Source: State House News Service, Sam Doran Mar 4, 2025
Rep. James Arciero was "surprised" when House Speaker Ronald Mariano tapped him to take over as co-chair of the Transportation Committee, the Westford Democrat said Monday, and he now plans to travel the state to learn more about local transportation as he gets up to speed on congestion woes and infrastructure needs.
Arciero said the new assignment mirrored his 2021 appointment as co-chair of the Housing Committee -- he had "never worked in that space before" either.
Last session, he was the House point-person on a major housing production and borrowing law. This session, he will likely have a hand in another Gov. Maura Healey priority -- an $8 billion transportation plan that features around $5 billion in borrowing authorizations. Another priority Healey bill allocates $1.32 billion in income surtax funds on education and transportation.
"I intend to go across the state again and listen to the needs and concerns of people across the state. Essentially, also, you have to remember this is a subject matter that affects everybody," he said. "It's certainly about improving the lives of people, access to essential services, it touches our wellbeing, it touches our economy, and I'm excited to get to work."
The three towns he represents are MBTA communities -- Chelmsford and Littleton, which have rail stations, and the adjacent community of Westford.
Arciero also weighed in on Auditor Diana DiZoglio's recent labeling of the MBTA Communities zoning law as an unfunded mandate. He said that 125 communities had requested money from the Executive Office for Housing and Livable Communities for assistance to comply with the law, and all of them had received funding.
"So I don't see it as an unfunded mandate, I see it as technical assistance to assist and to hire staff to set up zoning ... and moving forward after that, I don't see tremendous costs in the communities," he said.
Arciero's co-chair, Sen. Brendan Crighton, lives in Lynn, so both Transportation chairs live north of Boston.
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