Mayor Wu Mobilizes $330M State HousingWorks Capital as MBTA Fast-Tracks Symphony Station and Tunnel Upgrades

$330 Million State HousingWorks Funding Unlocks Critical Neighborhood Infrastructure

BOSTON, Massachusetts — Standing with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and regional municipal leaders, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu celebrated a landmark allocation of $330 million in state economic development and HousingWorks infrastructure capital in early October 2026. The funding directly finances water main replacements, electrical utility duct banks, roadway resurfacing, and pedestrian streetscapes necessary to unlock thousands of transit-oriented housing units across Boston.

Mayor Wu highlighted that public infrastructure investments represent the catalytic backbone for housing production, ensuring that designated affordable developments in Mattapan, East Boston, and Roxbury obtain modern utility connections without burdening local municipal taxpayers or slowing construction schedules.

MBTA Accelerates Subway Signal Modernization and Symphony Station Accessibility

Concurrently, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) executed targeted multi-day fast-track shutdowns across key rapid transit corridors to complete generational deferred maintenance. Work crews in the Green Line central subway tunnel installed solid-state electronic signal interlockings, track vibration dampers, and updated overhead catenary wires to support future Type 10 low-floor light rail vehicles.

On the E Branch along Huntington Avenue, heavy contractors advanced long-awaited universal accessibility retrofits at the 85-year-old Symphony Station. Crews completed deep foundation shaft excavations for dual glass elevators, raised platform curbs to enable level boarding for mobility-device users, and installed tactile warning edges, transforming one of Boston's oldest subterranean stations into a modern transit facility.

Blue Line Switch Replacements and Multimodal Corridors Expand Access

North of downtown, MBTA engineering teams completed interlocking switch and ballast replacements at the Blue Line's Wonderland Station, eliminating lingering speed restrictions along the coastal transit route. Furthermore, the Boston Transportation Department continued community workshops regarding the Blue Hill Avenue Transportation Action Plan, refining center-running bus priority lanes and green tree canopies.

Civic and neighborhood leaders commended the relentless focus on transit accessibility and housing infrastructure, stressing that modernized subways and resilient utilities secure Boston's standing as a world-class, liveable city.