On the morning of June 25th, Framingham State University hosted the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development’s (EOHED) final Engagement Session. This nine-stop, 1,200-participant tour is an early step in developing the Office’s four-year state economic development plan which will be presented to the Baker Administration at the end of the year. Meetings
Opinion Analysis | Massachusetts Has Climate Change Policy in the (Green) Works
Bill aims to help cities meet carbon reduction goals and provide infrastructure for climate change mitigation and resilience
On 18 June, 2019, the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy held a hearing on Bill H.3846, “An Act Relative to GreenWorks.” Presented by Representative Thomas A. Golden, Jr. of Middlesex, the bill proposes a bond authorization of $1.3 billion to be directed towards climate mitigation and adaptation strategies across the state. The bill
Budgeting for the transformation of commuter rail
The Gateway Cities Journal
MassDOT’s Rail Vision team presented a long awaited set of scenarios for the transformation of commuter rail at a joint MBTA/MassDOT board meeting this week. Their analysis provides more information about what it would take to run trains every 15 minutes to urban centers all throughout the day. It also gave us a sense of
The art of MART’s health and human services operation
Gateways Episode 25
This week Tracy digs into the health and human services (HHS) transportation operation at the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART). MART's HHS brokerage delivers more than 6 million rides to medical and healthcare appointments for residents in 70% of Massachusetts. How is the
Mass Housing Partnership: Transforming TOD through Affordable Housing
Gateways Episode 23
On this episode of Gateways, Tracy sits down with Susan Connelly, Director of Community Assistance and Strategic Partnerships at the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP), a nonprofit organization that supports and finances affordable housing.
MassINC’s Series of Regional TTOD Forums Arrives in Lynn
Event Recap
Together with a variety of partners, MassINC hosted the North Shore Transformative Transit-Oriented Development Forum on Wednesday, June 19th. The event drew dozens of citizens and leaders interested in exploring the linkages between transit and development in the region. Our day began with a walking tour of the area surrounding Lynn’s commuter rail station.
Growing support for regional ballot initiatives to fund our transportation future
The Gateway Cities Journal
The Governor’s Commission on the Future of Transportation envisions a high-performance regional rail system connecting urban centers across the Commonwealth to Boston’s talent, R&D, and global relationships. This strategy leverages existing commuter rail infrastructure to generate more balanced economic development throughout the state. However, it still requires a considerable investment. We will need to modernize the commuter
TOD Big and Small in Fall River
Gateways Episode 21
In this episode of Gateways, Tracy takes a walking tour in the heart of Fall River with private developer Alan Macomber and the city's executive director of community development, Mike Dion. Our guests explain Fall River's plans to connect downtown to its vibrant waterfront while creating more market rate
Northern Massachusetts Transformative Transit-Oriented Development (TTOD) Regional Forum
Event Recap
On Thursday, May 30th, the Northern Massachusetts Transformative Transit-Oriented Development (TTOD) Regional Forum brought people from across the Commonwealth to the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub. Participants in the morning’s activities dug into how Lowell, Lawrence, and Haverhill are transforming their cities and surrounding communities using transit-oriented development. Speakers and panelists discussed proposed and active rail
Digging into the economic impacts of transit-oriented development
Gateways Episode 18
This week on Gateways, Tracy visits Fall River business owner Zach Leone of Alexandra's Boutique. They discuss the city's future and potential opportunities for transit-oriented development, emphasizing that economic development matters just as much as real estate development in advancing transformative TOD.