Boston and State File Joint $2 Billion Federal Grant Bid for Allston-Brighton Beacon Yards Project

BOSTON — July 19, 2026 — Boston and Massachusetts jointly applied for a federal MEGA grant to fund the roughly $2 billion Beacon Yards multimodal project in Allston-Brighton. Mayor Michelle Wu, joined by State Senator Will Brownsberger, State Representatives Mike Moran and Kevin Honan, and City Councilor Liz Braden at a July 19 site tour, announced that the city and MassDOT submitted the application on June 23 under the first-ever round of the federal MEGA grant program, with an award announcement expected in fall 2026. Chief of Streets Yasha Franklin Hodge said the city's financial contribution would focus on local street elements, with the state and federal government expected to carry the bulk of highway and rail costs, and that MassDOT will file a notice of project change through the environmental permitting process later this year to clarify scope and cost. Fred Salvucci, former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation and an Allston resident, called the joint application the step that makes "this impossible dream possible," while community advocates including Allston Civic Association President Tony Desodoro and Harvard-Allston Task Force Chair Cindy Machado said the neighborhood has been pushing for this moment for nearly a decade.