THE MBTA SHOULD EXPERIMENT with income-based fares and cut charges for reverse-commuting and off-peak travel, the think tank MassINC argues in a new policy brief. The brief doesn’t advocate for specific commuter rail fares, but notes that the cost of travel between most Gateway Cities and Boston is way too high. The fare cost as
Tackling Smog and Congestion with TCI
Gateways Episode 30
Traffic congestion in Massachusetts has reached crisis proportions. And while some leaders and officials assure it’s a “symptom of success,” that explanation offers little solace to Bay Staters stuck in mind-numbing traffic everyday. To top it off, gas and diesel-burning cars, trucks, and trains dominate greenhouse
The Topline: Wait Wait, Don’t Primary Me
2018 saw the most contested Democratic primaries for the House in decades; will 2020 top it?
It used to be both polite and practical to wait your turn to run for Congress in Massachusetts. Party leaders and insiders frowned on impertinence, and the very occasional primary challenges that happened were rarely successful. That era is ending. We’ve seen two longtime incumbents unseated in the last few cycles, and the 2020 congressional
How student leaders changed the culture at a Lynn charter school
Gateways Episode 29
This week on Gateways, Juana and Ben chat with guest Hannah Parker about the importance of high standards in education. Hannah recently graduated from KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate, where she said she was shaped by the rigorous courses and and high standards. But as she progressed through school and
Opinion Analysis | Exploring how Massachusetts can raise revenue and fund investments
Recapping the Get Smart Forum in Cambridge
On June 13, 2019, leaders from business, transportation, and policy gathered in Cambridge for the Get Smart Forum to discuss how Massachusetts can raise revenue and fund investments in transportation. According to the Governor’s Commission on the Future of Transportation, our Gateway Cities rely on “Robust public and other transportation modes that connect burgeoning and
Hearing that glorious swish
The Gateways Cities Journal
Down for nearly a decade, Gateway City real estate markets finally show signs of life. From Brockton to Fall River and Lynn to Worcester, private developers are unveiling plans for exactly the kind of mixed-use TOD projects these regional urban centers need to become 21st-century cities. However, as we’ve learned from previous real estate cycles,
‘No more real newspaper’ in Worcester
Cuts turning Telegram into a ‘ghost newspaper’
THE “GHOST NEWSPAPER” ERA has arrived in Massachusetts, and the worst is almost certainly yet to come. The state has not yet been hit with vast news deserts, the term of the media moment to describe areas without any newspaper presence following the closure of more than 1,800 US papers since 2004. But the land is
Community corrections centers poised to offer much needed reentry support
Gateways Episode 28
When the state budget passed last month, it included provisions that better equip community corrections centers to provide reentry services. This week on Gateways, Ben sits down with Vin Lorenti, Director of Community Corrections at the Massachusetts Probation Service.
Mayors of Salem, Holyoke call for carbon fee
70% of revenue would go back to homeowners, businesses
WE ARE THE MAYORS of Salem and Holyoke, two medium-sized Gateway Cities. Our communities are more than 100 miles apart, but both are feeling the impacts of climate change. We are experiencing severe storms, unpredictable flooding, drought, and damage to homes, businesses, roads, and infrastructure. Climate change is disrupting city operations and straining budgets. In
Emerging small businesses round out TOD in Merrimack Valley
Gateways Episode 27
In this episode of Gateways, Tracy is once again in the Merrimack Valley, this time exploring how small business development programs are shaping transit-oriented development. She starts in Lowell, where the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub has served as an incubator for budding tech companies