BOSTON — The Bay State will spend upwards of $8 billion over the next ten years improving its roads, bridges and regional transportation services if a proposal announced by the governor Tuesday is passed by the legislature.

Gov. Maura Healey, speaking from Union Station in Worcester, said that the investment will be included as a supplement to her 2026 budget proposal, and will be possible without further tax raises.

The plan would represent the largest state investment into transportation in more than 20 years, according to the governor.

“This historic transportation proposal represents smart, forward-thinking fiscal management, and it will have an impact on people in all regions of our state. We’re going to invest billions of dollars to deliver better roads, less traffic, safer bridges and a transit system that works in every region,” Healey said.

The money would be used to close a $700 million gap in the MBTA’s budget and move the state forward on West-East Rail development, according to the governor.

The plan comes in answer to a recommendation provided by the final report from the Transportation Funding Task Force released to the governor and made public with the announcement.

According to the report, “the Task Force recognizes that there are immediate and urgent needs to stabilize the operating conditions of public transportation agencies around the state, including the MBTA, RTAs, and microtransit services, and to address acute municipal needs for infrastructure funding, collaboration, and technical assistance for significant local and regional challenges.”

Healey’s proposal would pay for the investment using $765 million in Fair Share amendment funds in fiscal 2026. According to the governor’s office, these funds would be used to “maximize Fair Share through borrowing to yield $5 billion over the next 10 years for capital investment bonds in rail, roads, bridges, Regional Transit Authorities and culverts.”

A further $687 million from the fiscal 2026 operating budget would be used to address the MBTA’s budget shortfall, a more than two-fold increase on the $314 million included in Healey’s fiscal 2025 budget.

MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said he will ensure that the money invested in the T is well spent.

“We’re going to make the best use of the public’s dollars by building a more efficient and capable workforce, and delivering meaningful projects and services that improve the transit experience for everyone,” he said.

Healey’s proposal was quickly slammed as a “bailout plan” for the state’s beleaguered transportation network. Paul Craney, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance said the “proposal is a textbook example of fiscal irresponsibility.”

“Rather than tackling the deep-rooted inefficiencies and mismanagement plaguing the MBTA, Governor Healey is opting to throw more taxpayer dollars at the problem, all while leveraging Massachusetts’ financial future with unsustainable borrowing,” he said.

Andrew Farnitano, a spokesperson for Raise Up Massachusetts, the group behind the Fair Share Amendment which taxes incomes over $1 million an extra 4%, said the results of the law passed by voters in 2022 speak for themselves.

“Without Fair Share, we would almost certainly be facing fare hikes and service cuts at the T, and more deferred maintenance of our state’s crumbling transportation infrastructure. Because of Fair Share, we can now begin to build the transportation and public education systems that Massachusetts needs to support families, businesses, and our entire economy,” Farnitano said in a statement.

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