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MassINC Policy Center The nonprofit MassINC Policy Center produces rigorous, nonpartisan research and collaborates with civic leaders to find solutions to complex social and economic challenges.

The MassINC Polling Group The MassINC Polling Group is a full-service survey opinion research company offering public opinion research to public, private, and social sector clients.

CommonWealth Beacon CommonWealth publishes in-depth, balanced, and independent journalism. It covers politics, policy, ideas, and civic life, with an emphasis on investigative reporting, in-depth analysis, and political mapping.

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Research — Policy Center

Case Study: Teach Western Mass

Vital lessons for systems change initiatives seeking to solve education equity challenges.

Key Takeaways

Teach Western Mass built a culturally responsive residency and recruitment model that expanded access to teaching and strengthened educator diversity across the Pioneer Valley.
Early ambitions to reshape the regional educator pipeline delivered impact, but limited capacity ultimately required a sharper focus on sustaining the residency model.
The case study underscores that lasting systems change requires long-term investment, policy alignment, and organizational infrastructure—not just successful program outcomes.
By convening districts, higher education, and state partners, Teach Western Mass helped elevate educator diversity as a shared regional priority and drive coordinated action.

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Research — Policy Center

Harnessing the Full Potential of Regional Rail with Variable Pricing and Equitable Fare Policies

This analysis outlines a practical path to increasing ridership and expanding access on the commuter rail through variable pricing and more equitable fare structures. The report shows how Massachusetts can make measurable progress toward Regional Rail by leveraging existing system capacity to strengthen economic mobility across the Commonwealth.

Key Takeaways

MBTA commuter rail ridership is nearing pre-pandemic levels, outpacing most U.S. commuter rail systems where others peaked at ~70 % of 2019 ridership or less.
Post-2020 data show low-income riders now make up 36 % of commuter rail users (up from 7 % in 2015–17), and nearly 25 % of riders don’t have a household vehicle—up from 5 %.
Under current schedules, the system could carry up to 400,000 additional weekday riders—about 4× current volumes—if seats were filled through better pricing and all-day service.
The MBTA’s Income-Eligible Reduced Fare program offers roughly 50 % discounts, but long-distance monthly passes can still cost nearly $200 even after discount, making rail less accessible for some Gateway City workers.