Transportation + Infrastructure Archives

Massachusetts House of Representatives Passes $4.2 Billion Economic Development Bill

(BOSTON) - This week, Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to pass an economic development bill, which utilizes American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) surplus funds, and bonds to make significant investments across several vital sectors of the economy, and to give back to low and middle-income residents in Massachusetts by providing one-time rebates and significant tax relief beginning in 2023. Funded at $4.2 billion, the legislation addresses disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic through one-time investments in health and human services, the environment and climate mitigation, economic development, housing, and food insecurity. Earlier this session, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill appropriating $4 billion in ARPA and FY21 surplus funds. Just over $1 billion remains in ARPA funds, which must be allocated by 2024 and spent by 2026. “The targeted investments and tax relief included in this legislation will . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2022-07-15T13:00:49-04:00July 15th, 2022|Budget and Grants, Other Topics, Transportation + Infrastructure|

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren Visits Hull to Discuss Climate Change, See Pump Station

(BOSTON) - This week, State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and local officials for a roundtable discussion focusing primarily on the impacts of climate change in Hull. The roundtable discussion was attended by State Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth); Phil Lemnios, Town Manager; Jen Constable, Chair of the Board of Selectmen; John Reilly, Member of the Board of Selectmen; Nathaniel Peyton, Chair of the Planning Board; Paul Paquin, Chair of the Conservation Commission; Chris Krahforst, Conservation Administrator; Brian Kiley, Assistant of Wastewater Operations; Judy Kuehn, Superintendent of Schools; and Mike McGurl, Executive Director of the Hull Lifesaving Museum. Though updates on programming at the Lifesaving Museum and in Hull’s schools were shared by Mike McGurl and Judy Kuehn, most of the conversation centered around climate change. The town’s efforts to repair seawalls, prepare for and mitigate storm damage, and manage increasingly interconnected water and sewer . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2022-04-22T14:15:36-04:00April 22nd, 2022|Energy + Environment, Transportation + Infrastructure|

House of Representatives Passes Legislation Funding Key Local Transportation Maintenance and Repairs

(BOSTON) - Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues in a vote to pass a $350 million spending bill that adds $200 million to the Chapter 90 program to fund local road and bridge repairs and calls for an additional $150 million to be spent on other municipal transportation efforts. The Chapter 90 Program grants municipalities annual funding to improve and invest in local transportation networks. The $200 million allocation in the legislation will be added to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund and subsequently distributed to each municipality. The bill’s additional $150 million investment for municipal transportation projects includes $40 million for repairing non-federally aided roads and bridges, $30 million for the Municipal Small Bridge Program, $30 million for the Complete Streets Program, $25 million for municipal grants to increase access to mass transit and commuter rail stations, and $25 million for municipal grants to enhance bus transit. “Ensuring . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2022-04-01T17:05:24-04:00April 1st, 2022|Transportation + Infrastructure|

Following Joint Rule 10 Deadline, Representative Meschino’s Bills Receive Favorable Reports and Extensions

(BOSTON) - State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) will continue to pursue a robust legislative agenda following her successes after the recent Joint Rule 10 deadline, in which most Joint Committees must issue their recommendations for the next steps of bills under their review. Four bills filed by Representative Meschino received favorable reports and will continue to move forward in the legislative process. Highlighting these successes is the Joint Committee on Housing’s favorable report of H.3838, An Act to create and implement a Massachusetts Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool Program to address the medically complex needs of disabled men, women, and children experiencing homelessness. This legislation will braid public and private funding to meet the needs of homeless individuals, families, and unaccompanied youth across the continuum of care. Two of Representative Meschino’s bills before the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities also received favorable reports. An Act to provide notice to counsel of changes in . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2022-02-15T14:30:51-05:00February 15th, 2022|Energy + Environment, Housing, Transportation + Infrastructure|

Massachusetts House of Representatives Passes ARPA Spending Bill

(BOSTON) - At the end of October, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation, An Act relative to immediate COVID-19 recovery needs (H.4219,) that allocates federal funding granted to the Commonwealth for COVID-19 relief from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and surplus tax dollars from fiscal year 2021. Funded at $3.82 billion, the bill aims to close gaps exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging recovery through one-time investments in housing, environment and climate mitigation, economic development, workforce, health and human services, and education. After the original $3.65 billion bill was released, more than 1,100 amendments were filed by legislators, and ultimately four consolidated amendments were added to the legislation. The House bill includes $500 million to replenish the Unemployment Trust Fund which will offset businesses’ contributions for unemployment programs. The bill also includes $200 million worth of tax relief for small businesses that paid personal income taxes on . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2021-11-10T17:46:13-05:00November 10th, 2021|Budget and Grants, Energy + Environment, Public Health, Seniors + Veterans, Transportation + Infrastructure|

Advocacy of Federal and State Legislators and Town Officials Results in Scituate Station’s Preservation

(BOSTON) - Today State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined members of the federal delegation, Massachusetts State Senators and Representatives, and town officials in celebrating the U.S. Coast Guard’s decision to preserve its seasonal station in Scituate. Since June 9, when the U.S. Coast Guard announced its intention to shutter the Scituate station as part of a broader effort to consolidate four “redundant” stations across the United States, federal and state legislators alongside town officials have advocated for the station’s preservation using a variety of tactics. On August 31, legislators and officials rallied to save the station, highlighting the many benefits offered by the station and the drawbacks its closure could cause. Shortly after, members of the South Shore Legislative Delegation sent a letter outlining concerns related to the station’s closure to the Commander of the First Coast Guard District, Rear Admiral Thomas G. Allan, Jr. Following an extended period . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2021-10-04T16:10:45-04:00October 4th, 2021|Transportation + Infrastructure|

Legislature Approves Supplementary Budget, Including Language from Representative Joan Meschino’s Transportation Governance Bill

(BOSTON) – Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues in the House and Senate in a vote to approve the final conference committee report on the FY21 Supplemental Budget: H.3973, An Act making appropriations for fiscal year 2021 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations and for certain other activities and projects. In addition to certain budget appropriations, the conference committee report revives the pandemic state of emergency measures for both mail-in voting and early voting in person through December 15, 2021. The conference committee report also includes language from a bill filed by Representative Meschino in the House (H.3542) and Senator Joseph Boncore (D-Winthrop) in the Senate (S.2266) related to transportation governance. For the past six years, the Fiscal Management Control Board (FMCB) has worked to address a host of operational challenges plaguing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The FMCB has elevated the management and operations of . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2021-07-26T16:57:22-04:00July 26th, 2021|Budget and Grants, Transportation + Infrastructure|

Representative Meschino and Senator O’Connor Encourage Residents, Towns to Advocate for Ferry and Commuter Rail Services

(BOSTON) - Facing the potential elimination of ferry services and major cuts to the Greenbush line, State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) and State Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) are working closely with the towns of Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset to oppose eliminating ferry service and to oppose draconian cuts to the commuter rail. Representative Meschino and Senator O’Connor encourage district residents to speak up and advocate for continued public transit services. Already, there has been an outpouring of support for continued ferry and commuter rail service, in the wake of Monday’s Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) meeting, during which MBTA leaders outlined likely service cuts to address the budget deficit, including eliminating the Hingham/Hull ferry. A slide from the October 5th FMCB meeting showing the Hingham/Hull ferry as a likely candidate to be eliminated. Image credits: MBTA “Forging Ahead Updates: Scenario and Service Planning” presentation by Anna Gartsman, Kat . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2020-10-13T11:38:27-04:00October 13th, 2020|Transportation + Infrastructure|

Cohasset Awarded $330,000 in Grant Funding for Updates to Government Island Wharf & Parker Ave. Boat Ramp

BOSTON, MA – Today, the Town of Cohasset was awarded two Seaport Economic Council (SEC) Grants, totaling $330,000, to advance projects updating the Government Island Wharf and the Parker Ave. Boat Ramp. The announcement comes after the SEC, chaired by Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, met to review and approve over $7.8 million in grants to coastal communities. Cohasset was awarded a $160,000 grant to support permitting and engineering services related to infrastructure upgrades to improve commercial fishing access to the government Island Wharf and increase economic growth in the community. The Town of Cohasset’s Municipal Harbor Plan details recommendations for improvements for the Government Island Wharf, including rebuilding the pier to include a conveyor system and hydraulic lift designed to ease the loading of commercial fishing equipment. The second grant award of $170,000 will be used to fund remaining permitting and engineering services related to the replacement of the Parker Avenue Boat Ramp to improve access for both commercial and public recreational boating, making the project “shovel-ready” when construction funds become available. . . . Read More

joanmeschino2020-09-09T12:00:59-04:00August 25th, 2020|Transportation + Infrastructure|

House Enacts Legislation to Fund Investments in Municipal Roads and Bridges

BOSTON - This week, Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) joined her colleagues in the House to enact a bill authorizing the Commonwealth to borrow $200 million for improvements to municipally-owned roads and bridges dispersed through Chapter 90 grants. These grants reach each of the Commonwealth’s towns and cities directly, continuing the strong tradition of partnership between the state and local communities. The Chapter 90 program entitles cities and towns to receive reimbursements on eligible municipal projects. The funds are designated for capital improvement projects- the construction, preservation, or improvement of roads and bridges. This legislation will help ensure that our municipal infrastructure can continue on its path to a state of good repair. “I’m proud to see the legislature continue to invest in important local infrastructure,” said Representative Meschino. “These funds are critical for every city and town across the Commonwealth.” The bill also authorized the continued oversight of the Massachusetts . . . Read More

joanmeschino2020-08-29T10:24:31-04:00July 2nd, 2020|Transportation + Infrastructure|