Gov. Patrick files transportation bond bill, includes money for rail

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Gov. Patrick tours MBTA Wellington Orange Line Repair Facility in Medford with MassDOT Secretary Richard Davey and local elected officials to highlight how investing in transportation is necessary to create growth and opportunity.
Office of Gov. Patrick

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick filed a transportation bond bill to authorize and fund the administration's 21st Century Transportation Plan "The Way Forward," a10-year plan to modernize and maintain the comonwealth's transportation system.

The bill would invests $13.7 billion throughout 10 years to address a backlog of deferred maintenance and improve the comonwealth’s transportation system to reduce congestion on roads, curb delays and minimize crowding on trains and buses and improve customer service.

In addition, this bill would continue funding current investments identified in the statewide road and bridge program identified in the Fiscal Year 2013-2017 Capital Investment Plan. In total, the bill authorizes $19 billion of capital investment in the commonwealth’s transportation system.

“These investments will create the jobs and opportunity today that will build a stronger commonwealth for tomorrow,” said Gov. Patrick. “A modern, safe, equitable 21st Century transportation system is what our citizens want and our commonwealth needs to unlock economic growth in every region of the commonwealth.”

The transportation bond bill, to be funded by existing revenues and additional revenues through passage of tax reform, includes $4.4 billion for regional rail projects identified in the Transportation Plan, including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line expansion, South Coast Rail and South Station expansion and $3.3 billion to modernize MBTA subway and bus systems.

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