STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE YOU’VE HEARD of the soon-to-launch South Coast Rail HD4555and the long-sought East-West Rail into the western reaches of the state. But how about what we’ll call the Cape Connector? A group of lawmakers from Cape Cod and the islands want to make their region the next hub for regular passenger rail […]
Transportation
Posted inTransportation
Wu taking unusual approach with MBTA board appointment
BOSTON MAYOR Michelle Wu is taking an unconventional approach in appointing a person to represent Boston on the MBTA board of directors. The Legislature and Gov. Maura Healey approved a fiscal 2024 budget in August that expands the T board from seven to nine members, adding a representative from Boston appointed by Wu and another […]
Posted inTransportation
Healey transportation secretary stepping down abruptly
This story has been updated. GOV. MAURA HEALEY said on Monday that Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca is stepping down after seven months on the job, with neither official offering an explanation for the abrupt departure. Speculation abounded over the weekend that Fiandaca was on her way out, but no one in the administration would confirm it. […]
Posted inState Government, Transportation
Eng confident Chinese subway car manufacturer will meet its obligations
THE CHINESE COMPANY building Red and Orange line trains for the MBTA faces a bleak future in the US market, but T General Manager Phillip Eng appears fairly confident the company will live up to its obligations. At a hearing of the MBTA board on Thursday, Eng reported that he, T Deputy General Manager Jeffrey […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA to shut down portion of Red Line for 16 days
WITH SLOW ZONES continuing to expand across the MBTA subway system, the authority is preparing to shut down a troubled section of the Red Line for 16 days in October to replace all of the track and do away with most of the speed restrictions that currently plague that section of the system. MBTA General […]
Posted inTransportation
Healey offers few details on I-90 Allston financing
A clarification has been added to this story. THE HEALEY ADMINISTRATION filed a series of federal grant applications on Monday for four high-profile transportation initiatives, but withheld details about the financing package for the I-90 Allston project. A press release issued during the afternoon indicated the state was seeking a total of more than $2 […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service, Transportation
In pivot, Healey looks to feds for money to rebuild just one Cape bridge to start
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AFTER PREVIOUS EFFORTS to secure federal funding for replacement of both Cape Cod bridges stumbled, Gov. Maura Healey and her deputies will shift to a phased approach that first targets money primarily for the Sagamore Bridge. Healey’s office said the administration will submit applications in the coming weeks for a combined […]
Posted inTransportation
T unions look to do much better under Healey
THE RELATIONSHIP between the MBTA and its largest union appears to be undergoing a sea change under Gov. Maura Healey. Under the administration of former governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, the Carmen’s Union and the MBTA were often at odds. It started in 2015 when Baker used the fallout from snowmaggeddon to push through the […]
Posted inTransportation
On Boston MBTA board seat, fears of déjà-vu
IN THE LAND of late budgets and last-minute negotiations, even having both legislative chambers and the governor on board isn’t a guarantee that a provision makes it through to the other side. For the second year in a row, Boston representation on the MBTA board hangs in the balance. “We’ve been here before,” Boston Mayor […]
Posted inrecycling, State House News Service, Transportation
New MBTA contract perks included to attract, retain workers
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MBTA’S struggles with hiring and retaining workers have grabbed headlines for months, but supporters of a new labor deal featuring pay and benefit upgrades say it represents cause for hope that the T will eventually secure the workforce needed to ensure quality service. The tentative four-year agreement includes a raise […]