Massachusetts’ state Senators gather under the golden dome for a historic floor debate on education funding today. The $1.5 billion Student Opportunity Act is a game-changer for Gateway City school districts, and a Massachusetts economy thirsting for skilled workers to replace aging Boomers. Today’s Globe records this moment as a debate about who gets what.
Are Opportunity Zones sites of misfortune for distressed neighborhoods?
Gateways Episode 34
When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was unveiled in 2017, much of the national attention was trained on the debate between Republicans and Democrats over whether the cuts disproportionately helped the rich. Woven in the tax code, however, a federal initiative known as Opportunity Zones promised to incentivize
Poll: Massachusetts residents support major changes to rail service, restructuring fares
Residents see opportunities to expand rail overall, improve the Commuter Rail system, and show interest in Gateway Cities development possibilities this could unlock
Massachusetts residents support major changes to the Commuter Rail system and several ways to pay for them, according to a new poll from The MassINC Polling Group. The survey, which was conducted with input from MPG’s parent think-tank MassINC, was funded by the Barr Foundation. Three-quarters of residents statewide support moving the commuter rail towards
New education funding bill spells opportunity for Gateway Cities
Gateways Episode 33
This week on Gateways, Ben Forman talks with Rep. Antonio Cabral, chair of the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus, about the state legislature's rollout of a long awaited education funding bill. The bill, known as the Student Opportunity Act, would provide school districts with high percentages of low-income students
A guide to help Gateway City schools capitalize on a major opportunity
The Gateway Cities Journal
This morning Gateway City leaders received hopeful news when the Joint Committee on Education unveiled a $1.5 billion plan to bring state aid in line with the resource needs of K-12 public school districts over a seven-year period. In the words of the State House News Service, Gateway Cities have been waiting 1,400 days for this announcement.
Gateway City TTOD Planning and Design Competition
Call for Participants
Proposal deadline extended to January 12, 2020! The revised schedule and requirements give you more time to select your plan or project. MassINC invites Gateway City planning and development teams to participate in the 2020 Transformative Transit-Oriented Development (TTOD) Planning and Design Competition. The purpose of the competition is to connect Gateway City planning and
Fares for Gateway Cities residents are off the rails
Gateways Episode 32
MassINC recently published a report on fare equity that confirmed what most of us already know: the lowest-wealth Commonwealth residents pay more of their incomes to get around the state than wealthier folks. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the MBTA’s commuter rail network, a public
Building a more diverse police force in Lawrence
Gateways Episode 31
This week on Gateways, Ben and Juana sit down with Mayor Dan Rivera. Mayor Rivera gives us a behind-the-scenes look at efforts to help the police department become more representative of Lawrence’s diverse population.
Reducing train fares to achieve equitable TOD
The Gateway Cities Journal
MassINC released a policy brief this week that is a “classic” in the sense that its main finding—many Gateway City residents can’t afford to ride commuter rail—is blatantly obvious. While this problem has been apparent for some time, we think now is the moment to seek a remedy. Transportation has risen to the top of the
MassINC study finds Gateway City residents priced-out of public transit
Report says state must reduce rail fares in order to achieve more equitable growth
To address the state’s transportation woes, planners and policymakers are evaluating major upgrades to the Commonwealth’s rail network. At the same time, a report from the nonpartisan think tank MassINC argues state leaders must consider new methods of discounting train fares so that low- and moderate-income residents can afford to ride. The new report presents