Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined with Lowell elected officials and community leaders to highlight the transformative support included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for regional transit agencies across the Commonwealth. The event focused on how agencies like the Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) will be able to expand and improve its services for families that rely on public transportation in the Greater Lowell area.

“Growing up in Lowell, my family relied on buses to get around. I know firsthand just how the Lowell Regional Transit Authority serves so many working families and students in Lowell and beyond,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “By investing in local public transit agencies like the LRTA, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is paving the way for the critical improvements and upgrades necessary to strengthen transit services that so many rely on across our region. I’m proud of my vote to secure these investments, and I look forward to watching the ways they benefit the daily lives of working families in the Third District and across our Commonwealth.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $39 billion to modernize public transit and expand accessible public transportation options. Massachusetts is set to receive no less than $2.5 billion to repair and upgrade bus and rail fleets, improve accessibility for the elderly and people with disabilities, replace older buses with clean, zero emission vehicles, and train transit workers to maintain and operate these new vehicles. These investments will benefit residents in the Third District and beyond who rely on public transportation, many of whom currently spend an extra 53 percent of their time commuting, on average.

“The LRTA is excited to have the support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to invest in transit infrastructure, service and sustainability for our community,” said Lowell Regional Transit Authority Administrator David Bradley. “We are thankful for Congresswoman Lori Trahan’s advocacy and look forward to partnering as we improve transit throughout the LRTA region.”

“Supporting public investment in transit is critical to creating a low-carbon, equitable transportation system that connects residents to the economic and educational opportunities that lead to a better quality of life,” said Northern Middlesex Council of Governments Executive Director Beverly Woods. “Such a reliable public transportation system is also essential to the region’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Investments made today will ensure that the transit system the region relies on is available, adequate and accessible to all residents in the future.”

Trahan was joined by Lowell Regional Transit Authority Administrator David Bradley, State Senator Ed Kennedy, State Representative Vanna Howard, and Northern Middlesex Council of Governments Executive Director Beverly Woods.

"We are elated by the investment the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill makes into the public transit system of the Commonwealth,” said State Senator Ed Kennedy. “The importance of regional transit authorities like the LRTA for the working-class families of my district, and others across the State cannot be understated. This investment will go a long way in ensuring the resiliency of these systems."

“So many people I know and, in our community, rely on the Lowell Regional Transit Authority for travel, so the improvements to be accomplished here under the Infrastructure Act will ensure a more efficient and safer experience for them,” said State Representative Vanna Howard. “The improvements planned with these resources will address long needed updates at our LRTA and will enhance the opportunity for more of our area residents to experience this important connection to our region, and beyond.”

Trahan supported passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk where he signed it into law. A preliminary breakdown of funding Massachusetts will receive for a number of initiatives can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Trahan has long advocated for funding to expand and improve public transit in the Third District and beyond. In July, Trahan proudly voted for the INVEST in America Act, delivering billions in national transit upgrades to reduce the transit maintenance backlog, increase access to riders, make commutes to and from work more efficient, and make transit vehicles environmentally efficient to reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, which are the largest single source in the United States.

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