THE RECENT MELTDOWN of MBTA service has left a lot of people wondering about its reliability as a mobility alternative for people, especially in harsh winter weather conditions. One of […]
James Aloisi
Posted inOpinion
In praise of Brian Murphy and public service
WHAT DO YOU think about when you think about public service? Do you think about the toil and sacrifice of men and women who place themselves in harm’s way to […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Opinion
Don’t raise the gas tax
I HAVE WATCHED with a combination of amusement and amazement as columnists across the ideological spectrum have recently called for a federal gas tax hike. First it was the Washington […]
Posted inOpinion
It’s good to be king
LIFE IS GOOD when you’re the king. When you are king, you get to decide unilaterally. No Congress to check your impulses, no Supreme Court to balance your ideology, no […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Pollack is solid and stunning choice
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER’S choice of Stephanie Pollack as his new Transportation Secretary is a solid and stunning choice. Solid because everyone who knows Stephanie knows that she is smart, forward-looking, […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
We need the Blue-Red connector
FOR A TRANSIT mobility system to work properly, it must meet a variety of metrics and objectives. One important objective goes without saying but is often either overlooked or taken […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Ed Brooke: A politician of integrity
Some men define their times; others are defined by them. Ed Brooke was a political leader who helped define his times, both here in Massachusetts and on the larger national […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Three out-of-the-box transportation proposals
December is traditionally the time when people reflect on priorities for the approaching New Year. In that spirit, I offer up three ideas that may provoke some thought and, hopefully, […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
A time for beginnings, endings, opportunities
It’s a time for beginnings. The election of a new governor brings an end to eight years of Democratic hegemony on Beacon Hill. For Charlie Baker, it is both a […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
A tale of 2 states
The biggest political news of the past week came via the polls – the Boston Globe showing Charlie Baker opening up a lead in his race against Martha Coakley, and […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion, Transportation
Pedestrian, cycling access often overlooked
There’s been a lot of talk over the years about the importance of a truly multi-modal transportation system, but progress eludes us. Sure, there are “one-offs” that people can point […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Energy: Big challenge for next governor
Four of the five candidates for governor are scheduled to take part in a forum on energy and environmental issues Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 12:30 at Suffolk Law School. Why […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
If Bogota can do it, so can Boston
“An advanced city is not a place where the poor move about in cars, rather it’s where even the rich use public transportation.” – Former Bogota Mayor Enrique Penalosa. I […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
No escaping the polls
We are deep into the 2014 polling season – that time during every gubernatorial election year when pollsters and prognosticators vie for our collective attention as they do their level […]
Posted inThe Back Story, Transportation
Modal shift is answer to reducing congestion
Second of four parts I remember sitting in the audience in a ballroom at the Copley Plaza Hotel in October 1999, listening to remarks from then-Turnpike Authority Chairman and Big […]
Posted inThe Back Story, Transportation
Time to get serious
First of four parts We have a transportation funding crisis in America, a crisis that gets played out on both the federal stage and in each of the 50 states. […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
A double-standard on Martha Coakley
People make mistakes all the time. Sometimes, they make mistakes that are well intentioned. Sometimes mistakes happen because of forgetfulness or some other benign cause. On other occasions, mistakes arise […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Battle of the blands
In an election where the most passionate candidate for governor appears to be the United Independent Party candidate Evan Falchuk, it may be worth considering the state of the Bay […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
The AG curse
T.S. Eliot wrote that “time future [is] contained in time past.” That observation may haunt the Martha Coakley campaign as it enters the general election having led in the polls […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Embrace our differences, but eliminate inequality
Our cherished local accent – known as the Boston accent, really more a northern New England accent – was put on display recently by MassDOT marketing officials who brought attention […]
Posted inTransportation
A can-do attitude
The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry that Built America’s First Subway By Doug Most New York: St. Martin’s Press 404 pages once upon a time, before […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Silver Line service needs to expand
The Silver Line has become one of the most important elements of the MBTA’s service platform, meeting the needs of a highly diverse population and providing an alternative mass transit […]
Posted inGambling, Opinion
Revere-only casino insults E. Boston
I’ve been supporting the community activists in East Boston who are working mightily to oppose the proposed Suffolk Downs casino. These activists are not simply saying “no” to the casino […]
Posted inPolitics
What’s the true meaning of Boston Strong?
Seventeenth in a series Writing this series about Boston’s mayoral history, I have been struck by how many of the issues that the city has grappled with in its past […]
