Last week, leaders from throughout the Commonwealth gathered in New Bedford at the Whaling Museum for the Sixth Annual Gateway Cities Innovation Awards & Summit. Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito opened the proceedings with an address celebrating the progress of the Commonwealth’s Gateway Cities continued importance of collaboration to meeting the unique needs and opportunities of
Talk of Gateway City TOD in Worcester
Focusing on strategies to position Union Station for future success
The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce held its third-annual “Game Changers: Next Big Idea Expo and Conference” on Friday, October 19. MassINC research director Ben Forman shared findings on Gateway City TOD as part of a panel focused on strategies to position Union Station for future success. See the Worcester Business Journal’s coverage of the
Keating and Tedeschi talk Gateway Cities (on the inaugural episode of our new podcast!)
The Gateway Cities Journal
As a prelude to next week’s summit, we present our new podcast, Gateways. This first installment features the ninth congressional district candidates, Congressman Bill Keating and his Republican challenger, Peter Tedeschi.
Gateway Cities TOD Tour
Stop 3: Worcester
On Sept. 13, MassINC and The Worcester Regional Research Bureau discussed local findings from the Gateway Cities Innovation Institute’s report, “Exploring the Future of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Gateway Cities,” at Lock 50 in Worcester. A diverse group of leaders joined us for a wide-ranging conversation; topics included improving commuter rail service, reducing the cost
An election is a terrible thing to waste
The Gateway Cities Journal
The image of Governor Baker standing shoulder to shoulder with Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera as the pair deftly responded to the Columbia Gas crisis appeared on screens across the country last week. This relationship was forged back in January 2015, at yet another trying moment. It was the Governor’s first month in office, and Lawrence
Windows of Opportunity for Regional Rail: Part I
The Gateway Cities Journal
Earlier this week the Boston Globe featured three op-eds on the promise of regional rail. It’s wonderful that the concept of how we use transportation infrastructure to integrate regional economies and generate more geographically-balanced growth is getting serious attention. And it is timely because a number of near-term policy decisions will have major ramifications for the
WOOHOO, WOOSOX?
The Gateway Cities Journal
After three years of courtship, team owners and city officials announced last Friday that the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox (or, as they are more colloquially called, the “PawSox”) will soon move to Worcester and into a still-to-be-built $90 million stadium, Polar Park. Financed primarily through municipal bond offerings that cover the stadium’s construction, Polar Park
Half an ocean away
The MassCJRC Journal
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was racing east across the Southern ocean two weeks ahead of his nearest competitor when the winds inexplicably turned to face him head-on for 12 consecutive days. It was 1968; he’d been at sea on his own for five months, attempting to win the first solo around the world race. Facing these
Where there’s a will, is there a way?
The Gateway Cities Journal
There exists a very strong will to rebuild our Gateway Cities. This is evident in all of the creative approaches these communities are taking to sow growth and opportunity. But every will needs a way. Because we make it nearly impossible for local governments to generate revenue to invest in themselves (and the federal government
FY 2019 Budget Lends Support to the “Gateway City Fare” Concept
Shows support for more equitable access to public transit
In a show of support for more equitable access to public transit, an outside section of the FY 2019 budget calls on MassDOT to review MBTA commuter rail fares, including an examination of the “fairness of the current distance-based fare system,” which effectively prohibits low-income Gateway City residents from utilizing the service, and also makes