AFTER FIVE YEARS of stops and starts, the MBTA is planning to install fare gates for commuter rail trains at North Station sometime this spring. Fare gates at the commuter […]
Fare gates coming to North Station
Posted inTransportation
March 21 opening set for Green Line to Union Sq
MBTA GENERAL Manager Steve Poftak said the Green Line extension to Union Square in Somerville will officially open for business on March 21, while the branch to Medford is being […]
Posted inEducation
Mayor Wu: Seize the moment for Boston schools
WE ARE IN a moment of great possibility for Boston Public Schools. There is a historic influx of funding available to help the district recover from the effects of the […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA board hears gloomy report on fare options
THE MBTA board of directors took no action Thursday on moving forward with any sort of alternative fare proposal after hearing a report from T staff that raised serious questions […]
Posted inThe Download
New challenges with I-90 Allston project
Last fall, the Baker administration achieved a major breakthrough on the $1.7 billion I-90 Allston project, embracing the idea of rebuilding the Turnpike, Soldiers Field Road, and commuter rail tracks […]
Posted inTransportation
New challenges with I-90 Allston project
LAST FALL, the Baker administration achieved a major breakthrough on the $1.7 billion I-90 Allston project, embracing the idea of rebuilding the Turnpike, Soldiers Field Road, and commuter rail tracks […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Meeting Mass. emission targets about to get bit tougher
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE ENERGY and environmental officials responsible for making sure Massachusetts meets its greenhouse gas emissions reductions commitments already had their work cut out for them […]
Posted inOpinion
Ending mask mandate won’t bring us back to normal
“I FEEL LIKE my throat is closing,” said a 9-year-old boy, between raspy breaths and a barking cough. He was admitted to the hospital with COVID croup, a condition where […]
Posted inTransportation
What’s better for T: No fares or low-income fare?
BOSTON MAYOR Michelle Wu has captured the public’s attention with her push for fare-free buses and eventually a fare-free MBTA, but now an alternative approach to fares is emerging from […]
Posted inEconomy
We should use remaining ARPA funds to combat racial inequity
CONFRONTING INEQUITY BY race in housing, education, wealth and business investment is the smartest use of the state’s remaining $2.3 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. It is […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
SJC says Springfield mayor’s powers on policing have limits
SPRINGFIELD MAY BE one of the Massachusetts cities with a “strong mayor” form of government, but the mayor’s extensive powers over city government are not unlimited powers. That was the […]
Posted inThe Download
SJC says Springfield mayor’s powers on policing have limits
Springfield may be one of the Massachusetts cities with a “strong mayor” form of government, but the mayor’s extensive powers over city government are not unlimited powers. That was the […]
Posted inPolitics
Auditor says expanded voting hours will cost $2m
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE WILL OWE cities and towns more than $2 million to keep polling places open for additional mandated voting hours during the September 2022 state […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker: Tax breaks affordable, needed to make state competitive
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER told lawmakers on Tuesday that Massachusetts can easily afford his package of $700 million in tax cuts, and the state needs some of the changes benefitting higher-income […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
We need to strengthen Mass. hate crimes law
FEBRUARY 23, 2020. On this date, two years ago, three men stalked and murdered Ahmaud Arbery because they didn’t think a Black man belonged in the neighborhood. This date resonates […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Defense lawyer dismisses Baker marijuana bill as ‘junk science’
Gov. Charlie Baker has been pushing for legislation he says would give “law enforcement more tools to keep our roads safe from impaired drivers.” CommonWealth Magazine · Defense lawyer […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Criminal justice goal should be eliminating ‘systemic racialization’
BOSTON IS APPROACHING an unusual opportunity to create a bold program of police reform: the leaders of police and prosecution will be coming into their new positions at about the […]
Posted inThe Download
Defense lawyer dismisses Baker marijuana bill as ‘junk science’
Gov. Charlie Baker has been pushing for legislation he says would give “law enforcement more tools to keep our roads safe from impaired drivers.” John Amabile, president of the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Defense lawyer dismisses Baker marijuana bill as ‘junk science’
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER has been pushing for legislation he says would give “law enforcement more tools to keep our roads safe from impaired drivers.” John Amabile, president of the […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Asian-American/Pacific Islander arts face unique challenges post-COVID
TWO YEARS AGO, Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy had 200 students learning martial arts in Malden and Quincy. Its performance team was hired to perform lion and […]
Posted inUncategorized
Getting social mobility done during a pandemic
THIS ISN’T ANOTHER COVID think piece written by a college president. This is a story about upward mobility in the face of the most significant public health crisis of our […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
New link to improve access to SNAP benefits
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AN IMPENDING CHANGE to link MassHealth applicants to a food assistance program will serve as an “important step” toward removing barriers that limit hundreds of thousands […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Baker seeks to dole out extra state cash
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH TAX COLLECTIONS running nearly $1.5 billion ahead of expectations, Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday filed a spending bill that seeks to spend $1.6 billion in state funds […]
Posted inOpinion
Designing benefit plans for ‘platform workers’
THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY has seen significant growth in the “platform workforce:” workers who complete tasks via apps or platforms that allow them to control their own schedule. As of August, […]