities. Eng reported that commuter rail ridership has recovered to 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, leading the nation, and that the MBTA completed 99 percent of its FTA corrective action plan responses. The Sagamore Bridge replacement, backed by more than $1.2 billion in federal funds, is set to launch its procurement process this month. On energy, EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper faced sharp questions from Senator Kelly A. Dooner and Representative Todd M. Smola about the pace of ratepayer relief, with Tepper pointing to an energy affordability bill awaiting Senate action and noting that a new state-run procurement structure would cut a 2.25 percent utility return directly from customer bills.