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April 27, 2024 Clear | 40°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Section 1: Definitions

Section 1. As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:—

''Board'', the board of directors of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation established pursuant to section 2.

''Boston extension'', all roadways and tunnels for vehicular traffic that constitute that portion of interstate highway route 90 beginning at and including the interchange of interstate highway route 90 and state highway route 128 in the town of Weston and ending in the city of Boston at the interchange of interstate highway route 90 and interstate highway route 93 and such additional highway and bridge components as the general court may from time to time determine and including such real property and any improvements thereon, personal property, equipment, licenses, appurtenances and interests in land acquired or leased in connection with or incident to the construction, ownership, operation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, improvement, repair, maintenance or administration of such roadways and tunnels as are necessary for their safe and efficient operation and maintenance or which are otherwise convenient or desirable to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

''Callahan tunnel'', the tunnel for vehicular traffic constructed under chapter 598 of the acts of 1958 between the North End section of the city of Boston and the East Boston section of said city and including such real property and any improvements thereon, personal property, equipment, licenses, appurtenances and interests in land acquired or leased in connection with or incident to the construction, ownership, operation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, improvement, repair, maintenance or administration of such tunnel as are necessary for its safe and efficient operation and maintenance or which are otherwise convenient or desirable to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

''Central artery'', all roadways and tunnels for vehicular traffic constructed by the highway division that constitute that portion of interstate highway route 93 beginning at a point immediately south of the Southampton street interchange, so-called, and continuing to and including the interchange of interstate highway route 93 and Massachusetts avenue in the South End section of the city of Boston and continuing to and including the interchange of interstate highway route 90 and interstate highway route 93 in the South Bay section of the city of Boston, so-called, and continuing to and including the interchange of state highway route 1 and interstate highway route 93 in the Charlestown section of the city of Boston including, but not limited to, the so-called Charles river crossing portion of interstate highway route 93 and such additional highway and bridge components as the general court may from time to time determine, but excluding the central artery north area. ''Central artery'' shall also include such real property and any improvements thereon, personal property, equipment, licenses, appurtenances and interests in land acquired or leased in connection with or incident to the construction, ownership, operation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, improvement, repair, maintenance or administration of such roadways and tunnels as are necessary for their safe and efficient operation and maintenance or which are otherwise convenient or desirable to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

''Central artery north area'', all roadways and tunnels for vehicular traffic constructed by the highway division consisting of a portion of state highway route 1 beginning at, but not including, the southern boundary of the Tobin memorial bridge and continuing to the interchange of interstate highway route 93 and state highway route 1, including such real property and any improvements thereon, personal property, equipment, licenses, appurtenances and interests in land acquired or leased in connection with or incident to the construction, ownership, operation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, improvement, repair, maintenance or administration of such roadways and tunnels as are necessary for their safe and efficient operation and maintenance or which are otherwise convenient or desirable to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

''Cost'', as applied to any project of the department any or all costs, whenever incurred, of carrying out and placing such projects in operation, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, amounts for the following: acquisition, construction expansion improvement and rehabilitation of facilities; acquisition of real or personal property; demolitions and relocations; labor, materials, machinery and equipment; services of architects, engineers and environmental and financial experts and other consultants; feasibility studies, plans, specifications and surveys; interest prior to and during the carrying out of any project and for a reasonable period thereafter; reserves for debt service or other capital or current expenses; costs of issuance; and working capital, administrative expenses; legal expenses and other expenses necessary or incidental to the aforesaid, to the financing thereof and to the issuance therefor of bonds under this chapter.

''Costs of issuance'', any amounts payable or reimbursable directly or indirectly by the department and related to the sale and issuance of bonds and the investment of the proceeds thereof and of revenues securing the same including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, printing costs, filing and recording fees, fees and charges of trustees, depositories, authenticating agents and paying agents, legal and auditing fees and charges, financial consultant fees, costs of credit ratings, premiums for insurance of the payment of bonds and fees payable for letters or lines of credit or other credit facilities securing bonds, underwriting or placement costs, fees and charges for execution, transportation and safekeeping of bonds, costs and expenses of refunding and other costs, fees and charges in connection with the foregoing.

''Current expenses'', the department's current expenses, whether or not annually recurring, of maintaining, repairing and operating the assets under the possession, custody and control of the department and engaging in other activities authorized by this chapter including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, amounts for administrative expenses of the department including costs of salaries and benefits, as provided in this chapter, cost of insurance, payments for engineering, financial, accounting, legal and other services rendered to the department, taxes upon the department or its income, operations or property and payments in lieu of such taxes, costs incurred or payable by the department with respect to the assets under the possession, custody and control of the department, costs of issuance not financed in the cost of a project, and other current expenses required or permitted by law to be paid by the department, including the funding of reasonable reserves for upgrading, maintenance, repair, replacements, insurance, emergency contingencies or operations.

''Department'', the Massachusetts Department of Transportation established in section 2.

''Designated parkways,'' McGrath and O'Brien Highways in the cities of Cambridge and Somerville, the Carrol parkway, Middlesex avenue in the city of Medford, William Casey highway overpass in the Jamaica Plain section of the city of Boston, Columbia road in the South Boston section of the city of Boston, Morton Street in Boston and Gallivan boulevard in the Dorchester section of the city of Boston, all formerly operated and maintained by the department of conservation and recreation.

''Fund'', the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund established in section 4.

''Independent agencies'', shall include, but not be limited to, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the Massachusetts Port Authority, the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority and the regional transit authorities established in chapter 161B.

''Massachusetts Port Authority'', the Massachusetts Port Authority established pursuant to chapter 465 of the acts of 1956.

''Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority'', the Massachusetts bay transportation authority; established by chapter 161A.

''Maurice J. Tobin Memorial Bridge'', the bridge formerly known as the Mystic River Bridge in the cities of Chelsea and Boston.

''Metropolitan highway system'', the integrated system of roadways, bridges, tunnels, overpasses, interchanges, parking facilities, entrance plazas, approaches, connecting highways, service stations, restaurants, tourist information centers and administration, storage, maintenance and other buildings that the department owns, constructs or operates and maintains pursuant to this chapter which consists of the Boston extension, the Callahan tunnel, the central artery, the central artery north area, the Tobin memorial bridge, the Sumner tunnel and the Ted Williams tunnel and any additional highway, tunnel and bridge components as the general court may from time to time determine.

''Metropolitan highway system revenues'', (i) all rates, fees, tolls, rentals or other charges and other earned income and receipts as derived from or with respect to the ownership, operation, lease, rent or other use or disposition of the metropolitan highway system or any part thereof; and (ii) all other funds received by the department, from whatever source, relating to the metropolitan highway system.

''Notes or bonds'', the notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of the department issued pursuant to this chapter.

''Revenues'', all charges and other receipts derived by the department from operation of the assets under the possession, custody and control of the department and all other activities or properties of the Office of Planning and Programming including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, proceeds of grants, gifts or appropriations to the department, investment earnings and proceeds of insurance or condemnation and the sale or other disposition of real or personal property.

''Secretary'', the secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

''State agencies'', shall include, without limitation, the department, the department of conservation and recreation and such other state agencies as may be involved in transportation related functions from time to time.

''State highway system'', all roadways, bridges, tunnels, overpasses, interchanges, parking facilities, entrance plazas, approaches, connecting highways, service stations, restaurants, tourist information centers and administration, storage, maintenance and other buildings that the department owns, constructs or operates and maintains pursuant to this chapter, including the designated parkways, and any additional highway, tunnel and bridge components as the general court may from time to time determine.

''State public transit system'', all publicly funded modes of transportation, but not including roads and bridges.

''Sumner tunnel'', the vehicular tunnel under Boston harbor, heretofore constructed and financed by the city of Boston under chapter 297 of the acts of 1929, including such real property and any improvements thereon, personal property, equipment, licenses, appurtenances and interests in land acquired or leased in connection with or incident to the construction, ownership, operation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, improvement, repair, maintenance or administration of such tunnel as are necessary for its safe and efficient operation and maintenance or which are otherwise convenient or desirable to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

''Ted Williams tunnel'', all or any segments of the roadways, bridges, viaducts and tunnels for vehicular traffic constructed by the highway department that constitute the interstate highway route 90 extension and its connecting roadways and tunnels, including: (i) the harbor tunnel crossing beneath Boston harbor, beginning at and including the interchanges of state highway route 1A and the Logan airport access and egress roadways with interstate highway route 90 and continuing beneath Boston harbor to and including the interchange of interstate highway route 90 and South Boston bypass road, but excluding the Logan airport access and egress roadways owned by the Massachusetts Port Authority on March 1, 1997 and any additional access and egress roadways acquired by the Massachusetts Port Authority after March 1, 1997; (ii) the seaport access highway, so-called, beginning at the interchange of interstate highway routes 90 and 93 and continuing to the interchange of interstate highway route 90 and South Boston bypass road; and (iii) South Boston bypass road, a portion of which is also known as South Boston haul road, beginning at the interchange of interstate highway route 93 and South Boston bypass road and continuing to the interchange of the seaport access highway, so-called, in the South Boston section of the city of Boston, including such real property and any improvements thereon, personal property, equipment, licenses, appurtenances and interests in land acquired or leased by the highway department in connection with or incident to the construction, ownership, operation, rehabilitation, reconstruction, improvement, repair, maintenance or administration of such roadways and tunnels as are necessary for their safe and efficient operation and maintenance or which are otherwise convenient or desirable to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

''Turnpike'', the limited access express toll highway, designated as interstate highway route 90, and all bridges, tunnels, overpasses, underpasses, interchanges, parking facilities, entrance plazas, approaches, connecting highways, service stations, restaurants, tourist information centers and administration, storage, maintenance and other buildings that the department may own, construct or operate and maintain pursuant to this chapter and any additional highway, tunnel and bridge components as the general court may from time to time determine, extending from the town of West Stockbridge on the commonwealth's border with New York state to, but not including, the interchange of interstate highway route 90 and state highway route 128 in the town of Weston.

''Turnpike corridor'', the cities and towns of the commonwealth from the New York state border to state highway route 128 through which the turnpike runs and municipalities contiguous to such cities and towns.

''Turnpike revenues'', (i) all rates, fees, tolls, rentals or other charges and other earned income and receipts derived from or with respect to the ownership, operation, lease, rent or other use or disposition of the turnpike or any part thereof; and (ii) all other funds received by the department, from whatever source, relating to the turnpike.