From the President & CEO, Richard A. Dimino

In December 2007, the Turnpike Authority officially announced the completion of the Central Artery project. A Better City will continue to work with the Turnpike, EOT, the City of Boston and our other partners to ensure the successful closure of the project.  In 2008 we are also setting our sights on the next set of transportation, land development and public realm projects in Boston and the urban core. 

On the Greenway – the crown jewel of our efforts to improve the Central Artery corridor – our Abutters Group, chaired by Peter Shields of Equity Office Properties and Bud Ris of the New England Aquarium, will partner with the Turnpike Authority and the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy to ensconce a sound set of governance, finance, and management policies that will allow the Greenway to develop into a high quality public space that encourages cultural use and civic engagement and enlivens both the Greenway and adjacent areas.  A Better City will also continue to be the City’s nonprofit partner on the Mayor’s Crossroads Initiative to create 21st Century streets that help to maximize the potential of the Rose Kennedy Greenway and re-knit the fabric of downtown. We are currently working with Kairos Shen, the City of Boston’s newly appointed Chief Planner, and Crossroads Initiative Project Manager Peter Gori on a project plan for 2008.

A Better City also continues to be a leading advocate of the Urban Ring. Along with Paul Levy of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Tom Glynn of Partners HealthCare, who co-chair our Urban Ring Institutional and Business Committee, we recognize that the Urban Ring will support economic development and solidify the competitive advantage of Boston and the urban core by allowing growth and development in areas otherwise inhibited by congestion, lack of connections and mobility constraints. In 2008, we will continue to solidify and mobilize support for the Urban Ring, identify and advocate for funding and finance strategies that support advancement of the project, and work in partnership with the Urban Ring Citizens Advisory Committee toward outcomes that support advancement of the project through final environmental review and establish the framework for incremental implementation of the overall project.

In addition, we are well-positioned to advance Phase 3 of the Silver Line project. When completed, Phase 3 will be the critical “missing link” in our transit system that will provide convenient access to the South Boston waterfront and the Washington Street corridor by connecting to the Green and Orange Lines in our existing transit system. Through our Silver Line Phase 3 Business & Institutional Committee, chaired by Jim Rooney of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, our goals for this year will be to ensure ongoing support for the project and advance Silver Line Phase 3 as a federal New Starts project. We are also prepared to shape transportation and land development opportunities that help realize the full economic development potential of the South Boston Waterfront by keeping members and other stakeholders engaged in efforts to improve transportation access. Our South Boston Transportation Stakeholders group is currently developing a way-finding signage program to help navigate this rapidly developing area, and in the longer term, working toward improving and organizing commercial vehicle traffic through the area.

In 2008, A Better City will remain an active member of the Transportation Investment Coalition and advocate for revenues for transportation in the Commonwealth, as well as the efficient and effective governance of the Commonwealth’s transportation agencies. We also intend to expand our successful efforts to demonstrate how transportation investment is critical to sustaining the competitive advantage of Metropolitan Boston’s growing life sciences cluster and the region overall, and also realize the implementation of the recommendations advanced in ABC’s Life Sciences Study and the 2006 economic stimulus bill.

And, as A Better City continues to represent the thought leaders of the business and institutional community, this year we plan to carry on that reputation with the successful launch of a new Sustainability & Climate Change Initiative, where we will develop a forum to educate and inform member businesses and institutions on and promote implementation of best practices in sustainability and climate change.

Last, we will continue to work with area employers, property managers, and public agencies to promote the use of alternative transportation by Boston employees through the ABC Transportation Management Association’s various commute options programs. And TransitWorks will remain an effective partner of the MBTA Advisory Board and the MBTA to maintain and improve the quality of MBTA service.

As you would come to expect, we are committed to an ambitious work plan for 2008, and are excited about all the opportunities for success that this year will bring. Throughout it all, one thing remains constant: our strong commitment to working together with our members, our public, private and non-profit partners, and stakeholders to create A Better City.

Thank you.  Sincerely,

Richard A. Dimino

 

Richard A. Dimino is President and CEO of A Better City and has been with the organization since 1995.

*Zakim Bridge photo by Caroline Crockett