The town has received $447,867 from the state to improve its transportation infrastructure and $25,000 from a regional planning agency for historic preservation projects.
$447,867 for infrastructure
Gov. Maura Healey recently signed into law the Chapter 90 bill, which will provide $200 million for projects in municipalities across the Commonwealth for fiscal year 2025, $447,867 of which will be awarded to Marblehead.
Healey signed the legislation at an event in Melrose. According to a statement from the office of Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, the bill will fund an additional $175 million for six “transportation infrastructure grant programs.”
Under the Chapter 90 program, municipalities in Massachusetts are given annual funding for improvements and investments in their local transportation network.
“We know that residents’ quality of life and our state’s economic strength depends on people being able to get where they need to go safely and on time,” Healey said in the statement. “These Chapter 90 funds and millions more for six grant programs will help us deliver on critical road, bridge and infrastructure projects that communities and the traveling public need.
Driscoll, who previously served as mayor in Salem, said she understands the importance the infrastructure funding to communities.
“As a former mayor, I know how much this money means to our cities and towns,” Driscoll said. “In particular, Chapter 90 apportionments go a long way in making sure our transportation system is safe and reliable for people who live, work, and visit our communities.”
Along with the $200 million provided by Chapter 90, Seven different programs will receive $25 million: the Municipal Pavement Program; Municipal Small Bridge Program; Rural Roadway Funding Program; Complete Streets Funding Program; Municipal Bus Enhancement Program; Mass Transit Access Grant Program; and Municipal/Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Electric Vehicle (EV) Grant Program.
“We’re proud to sign this bill into law today and grateful to the Legislature for their partnership,” Healey added.
$25,000 for historic preservation
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council has awarded the town a share of $500,000 in Technical Assistance Program funding that will go toward 22 projects across the state.
For the town’s Navigating the Nexus of Historic Preservation and Green Energy project, Marblehead received $25,000.
The MAPC is one of 13 regional planning agencies, or RPAs in the state of Massachusetts. RPAs help communities which do not have a professional planner, who oversees tasks such as “shape their future economic development, transportation, housing, green spaces, and municipal facilities,” according to a statement from MAPC.
In Marblehead, longtime Planner Rebecca Curran Cutting retired in March, and Charles Quigley is now serving as the interim town planner.
“Critical DLTA funding from Beacon Hill enables municipalities to address local needs across a wide variety of topic areas, including plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and zoning to encourage housing development,” MAPC Executive Director Marc Draisen said. “Our communities are creative, and they recognize the value of collaborating with neighbors. This year we are proud to see that many cities and towns have connected through TAP to scope a diverse range of projects with great potential benefits.”