The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Massachusetts DOT (MassDOT) and other state agencies and municipalities recently announced a new collective purchasing agreement for bus and bike lane road markings in order to accelerate multimodal infrastructure throughout metropolitan areas.
This collective procurement effort will allow public transportation agencies to cooperate and achieve a greater economy of scale in building projects, ultimately bringing costs down, according to MBTA.
MBTA says the winning bid from construction firm K5—$4.70 per sq ft for red bus lane material—is very competitive and will aid an unprecedented expansion in multimodal projects at a critical time. Previous costs ranged from $7 to $12 per sq ft, depending on the municipality.
Combined, the participating municipalities represent more than one-fifth of the Commonwealth’s total population and account for most major regional transit corridors in the metropolitan region. Based on past construction costs across the region and projected project budgets, the MBTA estimates that this joint procurement effort could save taxpayers over $2 million next year, or about 10% of what the MBTA plans to spend on the Rapid Response Bus Lanes Program. Additional savings are expected if the procurement is renewed for future years and potentially expanded to more municipalities.
The MBTA is partnering with many of these cities and towns over the next year to advance projects that make regional roadways more reliable for tens of thousands of daily bus riders.
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SOURCE: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
