Beyond the Big Dig
Many important transportation, economic development and mobility benefits have been realized by the Central/Artery Tunnel Project. In fact, according to a recent report prepared for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, this project decreased travel times by 74%, provides $167 million annually in time and cost savings for travelers, stimulated $7 billion in new private investment, and created 43,000 new jobs. This project has transformed Boston’s downtown, and enabled significant economic development opportunity for our future.
However, the near completion of this project caused A Better City to ask: "What’s next?" What are the next set of investments needed to best position the City of Boston and the region? What interventions are needed to support and enhance the benefits we’ve already seen from the Central Artery/Tunnel Project?
"Beyond the Big Dig" is a research initiative designed to
answer the above questions, as well as determine emerging
areas of strong economic growth and development and the
infrastructure investments required to support and accelerate
their emergence. This effort will identify the investments needed to
help support a strong future economy for Boston, and will refine ABC’s
long-term agenda. This
work is funded in part by the Boston Foundation, Harvard
University, MASCO and Partners
HealthCare.
ABC is currently preparing the first part of the “Beyond the Big Dig” study, a study of “Infrastructure Support for the Life Sciences Sector.” This study presents the need for infrastructure investments to support the life sciences industry in the Boston area, and uses case studies related to infrastructure investments in other states to serve as a model for similar investments in the Boston/Cambridge life sciences cluster. This effort is supported by a review committee made up of representatives from healthcare and academic institutions, private industry, and city agencies.
Next Steps
The next phase of the “Beyond the Big Dig” study is to identify and prioritize other possible transportation, land development, and public realm projects for keeping Boston vibrant, livable and economically competitive. Key components of this study will be highlighting the leading industries in Boston area, identifying infrastructure needs for those industries, the priority projects to meet those needs, and the implementation strategies for advancing the priority projects.