Bill
H 3628
Creates a cross-agency working group (MassDOT and EEA) to study unpaved and low-volume paved roads, collect data, assess costs and climate effects, and explore statewide standards.
Status and basic info
- Bill number: H. 3628
- Title: An Act relative to unpaved roads
- Introduced: February 27, 2025
- Filed by: Representative Natalie M. Blais (Deerfield)
- Current status: Hearing scheduled for November 4, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Committee Room A-2
- Committee action: Referred to the Massachusetts House Committee on Transportation (also noted as “Senate concurred” in related actions)
- Related materials: Similar matter previously filed as House No. 3270 (2023-2024); HD 2732 replaces the current filing
What the bill does (purpose and intent)
- Establishes a formal, cross-agency working group to study the maintenance and improvement of unpaved roads (dirt and gravel) and paved low-volume roads (LVRs) in the Commonwealth.
- Aims to identify safe, efficient, and environmentally sound practices for maintaining and improving these roads, and to assess statewide standards and potential rating systems.
- Seeks to inform future policy by compiling data, evaluating funding flows and gaps, and reviewing best practices at the state and national levels.
Key provisions and requirements
- Convening authority: The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) in conjunction with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) must convene the working group.
- Working group mandate (minimum tasks):
- Create a database of unpaved roads and paved LVRs.
- Analyze miles of unpaved roads and paved LVRs by municipality and county in relation to total road miles.
- Collect five-year data on annual maintenance and improvement costs for unpaved roads and paved LVRs for each municipality in counties where unpaved road mileage constitutes over 20% of total county roadway mileage.
- Explore the potential relationship between climate change and maintenance costs for these roads.
- Identify existing state funding streams available to municipalities for these roads and any funding gaps.
- Compile and review studies and reports on unpaved roads and paved LVRs in Massachusetts.
- Assess feasibility of a condition rating system for unpaved roads and paved LVRs.
- Assess feasibility of statewide standards for unpaved roads.
- Research national best practices and identify any existing state-funded maintenance programs.
- Membership and leadership:
- Co-chairs: Secretary of Transportation or designee; Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs or designee.
- Additional statutory and advisory participants: Commissioner of Revenue or designee; Secretary of Public Safety and Security or designee; designees from rural policy, MA Highway Association, MA Municipal Association, a transportation planner from a MA Transportation Planning Organization, a designee from UMass Amherst Transportation Center, and a designee from the MA Association of Conservation Commissions.
- Timeline for the group:
- First meeting: No later than January 1, 2026.
- Findings and submissions: No later than June 30, 2026, to the clerks of the House and Senate, the chairs of Ways and Means, and the chairs of the Joint Committees on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture and on Transportation.
Data, reporting, and potential outcomes
- The bill emphasizes data-driven analysis (databases, mileage analyses, cost data, climate considerations) to inform policy.
- Possible outcomes include development of a condition rating system and statewide standards for unpaved roads, along with identification of funding needs and potential state guidance.
- While the bill requires study and reporting, it does not specify appropriation or immediate funding authorizations.
Who and what is affected
- Massachusetts state agencies (MassDOT and EEA) leading the process.
- Municipalities, especially those in counties where unpaved road mileage is a substantial share of total county road miles (≥ 20%).
- Stakeholder groups and associations listed in the bill (e.g., MA Highway Association, MA Municipal Association, rural policy groups, conservation commissions, UMass Transportation Center).
Procedural timeline highlights
- Hearing: November 4, 2025 (1:00–5:00 PM, in A-2).
- First meeting deadline: January 1, 2026.
- Final reporting deadline: June 30, 2026.
Overall impact
- The bill sets up a structured, multi-agency process to modernize and standardize understanding of unpaved and low-volume paved roads, with an emphasis on data collection, climate considerations, and potential development of statewide standards and rating systems. It lays groundwork for future policy and funding decisions without creating immediate appropriations.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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