Mass. could get more than $12.5 billion from US infrastructure bill
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Massachusetts might receive more than $12.5 billion toward its roads, bridges, water systems and other infrastructure needs now that President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday.
A breakdown provided by U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan's office estimates Massachusetts would receive at least $12.58 billion from the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. The Senate passed the bill in August and Biden is expected to sign it soon.
Over the next five years, funding formulas would steer at least $4.2 billion to Massachusetts for road improvements, $1.1 billion for bridge replacements and repairs, and $1.1 billion to improve water infrastructure, according to Trahan's office.
The infrastructure bill would direct no less than $2.5 billion to Massachusetts to modernize public transportation systems and make them more accessible. That money could go toward repairing and upgrading bus and rail fleets, replacing bus fleets with zero-emission vehicles, and retraining operators for modern vehicles.
It wasn't clear from the summary if the MBTA could use the money to make up for decreases in fare revenue stemming from the pandemic.
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Massachusetts is also poised to get at least $3.5 billion to help weatherize homes and buildings in the face of threats from climate change, which Trahan said would reduce energy costs for families; $100 million to provide statewide broadband coverage; $63 million to expand electric vehicle charging networks; $15.7 million to prevent cyberattacks; and $5.8 million to protect against wildfires.
The Bay State's total haul could be padded even further by grants. Massachusetts or individual communities could apply for competitive grants addressing issues such as combined sewage overflows and electric vehicle charging.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: State could net $12.5billion if infrastructure bill passes
