June 29, 2022

BOSTON, MA – As Chairman of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Representative Antonio F. D. Cabral (D-New Bedford) successfully added a $2 million bond authorization to the House’s transportation bond bill for climate resiliency and public accessibility improvements at the Buttonwood Park Pond. Specific improvements include water quality testing, storm water mitigation, and public accessibility improvements for the Norwoods Trail connector at the Buttonwood Park Dam in the Buttonwood Brook Watershed.

Additional bond authorizations for New Bedford include:

• $500,000 for Safety Improvements at the Hathaway Road and Rockdale Avenue intersection, specifically traffic signals and roadway improvements
• $200,000 for an Automatic Speed-Triggered Traffic Management System for East Rodney French Boulevard and West Rodney French Boulevard

This legislation authorizes the Executive Office of Administration and Finance to finance a set of traffic lights at Hathaway Road and Rockdale Avenue, a European-style speed triggered traffic system on East and West Rodney French Boulevards to slow traffic on the peninsula, and support long overdue plans to address flooding, wildlife, and accessibility concerns at the Buttonwood Park Pond.

Rep. Cabral was also proud to join his colleagues in supporting the following amendments, also adopted in the $10.9 Billion bond bill:

• $100,000 for the City of New Bedford Transportation Master Plan
• $250,000 for the City of New Bedford Greening the Gateway Cities Program
• $100 Million for the permitting and early construction components of the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge

“Overall, the transportation investment needs in New Bedford and the South Coast are abundant,” said Rep. Cabral. “Thankfully, with these bond authorizations, we’ll continue improving the safety and accessibility of our transportation network and ensuring a cleaner, more sustainable Buttonwood watershed. I am grateful to the constituents who brought their concerns to my attention, and I’m proud that these authorizations will bring our city another step closer to achieving our urban green infrastructure goals.”

The transportation bond bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.