Transportation + Infrastructure Archives

Third Plymouth District to Receive Transportation Funding in House Bill

(BOSTON) - Chapter 90 funding is crucial to the transportation infrastructure relied on by Cohasset, Hingham, Hull, and communities across the South Shore and Commonwealth. This past week, the House of Representatives authorized $4.58 billion in bonding for an expanded Chapter 90 Program and transportation programs to address regional needs, as well as the impacts of climate change on local infrastructure. Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset will receive significant funding through the bill. Similar to last year, the bill includes a one-year authorization of $300 million for the Chapter 90 Program. Within the $4.58 billion is the reauthorization of $3.18 billion in funding for several popular and well utilized programs included in the 2022 transportation bond bill, such as the Municipal Pavement Program and Shared Streets. The bill also provides $1.1 billion in funding for several important programs to better prepare the Commonwealth to achieve its long-term transportation goals. The one-year authorization . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2026-04-24T12:17:12-04:00April 20th, 2026|Legislation, Transportation + Infrastructure|

Meschino Bills Advance on Beacon Hill

(BOSTON) - December is a busier time than usual this year on Beacon Hill. Under the new Joint Rules governing the House and Senate, early December marked the deadline for committees to decide the fate of many of the nearly 7,000 bills filed during the 194th legislative session. Legislators are finding out which of their bills received a “favorable report” and have a chance at becoming law, and which were “sent to study,” ostensibly meaning they will not cross the finish line this legislative session. Needless to say, it is a high-stakes time on Beacon Hill. “It has been heartening to see some of the important legislation I have put forward around child welfare, veteran services, and local initiatives gain momentum,” said State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull). “This is the time of the year where you find out what has legs.” Home Rule (Local) Petitions When addressing specific municipal-level issues, members . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2025-12-16T15:16:43-05:00December 8th, 2025|Budget and Grants, District Events, Energy + Environment, Housing, Legislation, Public Health, Seniors + Veterans, Transportation + Infrastructure|

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|