2024-2028 Capital Investment Plan

•  Letter from Secretary Fiandaca 
•  Non-Discrimination Protections  
•  Glossary of Terms 
•  Executive Summary 
•  Document Overview 
•  Introduction 
•  Funding Sources 
•  Spending by Source 
•  Investment Priorities 
•  Municipal Programs 
•  Selected Major Investments 
•  Equity Analysis 
•  Public Engagement 
•  Appendices 

On behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), I am pleased to present this Capital Investment Plan (CIP or Plan) for Fiscal Years 2024–2028. This Plan for MassDOT reflects our commitment to a five-year capital plan investing in equitable, reliable, and safe transportation options for all residents across our Commonwealth.

Capital planning is centered around setting priorities for our system, developing programs to implement those priorities, and selecting projects that meet the goals of our programs.

The CIP is developed in alignment with the development of the five-year State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for Federal Fiscal Years 2024-2028 (FFY24-28). The STIP incorporates the federal funding levels and programs included in the federal surface transportation reauthorization legislation (the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL).  The CIP aligns with the STIP ^[1]  to maximize federal funding available to the Commonwealth, the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), and transit operators.

BIL provided approximately $1.8 billion in additional federal highway formula funding for the Commonwealth.

In addition, BIL also provides approximately $570 million in funding to support our transit network throughout the Commonwealth managed by the MBTA, our Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs), and MassDOT’s Rail and Transit Division. 

This Plan commits approximately $15.7 billion in programmed transportation spending for our roads, rails, shared use paths, airports, buses, and bridges over the next five years. Approximately 60% of the investments are focused on improving the reliability and resiliency of the existing core transportation system, with an additional 23% devoted to modernizing these systems to meet the demands of our citizens across the Commonwealth. These investments are crucial as we continue to prioritize our residents' transportation options for years and generations to come.

The Plan incorporates transportation funding from a number of different sources, including federal, state, system-generated revenues, and private contributions consistent with MassDOT’s asset management plans, our multi-modal planning efforts, and with our capital priorities. 

MassDOT is focused on safety, while improving reliability, accessibility, sustainability and resiliency, and the equity of our network. This plan also incorporates strategies and investments to align with the Commonwealth's goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ensure a more resilient future.

I look forward to continuing to work together toward these shared and important goals and thank our partners and the MassDOT organization for their dedication to our transportation system.

Gina Fiandaca Secretary of Transportation and Chief Executive Officer Massachusetts Department of Transportation

 _{[1] The STIP programs all Federal Highway and Federal Transit Administration funds available to the Commonwealth for Highway, MBTA and the RTAs.} 

One of MassDOT’s key roles is to develop and implement the Commonwealth’s transportation investment strategy—the Capital Investment Plan (CIP)—in coordination with the federal government, the state legislature, municipalities, regional planning agencies (RPAs), regional transit authorities (RTAs), other state agencies, and the public.

The proposed 2024–2028 Capital Investment Plan (CIP) for MassDOT is a budget and policy document. It is a financially constrained investment plan that programs state and federal funds to pay for all of our capital expenditures.

It funds the planning, construction, and capital maintenance of and improvements to the transportation system. It is a rolling five-year plan, updated annually.

The CIP funds all MassDOT’s transportation investments including roadways, bridges, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, transit investments, aeronautics, rail, and the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

The 2024-2028 CIP programs approximately $15.7 billion for over 1,700 different projects throughout the Commonwealth. Each of the projects has been selected to advance the goals and performance targets of our 63 different CIP investment programs. Appendix A to this document details the list of proposed investments over the five years and Appendix B provides a one-page description for each of the CIP investment programs.  It should be noted that the MBTA has published its own standalone CIP and the MassDOT CIP includes only the funding provided by the Commonwealth to support some of the MBTA’s major infrastructure projects including the Green Line Extension, South Coast Rail, and Red Line/Orange Line Infrastructure and Vehicle Replacement.

This CIP reflects the Administration’s priorities to fund investments that address the safety, sustainability, and resiliency of our transportation network, reduce our carbon footprint and ensure equity and access to transportation for all citizens of the Commonwealth. The majority (over 80%) of the proposed investments in the CIP are programmed under our Reliability and Modernization priorities with the goal of maintaining and improving our existing transportation infrastructure. The CIP does include targeted investments (7%) that expand diverse transportation options throughout the Commonwealth primarily through our Bicycle/Pedestrian and Shared Streets and Spaces programs.

Because the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) enacted in 2021 provided the Commonwealth with significant new federal funding sources, MassDOT has been able to increase our spending in particular to address the condition of bridges across the Commonwealth, primarily those in the National Highway System. With the sustained level of investment in bridges, the Commonwealth hopes to achieve our federal performance targets to ensure that the majority of the bridges achieve a state of good repair over the long term (within 10 years). In addition to the increased funding programmed for bridges, BIL also includes new federal funds that will help to reduce our carbon emissions (Carbon Reduction funds) and improve the sustainability and resiliency of our transportation network - Promoting Resilient Operations for a Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation Program (PROTECT) and National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI). One example of this is that the Highway Division has proposed a new CIP investment program - the Resiliency Improvements Program. This program focuses on resiliency planning and resiliency improvements to existing transportation assets and evacuation routes. It is targeted at highway infrastructure vulnerable to extreme weather and sea-level rise.

Finally, another key focus of the plan is investments in our communities through our multiple municipal investment programs. This CIP includes a new section that highlights each of these programs and their respective goals within the plan.  For 2024-2028, the CIP programs approximately $359.5 million over the five years for the municipal programs in addition to our historical commitment to the Chapter 90 program ($1 billion over the five years). Together these programs strive to improve the condition of the transportation assets owned or managed by our 351 cities and towns.

This document comprises the proposed State Fiscal Year 2024-2028 (FY24-FY28) Capital Investment Plan (CIP) for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

It is structured around three major components:

• Overview of the CIP
  • Introduction and Key Changes
  • Development Process
  • CIP Approach and Structure
  • Programmed Spending
  • Funding Sources
  • Municipal Programs
  • Selected Major Investments
  • Equity Analysis
  • Public Engagement
• Appendix A: FY24-FY28 Proposed Investments
  • Detailed listing of all capital projects by Division included in the FY24-28 CIP, which includes project ID, project name, description and location, CIP investment program, total project cost, FY24 spending, FY25-28 spending, and post FY28 spending (where appropriate).
• Appendix B: FY24-FY28 CIP Investment Programs
  • One page overview for each CIP investment program by Priority and Division summarizing the program goals, metrics, and programmed spending levels for FY24-28.

One of MassDOT’s key roles is to develop and implement the Commonwealth’s transportation investment strategy—the Capital Investment Plan (CIP)—in coordination with the federal government, the state legislature, municipalities, regional planning agencies (RPAs), regional transit authorities (RTAs), other state agencies, and the public. The 2024-2028 capital plan for MassDOT reflects our commitment to a five-year CIP. It aligns with the 2024–2028 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) that is required under the federal 3C (continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive) planning process that programs funding through the Commonwealth’s MPO regions.

Last year the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) developed a separate, standalone Capital Investment Plan for 2023-2027 that was reviewed and approved by the new MBTA Board of Directors. The MBTA is continuing to develop its own standalone CIP for 2024-2028 which will be reviewed and approved by the MBTA Board of Directors. The MBTA CIP is available at  https://www.mbta.com/financials/developing-the-capital-investment-plan-cip .

Although the CIP is specific to MassDOT, it does include the state’s participation in the Capital Investment Program of the MBTA. The Commonwealth has committed capital funding to a number of large, high-priority MBTA investments, including the extension of the Green Line to Somerville and Medford, the purchase of new Red and Orange Line cars, and expansion of commuter rail service to Fall River/New Bedford through the South Coast Rail program, as well as, support for other key initiatives. MassDOT’s CIP details the Commonwealth’s capital funding that is provided to the MBTA to support those investments. Those funds equal $877.6 million for 2024-2028. This spending is supported by $791.8 million in Rail Enhancement Bonds, and $10.3 million in bond cap from the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development ($802.1 million combined), plus $75.5 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. The following diagram illustrates the overlap between the MBTA CIP and the MassDOT CIP. A total of $15.7 billion is programmed for MassDOT spending over the next five years (2024-2028).

Both the CIP and the STIP incorporate the federal formula funds (along with the corresponding state match funds) that were provided to Massachusetts under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The STIP programs nearly $11.9 billion for roadways, bridges, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and public transportation over the next five federal fiscal years. Highway formula funds include:

• $1.125 billion in specific formula funding to improve the condition of the Commonwealth’s bridges through the Highway Infrastructure Program
• Formula funding to support climate change mitigation (Carbon Reduction and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) and resiliency (PROTECT)
• Formula funding for our roadway, safety, bicycle/pedestrian and bridge projects

BIL also included significant additional authorization for discretionary grant programs (approximately $110 billion). The CIP does not include any specific assumptions for discretionary grants unless those awards have been received by MassDOT. MassDOT and the MBTA are aggressively pursuing federal discretionary grant funding as notices of funding opportunities (NOFO) have been issued.

In January 2021, An Act Authorizing and Accelerating Transportation Investment for $16 billion was signed into law. The TBB continues to accelerate investments in modernizing our transportation system and authorizes several new programs to address asset conditions and congestion at the local level, improve transit access, and provide new funding for the Commonwealth’s National Highway System (NHS) bridges. Additional bridge funding was provided in the form of grant anticipation notes (GANs) authorized as Next Generation Bridge GANs ($1.25 billion).

With the passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), additional bond authorization was needed to fully utilize the additional funding provided to the Commonwealth. An Act Relative to Massachusetts’s Transportation Resources and Climate (MassTRAC) was filed to ensure the Commonwealth could fully utilize the funding authorization provided under BIL. The Legislature passed the bill and the $11.4 billion MassTRAC bill was signed into law in August 2022. MassTRAC provides MassDOT and the MBTA the necessary authorization to take advantage of the federal highway and transit funding under BIL.

The 2024-2028 CIP includes a significant number of bridge projects programmed with the Next Generation Bridge GANs authorized in the 2021 TBB along with the additional bridge funding ($1.125 billion) provided under BIL. The combination of both GANs and BIL funding provides significant resources over the next five to seven years to address the condition of the bridges throughout the Commonwealth and help MassDOT achieve the federal and state long term condition targets for our bridges.

The 2024-2028 CIP includes projects supported by PROTECT formula funds. FHWA formula funds authorized for the Carbon Reduction Program are programmed in the 2024-2028 STIP and specific projects will be identified for this funding program in coordination with applicable MassDOT Divisions and the MBTA. Similarly, National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funds are incorporated in the 2024-2028 STIP with projects to be identified in coordination with MassDOT and the Executive Offices for Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Commonwealth's new Climate Office. FHWA approved the Commonwealth’s plan for deployment of the NEVI formula funding provided under BIL in September 2022.

Highway Resiliency Improvements Program Spending: $25.2 million Description: Provides funding to help the Commonwealth focus on resilience planning; makes resilience improvements to existing transportation assets and evacuation routes; and addresses highway infrastructure that are vulnerable to extreme weather and sea-level rise.

Highway Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program Spending: $36.6 million (projects previously programmed under the Highway Roadway Reconstruction program) Description: This program works to increase safe biking and walking among elementary, middle, and high school students by using a collaborative, community-focused approach that bridges the gap between health and transportation. SRTS utilizes the six E’s to implement its program–Education, Encouragement, Engagement, Evaluation, Engineering, and Equity.

The following graphic details the funding programmed in the FY2024-2028 CIP.

MassDOT annually produces another multi-year capital planning document called the  State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) . While similar, the STIP and CIP are not the same. The STIP is a federally required planning document that lists all federally funded transportation projects, both highway and transit, by region of the Commonwealth and by federal fiscal year. The STIP reflects programmed obligations (committed funds) while the CIP incorporates the projected spending of those obligations over time. Further, the STIP is subject to approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as well as by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The STIP is developed in part by compiling the individual Transportation Improvements Programs (TIPs) from the 10 federally recognized transportation planning regions of the Commonwealth referred to as metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and the 3 rural transportation planning regions known as transportation planning organizations (TPOs).

By comparison, the CIP includes all sources of funding available to MassDOT Divisions. While different, the CIP and STIP are related because the STIP makes use of the priorities / programs / projects framework that the MassDOT Divisions use to build the annual CIP. Further, all projects programmed in the STIP are incorporated into the CIP.

Historically, the capital needs of the Commonwealth’s 351 cities and towns were addressed primarily through the annual distribution of Chapter 90 funds. MassDOT has increasingly established and funded a number of investment programs aimed at addressing targeted infrastructure needs in municipalities to improve asset conditions, add multi-modal options, and/or address local congestion. Many communities have found these funding opportunities to be critical in achieving local transportation goals. In addition to the Chapter 90 program, MassDOT has the following programs (see Appendix B for more details on each of the programs):

• Complete Streets
• Local Bottleneck Reduction
• Municipal/RTA Electric Vehicle Fleets
• Municipal Pavement
• Municipal Small Bridge
• Shared Streets and Spaces

This section discusses the results of the equity analysis conducted on the draft FY2024-2028 CIP, which indicates an equitable plan. The narrative herein describes the results and methodology used along with illustrative maps.

This equity analysis is a component of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s commitment to equity. Because transportation enables people to access destinations and opportunities, MassDOT centers the quality of travel that everyone experiences in its work, and recognizes that certain communities, including low-income, non-white, foreign-born, and others, have historically been overburdened and underserved by transportation networks. In response to this, MassDOT works to make equity a key consideration in planning, designing, constructing, and implementing all elements of the transportation network.

The investments included in the CIP are determined through a collaborative process among many stakeholders (cities and towns, private and public agencies, advocates, etc.), representing diverse constituencies with an array of perspectives and goals for the future of public transportation. As part of our commitment to civil rights and nondiscrimination, during each CIP development cycle, MassDOT evaluates proposed investments and projects to assure that they are equitable with respect to both geography and to the population groups that they benefit.  MassDOT and the MBTA strive to achieve an equitable balance in developing and prioritizing transportation investments to meet the needs of the residents throughout the Commonwealth. 

The analysis evaluated investments per capita at the municipality and census tract levels using all the investments prioritized for FY2024–2028 by MassDOT and the MBTA. MassDOT investments include those in the Highway, Rail and Transit, and Aeronautics Divisions. MassDOT created spatial buffers for CIP investments using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to reflect areas of impact. These buffers varied by mode or project type for RTA/MBTA, Rail, and Aeronautics projects and by location (rural, suburban, and urban) for Highway Division projects. Investments were measured per capita to account for population density.

Overall, this analysis shows that the CIP equitably distributes investments among minority, low-income, and Limited English Proficient (LEP) populations. With respect to geographic equity, it did not show any concerning trends in the distribution of investments throughout the Commonwealth.

MassDOT and the MBTA continue to develop and refine the analysis used to determine equity of capital investments.  While geographic funding distribution and allocation of funding across diverse communities remains a core component of this analysis, MassDOT and the MBTA continue to work to innovate finer-grain analysis methodologies that would allow us to identify and quantify the equity of the impacts of projects both at the community level and statewide.

For additional information about MassDOT’s Civil Rights work, web links are available in the Glossary of Terms.

More information about the current state of this practice and future goals is available by contacting the MassDOT Civil Rights team at  MassDOT.civilrights@state.ma.us .

Public feedback is important to the development and support of the capital investment planning process. MassDOT has created an interactive comment tool to provide an opportunity for members of the public to directly comment on individual investments in the CIP. The comment tool was active throughout the public comment period which ended June 9, 2023.

Written comments were also accepted via more traditional methods, including via email at:  MassCIP@state.ma.us  or by letter sent to:

MassDOT Office of Transportation Planning Attn: Manager of Capital Planning 10 Park Plaza, Rm. 4150 Boston, MA 02116

The Capital Planning team at MassDOT is currently reviewing all comments and will provide a response in the form of a single document that addresses all comment topics. It will be posted to the  Mass.gov/cip  website upon conclusion of the CIP process.

MassDOT hosted a series of public meetings across the Commonwealth in collaboration with our regional partners, the Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Below is a list of all the virtual public meetings that were held for the 2024-2028 CIP. Public comment was accepted as part of the virtual public meetings. While each meeting focused on a specific region, comments were welcomed on any aspect of the CIP.

Zoom details for public meetings, including registration links were available at  Mass.gov/cip . All meetings began at 6:00 pm, EST, and accommodation and language translation services were provided upon request.

The list below shows the virtual public meetings that were held for the CIP, along with the meeting hosts. All meetings were hosted with participation from MassDOT's regional planning partners. Recordings of meetings will be made available online at  Mass.gov/CIP .

Time: May 23, 2023 6:00 PM MPOs: Berkshire Regional Planning Commission / Franklin Regional Council of Governments / Pioneer Valley Planning Organization Registration Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvfuGhqzIuEta1NSHIlTHy7c7hxvCI-4Xo 

Time: May 24, 2023 6:00 PM MPOs: Northern Middlesex Council of Governments / Merrimack Valley Planning Commission Registration Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUucOitrDIjGtQX7JyBFPkG20LM2RNuyBmc 

Time: May 30, 2023 6:00 PM MPOs: Boston Region MPO (Central Transportation Planning Staff) Registration Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpdOuvpz4jH9HBfZ4cVU5Uwbmi39gTeWf1 

Time: May 31, 2023 6:00 PM MPOs: Old Colony Planning Council / Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Planning and Economic Development District Registration Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpfuioqTMuHNRAEJQqK5MoCxTW0oHjQr9z 

Time: June 1, 2023 6:00 PM MPOs: Cape Cod Commission / Martha's Vineyard's Commission / Nantucket Planning and Economic Development Commission Registration Link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqf-2qrT8oEtN6fBLlpbPx3ETVKN_XjL1P#/registration 

Time: June 5, 2023 6:00 PM MPOs: Central Mass Regional Planning Commission / Montachusett Regional Planning Commission Registration Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvfuuqqz4vH92WInj9C3jv7YoUrDjnmjNZ#/registration 

This section provides links to download the Appendices to the CIP. 

Appendix A provides the lists of investments contained within this CIP. The information within each column is described below:

• Location – where the investment is located
• Project ID – the Division-specific ID that uniquely identifies each investment
• Project name – the name of the investment and a brief description
• Priority – the capital priority that the investment addresses
• Program – the program from which the investment is made
• Total cost – the total cost of the investment
• Prior years – the spending on the investment that pre-dates the plan update
• FY 2024 – the spending estimated to occur in fiscal year 2024
• FY 2025-2028 – the spending estimated to occur in fiscal year 2025-2028
• Post FY 2028 – the estimated spending to occur post fiscal year 2028 for the project, if applicable

Appendix B provides a list of all investment programs contained within this CIP. Each investment program includes a description, details about any relevant performance tracking that informs program size and need, and proposed program spending.