Yesterday, the administration released an additional $100 million of Chapter 90 funding to the cities and towns of the Commonwealth. The house and senate authorized $300 million of Chapter 90 funding in last year’s transportation bond bill. The Patrick administration indicated at the time that revenue was insufficient to support $300 million in borrowing and released $200 million.
Chapter 90 funds are appropriated to all cities and towns determined by a formula based on total population, road miles and the number of jobs in a community. The updated Chapter 90 FY2015 totals for the 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex communities are as follows:
Belmont: $799,518
Boston: $21,658,604
Watertown: $1,106,206
Below are the Chapter 90 funding totals over the last 10 years:
2006 – $175 million
2007 – $120 million
2008 – $150 million
2009 – $150 million
2010 – $150 million
2011 – $155 million
2012 – $200 million
2013 – $200 million
2014 – $200 million
2015 – $300 million
Andrew Bettinelli
Legislative Aide
Office of State Senator William N. Brownsberger
The Ch. 90 funding law needs fixing. Fore example, Cambridge should have some of its ch. 90 money directed to the MBTA because their zoning (parking) laws and other policies are anti-car, resulting in more burden on the MBTA serving it.
Interesting thing: As I understand it, this is an administratively developed formula, that the legislature has never actually approved. Revising local aid formulae is such a nightmare politically, that no one has been eager to tamper with it for many years. My recollection is that it was first used in the 90s, but that may be incorrect.