A massive infrastructure project in Allston could lose hundreds of millions of dollars promised by the federal government under a new plan being discussed in Congress.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this week proposed slashing $3.1 billion in not-yet-obligated funds for a grant program aimed at reconnecting communities divided by past transportation projects.
That includes the Allston Multimodal Project — a long-planned effort to reconstruct a portion of the Mass Turnpike, build a new train and bus hub, and improve pedestrian and bike access to the Charles River. The project was awarded a $335 million grant in 2024 as part of the federal program.
“We’re deeply concerned that some members of Congress are now proposing to rescind these funds,” said Kate Dineen, CEO of A Better City, a nonprofit involved in the Allston project. “These funds have been promised by the federal government.”
According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the grant accounts for nearly 18% of the project’s estimated $1.9 billion price tag. A spokesperson for the department said in an email that they are “aware of the proposal” to rescind the funding, but did not provide further comment on what losing the grant could mean for the project.
According to Dineen, while the grant is substantial, losing the federal funds would not derail the project.
“We remain confident that this project will move forward,” she said.
Dineen added that stakeholders are hopeful the committee’s plan to slash the grant funding will ultimately fail to make its way through both houses of Congress.
There are several other infrastructure projects in Massachusetts that stand to lose funding as part of the proposal, including a proposed bridge over the Fitchburg Commuter Rail line in Cambridge and plans to improve connections between East Boston and Chelsea.
Transportation advocates have been sounding the alarm over potential cuts to key projects under the Trump administration for months now. Earlier this year, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy released a series of memos seemingly taking aim at Democratic strongholds like Massachusetts, calling for federal transportation funding to prioritize projects in areas that comply with White House policies.
