Debate Over MBTA Fares Redux
I last wrote on the subject of MBTA fare hikes and fair equity on June 14, 2015. The following month, the fiscal year 2016 state budget was signed into law. In so doing, the Legislature left in place the fare increase limitations established in 2013. As a result, the...
Getting The Green Line Back On Track
Since last fall, when the MBTA announced that the Green Line Extension (GLX) Project was over budget by as much as $1 billion, the future of the project has been uncertain, at best. While there has been much discussion of the project’s fate, every day that goes by...
Congress Moves Forward With Transportation Funding
Earlier this month, the U.S. Congress approved and President Barack Obama signed new long-term transportation funding legislation for our nation’s highways and transit systems. The legislation pleased such diverse advocacy groups as trucking associations and bicycle...
Riding Off Into The Sunset
Late last month, I attended the retirement party of Jon Davis. Jon is retiring as the chief financial officer (CFO) of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). His retirement party was a testimony to Jon’s hard work over more than 20 years at the MBTA....
Moving Forward With Hands-Free
Our traditionally libertarian neighbor to the north recently made the use of handheld mobile phones unlawful when operating a motor vehicle. We are certainly living in interesting times when “Live Free or Die” New Hampshire has become more progressive than...
Autonomous Vehicles Are Here
As a child, I used to love to watch the Jetsons. The personal jet craft they used to get to work and to run their errands fascinated me. At the time, my father was driving a 1968 Dodge Coronet station wagon and the Jetsons could not have seemed more futuristic. In...
A New Hub Of Urban Life
The Boston Public Market opened last month to great fanfare. The opening of the market has been a breath of fresh air for the city of Boston – and a dose of healthy living as well. All of the products available at the market are locally sourced from farms throughout...Local Control Over Local Needs
The time has come for Massachusetts to consider new approaches to the funding of our transportation infrastructure. In the absence of a greater funding commitment by the state, it is time to empower municipalities and regions to take their transportation requirements...Equity Versus Financial Solvency: How Much Fare Is Fair?
The recent debate over MBTA reforms has focused on a statutory provision in previous transportation reform legislation that caps fares and the amount that fares can increase annually. The governor’s special panel to review the MBTA recommended eliminating these caps...More Reform and More Revenue
The recent release of the action plan prepared Gov. Baker’s special panel to review the MBTA presents many opportunities to improve the beleaguered transit agency. As a follow up to the publication of the action plan, Gov. Baker has filed legislation to reform the...
Urbanism Moves Into High Gear
New research conducted by George Washington University, in conjunction with LOCUS/Smart Growth America, Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) and Northeastern University, has confirmed what advocacy groups in Boston have been telling us for years:...Wanted: Dynamic Leader To Drive Change At The MBTA
The month of February has not been a good month for transportation in Boston. The chink in our city’s armor has been exposed in a most brutal fashion. If there was any doubt that the city of Boston is dependent on a reliable, efficient MBTA system, those doubts must be dispelled by now.
Climate Change And Infrastructure: Riding The Rising Tide With Resiliency
Climate change is driving how we plan for the future of Boston’s infrastructure. Just as importantly, the climate change conversation is forcing us to consider how we will adapt our existing infrastructure to account for the long-term effects of climate change. As...After Repeal, A New Approach To Gas Tax
The electorate has spoken: The citizens of the commonwealth do not want the gas tax indexed to inflation. While this is not my policy preference, it is an understandable position and we are bound to follow the will of the people. Now the hard work begins: We have to identify a new means of funding our future transportation needs.
Once Upon A Time, The Olympics Came To Boston
The city is abuzz with discussions about the summer Olympics coming to Boston in 2024. Pundits have suggested that this would be an economic and cultural boon for the city.
The Future Of Federal Transportation Funding
In a time when Congressional job approval ratings are hovering somewhere below 15 percent, many Americans have lost interest in the lawmaking process in Washington, D.C. By most accounts, the current Congress is on track to pass the fewest number of laws in any Congressional session in the history of the United States.
Repeal Of Indexed Gas Tax Would Have Far-Reaching Implications
A ballot initiative with far-reaching implications for our economy will be decided this fall. If you’re following the local news, you might think I’m talking about the repeal of casino gambling. I’m actually talking about the proposed repeal of the indexed gas tax.
A Matter Of Fairness
As the city of Boston prepares to develop a new transportation plan – aptly called a Mobility Action Plan – it has a fresh opportunity to consider all of the city’s residents in a broad context.
If Mexico City Can Invest In Transportation, Why Can’t We?
In December, a diverse group of Boston area experts on transportation, economic development, community empowerment, land use and regional planning journeyed to Mexico to observe and experience Mexico City’s Bus Rapid Transit service, known as Metrobus.
