A RECENT Bloomberg City Lab article by the highly regarded transportation thought leader David Zipper used recent statements by proponents of free public bus transit in Boston and Washington, DC, to […]
James Aloisi
Posted inOpinion
The dirty secret about ‘clean’ electric vehicles
AUTOMOBILES EMIT tailpipe carbon emissions, we all know that, and these emissions in the aggregate are now the largest single source of carbon emissions in Massachusetts and many other states, […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA not susceptible to magical solutions
LAST WEEK’S NEWS regarding T safety conditions and slowdowns took most people by surprise, as the hope associated with a new gubernatorial administration and the feeling that perhaps the absolute […]
Posted inOpinion
Hiring new GM at T shouldn’t be first priority
THERE IS A VIEW among many in and out of the transit advocacy world – a misguided view in my opinion – that it should be a top priority for […]
Posted inTransportation
A new MBTA board of directors is needed urgently
THE HEADLINE spoke volumes. As the MBTA’s interim general manager laid out a comprehensive presentation on the history and current status of the troubled procurement of new Red and Orange […]
Posted inOpinion
An MBTA to-do list for Gov. Healey
THE HEALEY/DRISCOLL administration will take office at a time when rider confidence in the MBTA and T employee morale have reached unprecedented lows. The necessary task of restoring confidence and […]
Posted inTransportation
Sargent and Dukakis offer lessons for Healey
AS THE DAYS dwindle down toward another Boston winter, a new gubernatorial administration prepares to occupy the rabbit warren of office space dedicated to the executive branch in the Bulfinch […]
Posted inOpinion
A roadmap for fixing the MBTA
THERE’S NOTHING complicated, surprising, or even new about what ails our metro Boston public transportation system. The task may seem daunting (it is), and the troubles may seem to be […]
Posted inOpinion
In defense of autonomous vehicle law
A RECENT Barron’s article by the Brookings Institution’s Clifford Winston brought to mind two aphorisms: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,”and “pay no attention to the […]
Posted inTransportation
A guide for getting through the MBTA shutdowns
WELL, THAT was the week that was. No, we aren’t referring to the 1960s irreverent TV satirical review of the news. We’re talking about the week when MBTA leaders decided […]
Posted inOpinion
MBTA service levels need to be restored asap
LET THIS SINK IN for a second: The MBTA this week announced that it won’t be able to return the subway system to regular service frequencies before Labor Day, and […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t forget the poetry of public transit
WHEN ACADEMICS and advocates talk about transit, they talk about the importance of things like access, agglomeration effects, sustainability, and mobility efficiency. It’s often through the lens of these attributes […]
Posted inOpinion
A reminder we forget our past at our own peril
The recently leaked draft Supreme Court opinion would, if issued as the final opinion of the Court, overturn the landmark decisions Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. It […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. should seek fed grants on I-90 Allston this month
WHEN OPPORTUNITY knocks, it’s a good idea to open the door. The federal government, thanks to underappreciated efforts by Congressional Democrats and strong presidential leadership, is now accepting applications for […]
Posted inOpinion
Lifting mask mandate is right thing to do
LET ME BEGIN by saying I believe in vaccines. I am fully vaxxed and double boosted. I believe in the value of wearing a quality, well-fitting mask in most indoor […]
Posted inOpinion
Senate plan puts too much emphasis on electric vehicles
THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE on Thursday rolled out Senate Bill 2819, “An Act Driving Climate Policy Forward.” The bill was apparently meant to showcase the Senate as leading the way for […]
Posted inOpinion
The T should not be playing fiscal musical chairs
WE ARE HEADING for a massive MBTA operating budget deficit next year, and no one in power on Beacon Hill is doing anything about it. This is not a theory […]
Posted inOpinion
Suspending the gas tax doesn’t make sense
WITH GAS PRICES recently soaring as a result of unscrupulous foreign oil cartels, greedy oil companies, and a bloodthirsty Russian autocrat, the Massachusetts GOP has a solution for Massachusetts drivers: […]
Posted inOpinion
A ‘duende’ diss to Tom Brady
NOW LET’S GET something clear before you read any further. I’m no sports enthusiast. I was once a baseball fan, but that was a long time ago, before the Red […]
Posted inOpinion
Deciphering T-speak on fare-free bus, capital transfer
RECENT REPORTS coming out of the MBTA illuminate deeply flawed thinking about Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s free bus plan and raise serious concerns about the transit agency’s ability to leverage […]
Posted inOpinion
Free or cheap parking is the great enabler
WHAT WOULD YOU DO with your car if there was no place to park it? Everyone who owns a car must have a place to put it while it’s not […]
Posted inOpinion
The all-EV approach won’t work
THERE’S A LOT of federal and municipal leadership in Massachusetts working hard to address the existential problem of global warming and the local public health crisis being caused by long-term […]
Posted inOpinion
Thanksgiving is what we make of it
THANKSGIVING WAS ALWAYS a mixed bag for me. The holiday of my youth was decidedly about large family gatherings accompanied by large amounts of food. The kitchen table (we had […]
Posted inOpinion
With this election, Boston faces another defining moment
ALL ELECTIONS MATTER, but some elections matter more than others. On certain occasions, the outcome of the Boston mayoral election has had an outsized influence on the trajectory of the […]