WHEN OPPORTUNITY knocks, it’s a good idea to open the door. The federal government, thanks to underappreciated efforts by Congressional Democrats and strong presidential leadership, is now accepting applications for transportation projects that will receive funding from last year’s historic bi-partisan infrastructure bill. This time, the federal government is looking for large scale highway or […]
Richard Dimino
Posted inTransportation
Pollack urged to open up I-90 throat review process
Below is a letter sent by Rick Dimino, president and CEO of the business group A Better City, to state Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack on October 14 concerning the so-called throat of the I-90 Allston interchange project. Dear Secretary Pollack: Please accept my sincere appreciation for advancing a version of the city of Boston/A Better […]
Posted inOpinion
A new, bigger I-90 viaduct is not the answer
IN 1965, Massachusetts officials opened the Allston section of I-90, shoehorning an eight-lane elevated highway between Boston University and the Charles River, dividing a vibrant working-class community and wounding vital riverfront habitat in the process. Some 60 years later, Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge still endure impacts from this obsolete, failed transportation policy that placed a […]
Posted inOpinion
4 ideas for a transportation funding bill
MULTIPLE IDEAS are on the table for solving our transportation crisis of roadway congestion, underperforming transit, and the looming impacts of climate change. Key to Massachusetts’s future success will be a combination package that addresses the long-standing tensions between rural and urban districts; drivers currently paying highway tolls versus drivers on toll-free highways; and, of […]
Posted inOpinion
BIDs can play role in climate resiliency
THE OCTOBER ANNOUNCEMENT of the “Resilient Boston Harbor” proposal by Boston Mayor Martin Walsh united two critical public policy considerations: long-term adaptation response to climate change and increased access to open space. The mayor’s vision for the city’s 47-mile shoreline offers a much-needed framework to protect waterfront neighborhoods while increasing the public’s enjoyment of Boston’s […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Stagger the fare increase on T passes
ON MONDAY, MARCH 7, the MBTA Fiscal Management & Control Board (FMCB) is scheduled to vote on a specific fare increase plan that would take effect this July. The MBTA recently completed the public comment period on two specific fare increase proposals, one with a systemwide increase of 6.7 percent and the other with 9.7 […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics, Transportation
MAYOR MATTERS: Keep Boston moving
Fourth in a series Of the many issues facing the next mayor of Boston, one of the more pressing is ensuring that the city fulfills its potential for continued economic growth. Mayor Menino has led well over the last 20 years, positioning Boston as one of the great urban success stories, with a growing population […]