By Tiffany Williams –
BOSTON — The Trump Administration has terminated $327 million in federal funding awarded to Massachusetts for the Allston Multimodal Project, state officials confirmed Friday. The funds were originally granted in 2023 through the now-canceled Neighborhood Access and Equity Program. Massachusetts will retain only $8 million from the original award.
Governor Maura Healey called the decision “wrong-headed and frustrating,” emphasizing the project’s broad benefits to transportation, job creation, and economic development.
“Massachusetts won this funding to support our communities and our economy – and the Trump Administration needs to restore it. Why would any President of the United States oppose a project that will improve transportation for residents and visitors alike, create thousands of construction jobs, support local businesses and create space for new housing? We all benefit from that,” said Governor Healey. “The people of Massachusetts deserve better from their federal government. However, we have known that this day was likely to come, as wrong-headed and frustrating as the decision is. We remain committed to doing everything we can, working with our incredible project partners, to make Allston Multimodal a reality.”
The grant termination follows President Trump’s signing of legislation that ended the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program, under which Massachusetts received the award for the Allston Multimodal Project. The initiative is designed to modernize transportation infrastructure in Allston and beyond, with benefits extending across Greater Boston and into Central and Western Massachusetts.
Despite the funding setback, Healey and her administration reaffirmed their commitment to delivering the project.
“We have known that this day was likely to come,” Healey added. “We remain committed to doing everything we can, working with our incredible project partners, to make Allston Multimodal a reality.”
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll praised the work of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and its leadership team, noting that efforts to advance the project would continue.
“Under the leadership of Secretary Tibbits-Nutt and Megaprojects Director Luisa Paiewonsky, we are committed to getting this project back on track and delivering for the people of Massachusetts,” said Driscoll.
Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt said that while the loss of the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant is disappointing, it does not deter the state’s commitment.
“We will move forward with a strategic review of the project, both analyzing the project costs and consulting with an outside engineering firm to assess the project,” Tibbits-Nutt said. “We believe in the Allston Multimodal Project and will stay engaged and in communication with the Task Force, project partners and elected officials as we chart our path forward.”
The Allston Multimodal Project aims to improve highway and rail connections, expand commuter and passenger rail service for residents in MetroWest, Central and Western Massachusetts, and unlock Beacon Park Yard for potential redevelopment. The project also promises to reconnect neighborhoods historically divided by transportation infrastructure.
MassDOT officials said they will launch a strategic review to assess how best to deliver on the project’s transportation goals within current budget constraints. The outcome will guide a revised proposal, developed in collaboration with the City of Boston, Harvard University, Boston University, elected leaders, and members of the Allston Multimodal Project Task Force.