Bill > S1875

This bill mandates that the Secretary of Administration and Finance must finalize a contract with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), a public agency responsible for public transportation in the Boston metropolitan area, within thirty days of the bill's enactment to facilitate the completion of the New Bedford/Fall River commuter rail extension project. The MBTA is required to prioritize this project and ensure its timely completion, and if the Secretaries of Administration and Finance and Transportation determine it's in the Commonwealth's best interest to temporarily defer contract assistance payments, the MBTA can issue bonds to cover debt service for up to three years. Furthermore, the Secretary of Transportation must ensure that state funds allocated for this rail extension, covering expenses like design, permitting, and construction, are exclusively used for the rail line itself and not for enhanced bus services, with specific funds previously authorized for this project being directed towards the rail line south of Cotley Junction.