Massachusetts Infrastructure Report Card Calls Attention to Pandemic Shifts and Long-Term Questions

Massachusetts may be known for extensive public spending, but that did not prevent it from getting a “C” on the 2025 Infrastructure Report Card published by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Infrastructure problems have plagued Massachusetts since well before the pandemic, and the past several years have made maintaining and improving the systems much more difficult for many metropolitan centers in the US.

Pioneer Institute’s DataLabs platform yields some insight into persistent infrastructure quality concerns with Massachusetts’ transportation network. For context, Massachusetts ranked 38th nationally, with only 74.3% of its roads in acceptable condition, compared to the national average of 81.2%. Massachusetts also ranks 4th highest in the share of bridges in poor condition. These rankings reflect longstanding infrastructure issues that have become increasingly expensive to address post-pandemic.

Rising inflation, labor shortages, and changing commute patterns have uniquely affected transportation infrastructure. Rising costs are due in large part to inflationary pressures from the pandemic, and there has been an increase in construction costs specifically due to supply chain disruptions. Higher prices for goods like steel and concrete, paired with a compounding labor shortage, have thrown unexpected wrenches into state budgets and delayed project timelines.

At the same time, the rise of remote work has shifted commuting behaviors and reduced transit agency revenue. Currently, around 15.6% of Massachusetts’ workforce remains remote based, which is still elevated from pre-pandemic levels of 5%. Originally, 33% of the T’s operating budget was supported by fare revenue but it dipped to as low as 22% in 2025. The resulting increase in the cost to revenue ratio has made operation and repair difficult. The state found itself bridging its 2025 budget gap of roughly $700 million with a $535 million surtax spending bill, which was only able to direct $40 million to infrastructure due to rising costs.

Figure 1: Massachusetts commute modes by percent, 2019-2024. Data Source: Pioneer Institute’s US DataLabs.

Despite these shifting commuting patterns, almost 70% of Massachusetts workers still choose to commute primarily by driving or carpooling, meaning roadway quality remains economically significant for most residents. In fact, poor road conditions carry substantial costs for drivers, who lose almost $700 annually due to vehicle damages incurred from poor conditions. It begs the question: where should policymakers look to invest infrastructure dollars moving forward?

Just last month, MassDOT launched its FY2027-2031 investment plan, which will look to invest upwards of $20.5 billion into infrastructure improvements. Of the many projects proposed, the main goals are to prioritize safety and accessibility. Top of mind for policymakers is the recent death of State Trooper Kevin Trainor after an incident of wrong-way driving along Route 1 on May 6th. While Massachusetts touts a low traffic fatality rate compared to other states, the number of vulnerable road users with fatal or serious injuries is trending upwards again, per the MassDOT Crash Portal.

Figure 2: Highway fatalities per 100k residents across selected states, 2019-2024. Source: Pioneer Institute US DataLabs

Taken together, repairing road conditions and tightening safety measures for vulnerable road users are top goals of MassDOT’s investment plan. The approved projects will have state-wide impacts on EV charging infrastructure, railroad crossing improvements, and pedestrian and cyclist pathways. By improving infrastructure for all travelers, the Massachusetts transportation network becomes more interconnected, reliable, and cost-effective in the long-term.

Mia Raineri is a Roger Perry Government Transparency Intern at the Pioneer Institute. She recently earned her M.S. in Applied Economics from Boston College.