BOSTON, MA – Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry announced today that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will receive a total of $85,946,188 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funds will be used to maintain and repair the current rail system, and purchase additional buses for public transit.
Senator Kennedy said, “Public transit is a vital part of our Commonwealth’s transportation system. It guarantees reliable and affordable transportation for thousands of commuters and thousands of others every day. These funds will help to keep it modern and safe for all our people.”
“Every day hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts commuters rely on public transportation for everything from getting to work to going to the doctor. This substantial investment in the MBTA means jobs in communities that need a boost,” said Senator John Kerry. “This is a perfect example of how federal, state and local government can work together to use Recovery Act funds to put people to work while providing a safer, cleaner, and more efficient transportation system.”
Funds will be used to rehabilitate nine bus maintenance facilities in Lynn, Cabot, Albany, Charlestown, North Cambridge, South Hampton, Arborway, Fells, and Quincy. In addition, funds will be used to double track seven miles of the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line, build a new full level boarding platform at Littleton Station, purchase twenty-five hybrid electric buses, and improve accessibility along Essex Street in Boston as part of the Silver Line-South Station project.
