The plan was put out by Transportation Secretary Davey to outline investments the state needs to make in coming years to both maintain our existing infrastructure, and invest over $13 billion over the next 10 years into new projects, ranging from highway, to rail, to bicycle, to aeronautics.
Some highlights include:
- New MBTA Red, Green, and Orange Line cars
- DMU and BRT Pilot Programs
- Completion of the South Coast Rail project (bringing commuter rail service to Fall River and New Bedford)
- Completion of the currently in-progress Green Line Extension in Somerville and Medford
- Expansion of South Station
- New passenger rail service between Springfield and Boston (presumably an extension of the Framingham/Worcester line?)
- Preparation for new passenger rail service between Pittsfield and New York City
- Continued summer weekend commuter rail service to Cape Cod
- Implementation of All-Electronic Tolling on the MassPike and eventually statewide
- A trial of a Vehicle-Miles Traveled tax
- Various road improvement projects, including both I-93/95 interchanges (Canton & Woburn)
- New tolls or HOT lanes
Essentially all of these projects are desperately needed, but some of them come as a surprise to me, even though I follow transportation happenings in the Commonwealth fairly closely, like the new Springfield and Pittsfield passenger rail services.
Feel free to share your thoughts below.