SPRINGFIELD – Sen. Edward Markey touted the two infrastructure bills recently passed by the Senate by saying that they will bring jobs to Western Massachusetts while bringing needed transportation and infrastructure upgrades.

Markey, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, and other local and state officials gathered at Union Station to promote the bills as they await passage in the House of Representatives.

Markey himself was late for the event, apparently due to traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike, and joined the event via a video call before he eventually arrived.         Other speakers joked that the traffic he had experienced was evidence that Western Massachusetts is in need of transportation upgrades, specifically, the East-West Passenger Railway.

“We are at a historic juncture in the history of our country thanks to the massive investments we are going to be making in our country and its future,” said Markey shortly after he arrived.

He said earlier in the day he had been in Boston raising earthquake relief money for Haiti in the wake of the county’s devastating earthquake earlier this month.

“In the future, I will be able to go immediately to Boston’s City Hall over to the train station and be right here,” said Markey, “And no longer worrying whether or not I will arrive in time.”

Markey said he hopes to see both infrastructure bills pass through the House of Representatives. The first bill, a $1.2 trillion bipartisan bill, was passed 69-30 in the Senate after weeks of negotiations between both parties.

The second bill is a $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” bill, and did not receive any Republican votes in the Senate, which required Vice President Kamala Harris to cast a tie-breaking vote for the bill to move to the House of Representatives. It contains many provisions that Democrats had wanted in the bipartisan bill.

Markey said the bipartisan bill will bring upgrades to roads, bridges, and existing railways across Massachusetts and will further tie the Springfield area into the regional economy.

“It’s ultimately $4.7 trillion, and every single program in those two bills has Springfield included and eligible for those programs,” said Markey, “This is legislation drafted for Springfield, Massachusetts, drafted to deal with every one of the issues that confronts the city so that the 21st century can be brighter and more optimistic and more positive century than the 20ths century or the 19th century was for this great city.”

Markey said that Massachusetts as a whole will directly receive more than $8 billion. He said $5.3 billion of which will be used to upgrade roads and bridges, $2.5 billion will be spent on transit systems, $63 million will be spent on electric vehicle infrastructure, and at least $100 million will be spent on broadband internet access.

Markey pointed to Sumner Avenue in Springfield as an area that could benefit from roadway upgrades.

He also announced that the bill will include a $12 billion program to advance and fund intercity passenger rail projects for underserved and under-connected communities.

“Passenger rail is an essential ingredient for a healthy economy, a healthy environment, and a healthy workforce, and yet communities like Springfield, like Pittsfield, and towns all throughout the Berkshires have been denied these transformational investments for far too long,” said Markey, “Fortunately, this new program will allow us to finally develop and east-west rail line alongside a larger network that connects each part of Massachusetts to the business, to workers and opportunities that make up our world.”

The bills also contain provisions for funding to fight the effects and causes of human-caused climate change. Markey said that those provisions will not only work to fight climate change, but will create new jobs in Massachusetts in order to do so. It would form a “Civilian Climate Corps” that Markey said will mirror the work done by the Peace Corps, but it will focus on climate change mitigation and prevention projects rather than humanitarian projects.

In the human-infrastructure bill, Markey touted provisions that would provide free preschool for three and four year olds, as well as free community college for all Americans.

“This changes the educational model in our country that says that grades one through 12 should be free. Instead we will say that education will be free from age three until you finish community college in our country,” said Markey.

Markey said later that he expects the bills to be passed in the House of Representatives as well.

“From my perspective, we are going to get this done. It is necessary for our country,” said Markey.