Blackstone & Millville See Road Funding Boost in FY26

Blackstone and Millville are set to receive significantly more funding to fix and maintain local roads, thanks to a major Chapter 90 road funding increase included in a 1.185 billion state transportation bill passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives in July 2025.

The proposal, known as House Bill 4307, includes a total of $300 million in this road funding boost for FY26, with a new approach that gives small towns like ours a better share.

What the Road Funding Increase Means for Our Towns

According to State Representative Mike Soter, local communities are expected to receive the following amounts:

• Blackstone: $364,691
  • That’s a 59% increase ($135,441) from last year’s amount.
• Millville: $183,098
  • That’s a 68% increase ($74,013) increase from FY25 levels.

This boost is thanks in large part to a new $100 million statewide allocation that will be distributed solely based on local road mileage—a long-requested change aimed at helping small towns with high maintenance needs.

“We’ve been working hard to have more money allocated based specifically on road mileage,” Rep. Soter said. “This new approach will provide even more targeted support for maintaining roads in smaller communities of the Commonwealth.“

With both towns receiving increases well above the statewide average, this Chapter 90 road funding increase is a major win for local infrastructure.

How the Chapter 90 Road Funding Increase Works

The Chapter 90 program provides state money to help cities and towns with road maintenance, sidewalk upgrades, and other transportation improvements.

Traditionally, Chapter 90 funds are distributed using a three-part formula:

• 58.33% based on a town’s road mileage
• 20.83% based on population
• 20.83% based on employment levels

For FY26, $200 million will still use this standard formula. But the remaining $100 million will be allocated entirely based on local road mileage—a move designed to better serve small towns with many miles of roads but fewer people or businesses.

This shift will especially help communities like Blackstone and Millville, where maintaining a large road network can strain local budgets.

What’s Next?

Although the House passed the bill unanimously on July 23, 2025, it still requires:

• A vote in the Senate
• Governor Maura Healey’s signature to become law

Once finalized, funds will be distributed by MassDOT to towns and cities to begin or continue much-needed road projects.

Why This Chapter 90 Road Funding Increase Matters

Maintaining safe roads is critical for public safety, emergency response, school transportation, and everyday driving. The new mileage-based funding recognizes that towns with long road networks have higher costs—regardless of size.

Thanks to this Chapter 90 road funding increase, communities like Blackstone and Millville are in a better position to maintain their roads without overburdening local taxpayers.

At Small Town Post, we’re proud to share helpful, inspiring, and easy-to-understand updates that matter to Blackstone, Millville, and surrounding towns. Stories like this show how state-level decisions directly affect our local roads and quality of life. If you have local news, updates, or community stories to share—we’d love to hear from you! Don’t forget to follow Small Town Post on Facebook for regular updates.

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