State senators have earmarked millions of dollars to support transportation projects in Western Massachusetts — including two capital projects in Franklin County — as part of a total $16.9 billion transportation bond bill.
The bill passed in the Senate last week and must now be reconciled with existing legislation in the House of Representatives. Ultimately, the Baker Administration decides which projects are affordable and actually get funded, as the state must adhere to its annual bond borrowing cap.
In the Senate’s bill, $2 million has been earmarked for the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, and another $675,000 was designated for the culvert on Nilman Road in Buckland.
“We’re trying our best to make sure we have the elements in place to allow Franklin County to thrive and move forward,” said state Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield. “These basic steps are critical.”
Hinds, a Buckland native, said the money designated for the Bridge of Flowers, which would be used for rehabilitation and repairs, is especially meaningful.
“Foot traffic is important in all of our towns, but especially when it’s a major tourist attraction and economic driver,” Hinds said. “That was one of the reasons that it stood out to me (for funding). We need to preserve the Bridge of Flowers and make sure it’s sustained into the future.”
As for the other earmarked projects, senators also helped secure borrowing authorization for $225 million in funding for rail projects.
“We’ve seen a real revitalization of rail projects, and right now we have four major projects on the table,” he said.
Those projects include the east-west rail from Pittsfield to Boston, the Valley Flyer, the Berkshire Flyer, and east-west rail connecting North Adams, Greenfield and Fitchburg.
Hinds noted the importance of making sure the “fundamentals” — transportation and internet — are in place in Western Massachusetts. For Franklin County, in particular, he noted the importance of being able to bring people from elsewhere to experience the outdoor recreation opportunities the county has to offer. He called it a “critical strategy” to the county’s growth.
Hinds said improving the link between the west and the east is also crucial to prepare for what the “new normal” in a post-pandemic world might look like.
“It feels we’re at a moment of change in how our economy functions,” he said, “and how more people could be interested in working remotely and utilizing infrastructure, or trains, to travel to major cities once a week or once a month.”
State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, described the bond bill as an example of the delegation “linking arms to make ourselves stronger.” She said the delegation collaborated to increase the line item to $225 million and earmark it for the four rail projects being explored to serve Western Massachusetts.
Comerford said rail provides four immediate wins in that it’s good for the environment, regional economic development and individual economic development, and it has a municipal benefit.
“I feel like rail is a virtuous cycle for so many things that we care about,” she said.
The transportation bond bill must next be reconciled with existing legislation in the House of Representatives.
Hinds said that “chances are good” that the borrowing authorization survives reconciliation with the House of Representatives’ transportation bill. However, he also said that the authorization is “still just a first step.”