MassDOT board approves investment spending plan

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors approved a $15.7 billion investment plan for projects through fiscal year 2028.

About 700 projects were included in the capital investment plan the board voted on Wednesday, according to Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca. The projects approved were focused on three key priorities — reliability, modernization and expansion — and included a range of work, from roads and bridge repairs to expansions in bike and pedestrian access.

The plan, which gets voted on every year, recommits funding to projects currently underway, like the repair of the Sumner Tunnel, and puts money toward future investments slated for the next five years.

David Mohler, MassDot’s executive director of the Office of Transportation Planning, said the “vast majority” of the plan, or about $12 billion dollars, would be spent on projects focused on the first two priorities by "fixing what we have, maintaining it in a state of good repair."

The approval of the capital improvement plan comes a day after Fiandaca, along with MBTA general manager Phil Eng, fielded questions over the transportation system's safety and reliability at a Boston Chamber of Commerce event.

Jim Rooney, chamber president and CEO, said road congestion and the unreliability of the MBTA is becoming an increasing concern for business owners: “They're hearing from their employees, they're hearing from their customers about the difficulty of navigating our transportation network,” he said.

Rooney said public transportation or driving challenges negatively impact a business’ ability to attract and retain employees, as well as customers.

Eng acknowledged that a “robust transportation system” is “vital to the success” of local businesses and the economy. He said the T is dedicated to bringing the system to a state of good repair and regaining the confidence of businesses and the general public.

"The building blocks of each success will start to bring back, I believe, the trust from the public, the confidence from the businesses, that the transportation services that they need will be there,” he said.

Fiandaca said she believes that communication and partnership with stakeholders, like the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, will be essential moving forward.

“We are ready to work with you and we know that as we move into the challenges of the future, we can't do it alone,” she said.