Testimony: June MassDOT Board Meeting
June 25, 2026
On June 17, Tom Ryan provided testimony to the MassDOT Board of Directors in support of the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project. Please see the complete testimony below and reach out to Tom Ryan with any questions.
Secretary Phil Eng and members of the MassDOT Board,
My name is Tom Ryan, and I am a Senior Advisor at A Better City. I am here today to testify about the Draft FY27–31 MassDOT Capital Investment Plan (CIP).
A Better City understands this draft CIP cannot address every need and challenge in our statewide transportation system. But we believe there is one project that deserves additional funding capacity in the final five-year CIP: the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project. It is important that MassDOT adjusts the CIP for years FY27–31 so you can properly move forward on the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project.
The I-90 Allston Multimodal Project (AMP) is one of the most transformative public infrastructure investments in New England. It is not just a transportation project that improves the roadways and increases public transit. It is a community building and economic development project and delivers many housing and environmental benefits. No other state infrastructure project can produce this level of impact across multiple policy goals.
Unfortunately, the draft FY27–31 CIP does not properly budget enough funding to allow it to move into construction within the next five years. Also, these numbers in the draft plan are inconsistent with many public statements of support for the project from the Healey-Driscoll Administration.
I understand MassDOT is considering an engineering review of the project after the loss of the federal infrastructure grant in 2025. That process is separate from what MassDOT put into the budget documents for the next five years. . . .
June Legislative Update
June 24, 2026
Fair Share Surtax Supplemental Delivers for MBTA
On June 12, Governor Healey signed the “Fair Share surtax” supplemental budget that provides more than $600 million to the MBTA. This bill, which has been a top A Better City priority, is another major victory for public transit and how the state elected officials are spending the surtax funding. This bill represents the second year in a row where the legislature passed a supplemental budget that spends a larger percentage of the Fair Share surtax on transportation than on education programs, bringing the overall split closer to 50/50—transportation will receive 58%, and education will receive 42%
The funding in this bill will support public transit throughout the Commonwealth, as there are line items for both the MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs). Highlights include:
- $1.35 billion of spending from the Fair Share surtax reserve funds
- $620 million to support the MBTA’s operating budget, means-tested fare program, infrastructure maintenance, water ferry service, and increases to MBTA reserve funds
- $101 million to support municipal government’s costs for snow and ice removal last winter
- Smaller line items for municipal transportation projects throughout the state, funding to address unpaved roads, and last-mile innovation grants administered by MassDOT
This bill also contains several statutory changes, including:
- The creation of a new sales tax exemption for materials used in the construction of affordable, moderate income, and middle-income housing projects.
- Language that would delay Massachusetts’ conformity to some federal tax policy changes in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), but also permanently decouple from these tax credits and if the ballot question to reduce the state income from 5% to 4% tax passes this fall.
You . . .
Event Recap: Better City’s Commuter Rail Modernization Roundtable Event
June 23, 2026
A Better City was honored to host the MBTA’s first external meeting on their Rail Modernization plans, which included many of our members. The MBTA leadership team of Mike Muller, Laura Gilmore, and Lynsey Heffernan presented their current strategy for advancing this multi-year initiative before answering questions from the audience.
The MBTA team explained that the top four priorities for the Rail Modernization plan are service frequency, reliability, accessibility, and decarbonization.
2019 MBTA Rail Vision – The Building Blocks
These priorities emerge as the MBTA is now looking to build upon the findings from the 2019 MBTA Rail Vision study and adapt to current conditions. When it was released, Rail Vision acted as the first step in reframing existing commuter rail service that primarily is focused on peak commute times in the morning and later afternoon into an upgraded “regional rail system” that operates with more service options throughout the entire day. This would offer greater mobility options throughout the region . . .
A Better City Welcomes Summer 2026 Interns
June 15, 2026
This summer, A Better City is excited to welcome five 2026 interns to our team! They represent a variety of backgrounds and schools across Massachusetts: Boston University, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and Williams College. They have hit the ground running, and we look forward to sharing their work at the end of the summer. Please say hello if you see them around our offices or at an upcoming event!
You can learn more about each intern below:
Carson Douglas joins A Better City through the Boston University LaunchPad Program. A rising sophomore majoring in Behavior and Health at Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Carson is originally from Brooklyn, New York, and enjoys playing basketball and meeting new people. He is deeply passionate about sports science and athletic training, with aspirations to become a sports physical therapist and, eventually, a strength and conditioning coach for an NBA team or professional league. While he possesses clarity regarding his chosen career path, Carson remains highly open-minded toward exploring other fields and connecting with a diverse range of professionals throughout his journey.
Joanna Gentle joins A Better City through the Williams College Alumni Sponsored Internship Program. Joanna is a rising junior at Williams College, where she is double majoring in Psychology and Political Science because of her interests in the intersections of social psychology and public policy. Originally from Norwalk, Connecticut, Joanna has enjoyed the potential connection to urban areas that effective transportation and urban planning provides. At Williams she is a leader of the Transport Hub and of the Route 2 Passenger Rail project which advocates for the restoration of a rail line . . .
A Better City Testimony on the Ride Safe Act, S.3077
June 03, 2026
On Thursday May 28th, Scott Mullen provided testimony to the Joint Committee on Transportation in support of the Governors Ride Safe Act, S.3077. This bill is intentionally grounded in the final report of the Special Commission on Micromobility on which our TDM Director, Scott Mullen, served throughout 2025.
“This is comprehensive, forward-looking legislation that helps to future-proof our laws when new vehicle types emerge, brings clarity and consistency to how and where these devices should operate, and maps a deliberate path toward greater integration of micromobility into our transportation network with safety as a core principle", Mullen testified.
Roughly fifty people joined the hearing to testify overwhelmingly in support of this effort, with some tweaks suggested to make the bill even stronger. The most vocal opposition was focused on the insurance requirements related to mopeds.
This bill was introduced very late in the legislative session and received a hearing within weeks, which speaks to the sense of urgency felt by the Governor and the Transportation . . .
Event Recap: Summer Spotlight Series: Sail Boston with Conventures' Dusty Rhodes
June 01, 2026
On Thursday May 28th we were joined virtually by Conventures President Dusty Rhodes for a presentation on upcoming Sail Boston celebration. This summer Boston will host the largest maritime event in the US, expecting 60 tall ships from over 20 countries to port in Boston Harbor between July 10-16th.
The event is expected to provide an estimated economic impact between $150-180milllion with 1.2million visitors expected to attend the July 11 Parade of Sail and an estimated 4-7 million attendees expected over the 6 day event. For a full schedule and more information check out Sail Boston, presentation slides and recording, and keep an eye out for their app available for download soon.
The event organizer Sail Boston is a 501c3 founded in 1992, over their history they have hosted 500 international tall ships, with smaller events hosted in 1998, 2000, 2009 and 2017. The planning for this years celebration which aligns with 250th anniversary of our nations founding took over 8 years to align foreign . . .
I-90 Allston Multimodal Project Update May 2026
May 27, 2026
A Better City remains committed to advancing the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project, which is a once-in-a-generation chance to replace a structurally deficient elevated highway with safer transportation connections and expanded access to the Charles River for Allston residents. The project also includes a new multimodal transportation hub at West Station that will improve transit connections for commuters throughout the region and support future development in nearby Beacon Park Yard.
The enactment of the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" in July 2025 eliminated billions of dollars in unobligated funding for the federal Reconnecting Communities grant program—including all but $8 million of a $335 million grant for the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project. The rescinded federal grant represented approximately 17% of the total project cost, but there is still overwhelming support to deliver this project, including a commitment from Governor Healy to “
Event Recap: Summer Spotlight Series: Transportation Readiness with the MBTA’s Erika Mazza
May 26, 2026
On Tuesday, May 12, we were joined virtually by Erika Mazza, MBTA Senior Advisor on special projects. The briefing focused on the MBTA's preparation for summer 2026 and more specifically the World Cup. This briefing provided transit updates as well as an overview of key dates and events.
The MBTA will be providing express train service between South Station and the stadium in Foxborough for up to 20,000 people per match, with trips running under 60 minutes. The MBTA has constructed an 800-foot temporary boarding platform in Foxborough to accommodate this increased passenger volume. In addition, the MBTA will be providing extended late-night bus and subway service.
You can view the full recording of the presentation here and the MBTA's slides
Policy Update: MBTA Communities Law Status and Housing Outlook
May 18, 2026
On January 29, 2026, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against nine towns that failed to adopt zoning plans by July 14, 2025, to comply with Section 3A of the Zoning Act (M.G.L c. 40A)—better known as the MBTA Communities Law. The towns that have been sued are Dracut, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Holden, Marblehead, Middleton, Tewksbury, Wilmington, and Winthrop. At present, only the Town of Marblehead has voted to adopt a compliant plan—and eight of the nine towns sued by the Attorney General remain non-compliant.
How Have Towns Responded?
Efforts to comply with the law
Since the Attorney General’s lawsuit, the Towns of East Bridgewater, Holden, and Marblehead have made renewed efforts to propose compliant zoning changes at convenings of their respective Town Meetings. East Bridgewater most recently voted on May 11, 2026, on a new plan for the North Bedford Street Housing Overlay District, which failed by a margin of 220 opposed to 149 in-favor. The Town of Holden voted on a proposed multifamily district at a special Town Meeting on February 23, 2026, and the proposal was voted . . .
BERDO Regulations Changed for Renewable Energy Certificate Requirements
May 18, 2026
The Air Pollution Control Commission adopted updated BERDO Regulations last week related to MA Class I Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) requirements. Building owners can now use MA Class I RECs generated six months after an emissions compliance year which will allow them to be a viable compliance option for BERDO reporting.
For 2025 emissions compliance, MA Class I RECs generated between January 2024 - June 2026 can now be bought to meet a building owner’s 2025 emissions standard. These can be purchased through the City of Boston’s MA Class I REC Connector Program run by Green Energy Consumer Alliance. or independently through REC brokers. The new deadline to purchase RECs for 2025 emissions compliance through the MA Class I REC program is October 31, 2026. For more information visit: boston.gov/berdo-recs
In addition, A Better City has been working with some member entities that have BERDO approved virtual Power Purchase Agreements (vPPAs) to understand if they have excess RECs available for purchase for compliance in 2025 and future years. Please reach out to Yve Torrie if you are interested in market rate RECs for BERDO compliance through BERDO-approved . . .
