PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jackie Jones at jjones@srpedd.org for more info.
SRPEDD Announces a 21-day Public Comment Period with a Virtual Public Meeting on January 12, 2026, at 4:00 pm to hear comments on proposed significant cost and construction year changes for major transportation projects on the region’s TIP and on release of proposed additional freight corridors for the Southeast Massachusetts region.
December 18, 2025 – The Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization (SMMPO)’s FFY2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is being amended to program several proposed significant changes to major transportation projects in the region. MassDOT recently conducted an internal analysis of its projects and programs and proposed some changes to ensure they are programmed for the most up to date cost estimates in the appropriate federal fiscal years (FFYs) in advance of its TIP readiness days to reduce confusion. These proposed adjustments are part of the recent annual State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) maintenance. They are being released for a 21-day public comment period and are not yet being endorsed, allowing time for review and feedback before any final decisions are made. TIP Amendment #3 proposes the following changes:
- For New Bedford’s Bridge Replacement I-195 (EB&WB), Ramp C&F over ST 18, County Street, State Street, Mass Coastal Railroad, Purchase Street, Weld Street (Project 606527), a project cost decrease of $73 million due to less funds needed to complete the project than originally anticipated. This will free up funds for other statewide transportation projects.
- Taunton’s Danforth Street Bridge Reconstruction (Project S13384) will be added to the FFY 2026 construction year due to the receipt of a federal earmark of $1,250,000 that will fund project design.
- Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority’s East Maintenance Facility (Project 011969) was included in last month’s TIP Amendment #2 to remove a source of match funding, and this amendment programs an increase in RTACAP matching funds in FY2026 of approximately $4.6 million for the project.
- Freetown Elementary School’s Safe Routes to School Improvements (Project 613359) is being moved from the FY2027 construction year to the FY2029 construction year due to delays in design readiness.
- Freetown’s Bridge Replacement at North Main Street over Route 24 (Project 606089) is being moved from the FY2027 construction year to the FY2028 construction year due to delays in design readiness and a cost increase of approximately $23 million.
- Somerset’s Intersection Improvements at Route 6 and Lees River Ave (Project 611980) is being moved from the FY2028 construction year to the FY2029 construction year to allow for more time for public engagement.
- Somerset’s Stormwater Improvements along Route 103 (Project 610802) has been added to the FY2026 construction year due to available funds and project design readiness.
More detailed information on the document can be found on SRPEDD’s website www.srpedd.org at the following link: FFY2026-2030 TIP Amendment #3. The TIP is the programming document listing all federally funded road and bridge projects in the region and all transit projects for both GATRA and the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) over five years. Each year, the SMMPO decides how to allocate about $30 million in federal funding for the region, which supplements state and local transportation infrastructure investments in Southeastern Massachusetts. The SMMPO conducts the federally required metropolitan transportation planning process for 27 Southeastern Massachusetts communities and is one of Massachusetts’ thirteen Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
Additionally, as part of MassDOT’s statewide freight planning efforts, MPOs across the state were asked to identify critical areas for freight movement throughout their regions. MassDOT designated about 17.4 miles of roadway to be included as critical urban freight corridors, and 7.16 miles of roadway to be included as rural freight corridors throughout the SRPEDD region. Roads were designated as urban or rural based on existing urbanized areas (UZAs) as designated by the US Census Bureau.
SRPEDD identified new critical urban and rural freight corridors in the Southeast Massachusetts region using existing freight planning and traffic count data, including truck volumes, connections to industrial parks and major highways, and known truck travel time issues. The work occurred between August and November, after which proposed, corridors were sent to MassDOT for review. The SMMPO voted to release the proposed designations to a 21-day public comment period at its December 16 meeting, with a vote anticipated to officially designate the new corridors at its January 20th meeting. MassDOT certification of the new freight corridors is expected in March 2026, and by August 2026, pending Federal Highway Administration approval the corridors would be incorporated into the Massachusetts Freight Plan, making projects on these corridors eligible for National Highway Freight Program funding.
New rural freight corridors are being proposed in Middleborough, Berkley, and Carver, while new urban freight corridors are being proposed in Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, North Attleboro, Freetown, Swansea, Mansfield, Middleborough, Carver, Wareham, Rochester, Norton, Dartmouth, Seekonk, Plainville, and Somerset. The proposed corridors can be viewed on a map at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f8c5306da42343b89aafcba56625647f.
All of this work helps support the region’s 27 communities toward building a safer, and more accessible, connected, reliable, and resilient transportation system for all mode users.
FFY2026-2030 TIP Amendment #3 and proposed additional freight corridor designations will have a 21-day public comment period and will be endorsed at the next SMMPO meeting on January 20th. A public meeting to discuss these topics will be held virtually on Thursday, January 12, 2026, at 4:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend, ask questions and offer comments, but attendance is not necessary to offer input or comment. More options to offer comments can be found below.
The meetings will be conducted through ZOOM. This link provides the information to allow participants to connect to the meeting through a computer, smart phone, or regular telephone: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697.
Register in advance for the virtual meeting at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ERtJHbRpTvuZpBPZwyG7pw
Comments are encouraged and may be offered by a variety of methods including:
- Sending an e-mail to transportation@srpedd.org;
- Our general website form at https://srpedd.org/contact-us/;
- Our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SRPEDD/; Instagram @SRPEDD https://www.instagram.com/srpedd/;
- By phone call to 508-824-1367;
- Attending the monthly Joint Transportation Planning Group meeting on January 14. For meeting information visit: srpedd.org/transportation/jtpg.
The SMMPO, through SRPEDD, provides reasonable accommodations, including language assistance and/or auxiliary aids and services free of charge, upon request and as available. For accommodation or language assistance, please contact SRPEDD’s Title VI Coordinator by phone (508 824-1367), dial 711 to use MassRelay, or by email at aduarte@srpedd.org. Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting.
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PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jackie Jones at jjones@srpedd.org for more info.
SRPEDD Announces a 21-day Public Comment Period with a Virtual Public Meeting on January 12, 2026, at 4:00 pm to hear comments on proposed significant cost and construction year changes for major transportation projects on the region’s TIP and on release of proposed additional freight corridors for the Southeast Massachusetts region.
December 18, 2025 – The Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization (SMMPO)’s FFY2026-2030 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is being amended to program several proposed significant changes to major transportation projects in the region. MassDOT recently conducted an internal analysis of its projects and programs and proposed some changes to ensure they are programmed for the most up to date cost estimates in the appropriate federal fiscal years (FFYs) in advance of its TIP readiness days to reduce confusion. These proposed adjustments are part of the recent annual State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) maintenance. They are being released for a 21-day public comment period and are not yet being endorsed, allowing time for review and feedback before any final decisions are made. TIP Amendment #3 proposes the following changes:
- For New Bedford’s Bridge Replacement I-195 (EB&WB), Ramp C&F over ST 18, County Street, State Street, Mass Coastal Railroad, Purchase Street, Weld Street (Project 606527), a project cost decrease of $73 million due to less funds needed to complete the project than originally anticipated. This will free up funds for other statewide transportation projects.
- Taunton’s Danforth Street Bridge Reconstruction (Project S13384) will be added to the FFY 2026 construction year due to the receipt of a federal earmark of $1,250,000 that will fund project design.
- Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority’s East Maintenance Facility (Project 011969) was included in last month’s TIP Amendment #2 to remove a source of match funding, and this amendment programs an increase in RTACAP matching funds in FY2026 of approximately $4.6 million for the project.
- Freetown Elementary School’s Safe Routes to School Improvements (Project 613359) is being moved from the FY2027 construction year to the FY2029 construction year due to delays in design readiness.
- Freetown’s Bridge Replacement at North Main Street over Route 24 (Project 606089) is being moved from the FY2027 construction year to the FY2028 construction year due to delays in design readiness and a cost increase of approximately $23 million.
- Somerset’s Intersection Improvements at Route 6 and Lees River Ave (Project 611980) is being moved from the FY2028 construction year to the FY2029 construction year to allow for more time for public engagement.
- Somerset’s Stormwater Improvements along Route 103 (Project 610802) has been added to the FY2026 construction year due to available funds and project design readiness.
More detailed information on the document can be found on SRPEDD’s website www.srpedd.org at the following link: FFY2026-2030 TIP Amendment #3. The TIP is the programming document listing all federally funded road and bridge projects in the region and all transit projects for both GATRA and the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) over five years. Each year, the SMMPO decides how to allocate about $30 million in federal funding for the region, which supplements state and local transportation infrastructure investments in Southeastern Massachusetts. The SMMPO conducts the federally required metropolitan transportation planning process for 27 Southeastern Massachusetts communities and is one of Massachusetts’ thirteen Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
Additionally, as part of MassDOT’s statewide freight planning efforts, MPOs across the state were asked to identify critical areas for freight movement throughout their regions. MassDOT designated about 17.4 miles of roadway to be included as critical urban freight corridors, and 7.16 miles of roadway to be included as rural freight corridors throughout the SRPEDD region. Roads were designated as urban or rural based on existing urbanized areas (UZAs) as designated by the US Census Bureau.
SRPEDD identified new critical urban and rural freight corridors in the Southeast Massachusetts region using existing freight planning and traffic count data, including truck volumes, connections to industrial parks and major highways, and known truck travel time issues. The work occurred between August and November, after which proposed, corridors were sent to MassDOT for review. The SMMPO voted to release the proposed designations to a 21-day public comment period at its December 16 meeting, with a vote anticipated to officially designate the new corridors at its January 20th meeting. MassDOT certification of the new freight corridors is expected in March 2026, and by August 2026, pending Federal Highway Administration approval the corridors would be incorporated into the Massachusetts Freight Plan, making projects on these corridors eligible for National Highway Freight Program funding.
New rural freight corridors are being proposed in Middleborough, Berkley, and Carver, while new urban freight corridors are being proposed in Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, North Attleboro, Freetown, Swansea, Mansfield, Middleborough, Carver, Wareham, Rochester, Norton, Dartmouth, Seekonk, Plainville, and Somerset. The proposed corridors can be viewed on a map at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f8c5306da42343b89aafcba56625647f.
All of this work helps support the region’s 27 communities toward building a safer, and more accessible, connected, reliable, and resilient transportation system for all mode users.
FFY2026-2030 TIP Amendment #3 and proposed additional freight corridor designations will have a 21-day public comment period and will be endorsed at the next SMMPO meeting on January 20th. A public meeting to discuss these topics will be held virtually on Thursday, January 12, 2026, at 4:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend, ask questions and offer comments, but attendance is not necessary to offer input or comment. More options to offer comments can be found below.
The meetings will be conducted through ZOOM. This link provides the information to allow participants to connect to the meeting through a computer, smart phone, or regular telephone: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697.
Register in advance for the virtual meeting at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ERtJHbRpTvuZpBPZwyG7pw
Comments are encouraged and may be offered by a variety of methods including:
- Sending an e-mail to transportation@srpedd.org;
- Our general website form at https://srpedd.org/contact-us/;
- Our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SRPEDD/; Instagram @SRPEDD https://www.instagram.com/srpedd/;
- By phone call to 508-824-1367;
- Attending the monthly Joint Transportation Planning Group meeting on January 14. For meeting information visit: srpedd.org/transportation/jtpg.
The SMMPO, through SRPEDD, provides reasonable accommodations, including language assistance and/or auxiliary aids and services free of charge, upon request and as available. For accommodation or language assistance, please contact SRPEDD’s Title VI Coordinator by phone (508 824-1367), dial 711 to use MassRelay, or by email at aduarte@srpedd.org. Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting.
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PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Estrela-Pedro at lestrela@srpedd.org for more info.
SRPEDD Announces a 21-day Public Comment Period and Virtual Public Meeting on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 4:00 pm to hear comments on proposed Amendment #8 of the FFY2024-2028 TIP that includes funding for public transportation vehicles, cost changes for GATRA and SRTA projects, addition of a Fairhaven Steamship Authority project, and cost increase for Taunton Route 138 project.
June 18, 2024 – The FFY2024-2028 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for Southeastern Massachusetts is being amended to include funding for public transportation vehicles, cost changes for GATRA and SRTA projects, addition of a Fairhaven Steamship Authority project, and cost increase for Taunton’s Broadway Route 138 Project 608753. Several programs and municipalities in the Southeastern MA region were awarded funding from the state’s Community Transit Grant Program in May 2024 to purchase vehicles for public transportation needs. They include The City of Fall River, Town of Dartmouth, Family Service Association of Greater Fall River, M.O.L.I.F.E, Inc, Town of Rochester, the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) and Greater Attleboro and Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA). New Bedford’s Steamship Authority Project S12999 SSA totaling $1,482,563, will be programmed in year 2024 of the FFY24-28 TIP for the purchase of support vehicles and equipment for the Fairhaven Maintenance Department. Taunton’s Corridor Improvements and Related Work on Broadway (Route 138) Project 608753 from Purchase Street to Jackson Street Phase 2 will have a $4.9 million cost increase due to the increasing costs of materials.
The TIP is the programming document listing all federally funded road and bridge projects in the region and all transit projects for both the Greater Attleboro and Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) and the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) over five years. Each year, the Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization (SMMPO) decides how to allocate about $26 million in federal funding for the region, which supplements state and local transportation infrastructure investments in Southeastern Massachusetts. The SMMPO conducts the federally required metropolitan transportation planning process for 27 Southeastern Massachusetts communities and is one of Massachusetts’ thirteen Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Its work helps support the region’s 27 communities toward building a safer, and more equitable, connected, reliable, and resilient transportation system for all mode users.
A virtual public meeting on the proposed amendment will be held on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 4:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend, ask questions and offer comments, but attendance is not necessary to offer input or comment. More options to offer comments can be found below.
The meeting will be conducted through the ZOOM app. This link provides the information to allow participants to connect to the meeting through a computer, smart phone or regular telephone: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697.
The direct link to the public meeting is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82319981101?pwd=zBGJAwAa6Y9AiBlIaL1DBkPkT2b8Y3.1
Draft FFY2024-28 TIP Amendment #8 will have a 21-day public comment period and will be endorsed at the next SMMPO meeting which is scheduled for July 16th. For more information about the proposed amendment, visit SRPEDD’s website www.srpedd.org at the following link: FFY2024-2028 TIP Amendment #8.
Comments are encouraged and may be offered by a variety of methods including: via e-mail at lestrela@srpedd.org; our website at https://srpedd.org/contact-us/; our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SRPEDD/ or Twitter @SRPEDD_NEWS at https:// https://x.com/SRPEDD_NEWS.
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Posted on January 25,2023 at 3:45 PM.