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ARTICLE · 22 JANUARY 2013

MassDOT Issues Its 21st-Century Transportation Plan: Brother, Can You Spare $13 Billion?

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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation today released The Way Forward: A 21st-Century Transportation Plan.

United StatesEnvironment
Seth Jaffe
Seth Jaffe
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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation today released The Way Forward:  A 21st-Century Transportation Plan.  The Plan summarizes steps that MassDOT has already taken to implement reforms, describes transportation needs over the next ten years, and discusses options for attaining the funding necessary to address the identified needs.

The needs include a number of proposals that have been mentioned previously, including South Coast Rail, train connection from Boston to Springfield, and rail service from Pittsfield to New York City.

The funding shortfall?  Only $13 billion.  The plan – presumably recognizing that Governor Patrick might have his own views – does not make a recommendation regarding how to fund everything.  It does, however, provide a menu of potential funding options, including:

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