In the most recent FMCB meeting, board chair Joe Aiello called out the one week fare decrease on the commuter rail from Lynn to North Station. The mitigation has had tremendous success during blue line construction. However, the MBTA has not committed to extending that fare decrease to encourage more ridership between Lynn and Boston. The
Why COVID-19 tells us to embrace transit-oriented development, not reject it
The Gateway Cities Journal
Recently, coronavirus has caused some to question the validity and safety of population density and transit. But the real culprits lie in crowding, poverty, pollution, and other socioeconomic factors - which TTOD aims to address.
Can the Student Opportunity Act Survive Coronavirus?
The Gateway Cities Journal
Governor Baker announced that Student Opportunity Act (SOA) plans would be due May 15th, or a later date to be determined by Commissioner Jeff Riley. With the FY 2021 budget influx, Commissioner Riley's choice of a new date will have ripple effects far into the future.
Haverhill ponders pathways to a more inclusive future
The Gateway Cities Journal
At a time when division seems all pervasive, it's reassuring to visit Gateway Cities and find citizens engaging in difficult and potentially divisive issues in an entirely respectful and open-minded manner.
5 ideas for generating better school district improvement plans
The Gateway Cities Journal
Gateway City educators returned to school following the winter break pinching themselves. Just before the holidays, Gov. Baker signed the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), a landmark bill that promises to deliver $1.4 billion annually in new state aid. Districts now have until April 1 to file spending plans with the state detailing how they will
Christmas in the City
The Gateway Cities Journal
Yesterday morning downtown Haverhill was bustling. People hustled in and out of buildings, dodging the frigid winter breeze. The storefronts were done up nicely for the holidays, but something twinkling brightly in the sky is what really drew the eye. This was no oversized tree wearing multicolored bulbs, or lighted wreaths dangling from telephone poles.
Regional Rail’s Visionary Dreamers
The Gateway Cities Journal
There’s an old Japanese proverb: Vision without planning is a dream, but planning without vision is a nightmare. We live the proverbial nightmare on the Bay State’s roads and public transit systems, but this week we got a signal that the future may be brighter. On Monday, the MBTA Financial Management Control Board (FMCB) passed five
Gateway City leaders testify before committees weighing neighborhood stabilization bill
The Gateway Cities Journal
Wednesday night’s unanimous House vote in favor of the Student Opportunity Act was a watershed moment. Gateway Cities owe a debt of gratitude to education committee chairs, Representative Alice Peisch and Senator Jason Lewis, who skillfully crafted this truly historic legislation and built buy-in among the membership of both branches. We will have much more
Cultivating allies in the business community with Early College expansion
The Gateway Cities Journal
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.
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.