Testimony: MBTA April Board Meeting
May 01, 2026
On April 30, Amir Wilson testified at the MBTA Board of Directors Meeting, commenting on the funding process for MBTA climate resilience capital projects, and inquiring further into FIFA World Cup strategy to encourage the use of the Commuter Rail to get to and from the stadium. See the full testimony below:
Amir Wilson, Transportation Policy & Data Manager, A Better City
Chair McGee, Members of the Board, Secretary & General Manager Eng, thank you for the
opportunity to speak today.
My name is Amir Wilson, Transportation Policy & Data Manager, delivering testimony on
behalf of A Better City. As you may know, A Better City represents a multi-sector group of
more than 130 business leaders focused on creating a more vibrant, competitive,
sustainable, and equitable city and region for all.
A Better City would like to comment on two items set for the agenda today: the Resilience
Roadmap, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
First, on Resilience, we’d like to thank the entire MBTA team for its efforts to put together a
comprehensive roadmap to protect the system against the hazards of climate change, and
especially for considering employee and rider exposure to extreme heat as a key area,
which has been a central focus of A Better City’s Equity in the Built Environment work. As
the MBTA moves forward to deliver on the priorities of this plan, it would be particularly
helpful to understand the total cost estimate of the capital projects in the resilience
pipeline. We would encourage the CIP to include a category for Resilience spending, so
that this can easily be monitored and measured against this need. We’re looking forward to
the release of the Roadmap later today and continuing to support this critical work.
Second, we . . .
2026 Climate Leader Awardees
April 29, 2026
Yesterday, Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of Boston’s Environment Department hosted the second annual Boston Climate Leader Awards at The Prudential Center’s View Boston, hosted by BXP, honoring the local leaders making extraordinary contributions to the city’s ambitious climate action goals.
We were excited to celebrate all of the awardees, especially A Better City's own Yve Torrie, Director of Climate, Energy & Resilience, who received the Emerald Skyline Award for her leadership in decarbonizing Boston's large new and existing buildings. Yve was specifically recognized for her role in helping to establish the PowerCorpsBOS building operations training program, as well as ongoing efforts to amplify the voices of the business community in the development and implementation of building decarbonization policies.
The following A Better City members and partners were also recognized for their outstanding leadership: Bob Biggio, Boston Medical Center; Norman B. Leventhal Honoree Mela Bush; Dr. Patricia Fabian, Boston University; PowerCorpsBOS partner Franklin Cummings Tech; Mass General Brigham; Museum of Science; New England Aquarium; Katie Dafforn, Stone Living Lab & UMass Boston; and Wharf District Council.
Additionally, Mayor Wu honored Amos Hostetter Jr. with the Climate Catalyst Legacy Award, recognizing his years of cultivating lasting public-private partnerships to drive climate action as the co-founder of both the Barr Foundation and Green Ribbon Commission.
To see the complete slate of awardees, check out the press release and event
Comment Letter: FY27-31 MBTA Draft Capital Investment Plan
April 23, 2026
On April 15, A Better City submitted comments on the FY27-31 MBTA Draft Capital Investment Plan (CIP). Included are questions regarding the process for allocating additional funds if the Governor’s Fair Share proposal is adopted, the current backlog of capital spending requests, and the most recent status of system State of Good Repair (SGR). Additionally, A Better City provided recommendations on how best to prioritize the spending of new funding, if it becomes available.
To read the full comment letter, please click here to access the document.
A Better City’s questions and recommendations for the FY27-31 Draft CIP are also posted below:
Questions
What is the process for adding projects and additional spending, if the Governor’s Fair Share proposal is adopted?
In the last two years, the MBTA approved a CIP only weeks before the Governor signed the annual budget into law. In both years, the state budget included statutory changes related to leveraging Fair Share dollars to increase state borrowing for transportation projects. In 2024, an outside section from the state budget produced an additional $600 million for the MBTA that was approved in October. In 2025, a similar process resulted in another $850 million for the MBTA. This year, Governor Healey once again is proposing another change in the amount of Fair Share dollars that can be leveraged through the Commonwealth Transportation Fund (CTF), and we understand why this draft CIP does not include any new budget capacity from this proposal.
However, we do wonder . . .
BEUDO Phase 3 Regulations Update
April 22, 2026
BEUDO's Phase 3 Regulations have been finalized and the BEUDO Procedures have been revised. Phase 3 Regulations cover Campus Compliance, Residential Property definitions, Review Board procedures, and two main options for those who may need more time: Hardship Compliance Plans and Deferral Plans. Hardship Compliance and Deferral Plan applications opened Friday, April 17. Details on how to apply for these can be found here.
Hardship Compliance Plan and Deferral Plan Applications will be reviewed by a newly formed BEUDO Review Board, whose nine members were chosen to represent a diversity of stakeholders and viewpoints. Their first meeting was held on April 15.
For any questions, please contact Yve . . .
BERDO Updates 04.21.2026
April 22, 2026
The Air Pollution Control Commission has opened a public comment period on proposed updates to BERDO Regulations related to MA Class I Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The proposed updates (slides 8-14) would allow building owners to use MA Class I RECs generated six months after an emissions compliance year to ensure that MA Class I RECs continue to be a viable compliance option for all building owners that wish to mitigate emissions retroactively during the annual BERDO reporting period.
Comments are due at noon on May 8. Please reach out to Yve Torrie with any comments by EOD May May 5 for inclusion in A Better City’s . . .
Panel Series Recap: Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Decarbonization and Resilience Fall 2025-Spring 2026
April 21, 2026
From September 2025 through April 2026, A Better City convened a series of five in-person panel events in the Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Decarbonization and Resilience, a series of five in-person panel events to highlight the climate leadership of A Better City member companies and institutions. Over the past four years, A Better City members have focused on helping to shape new and updated climate policies that relate to large buildings. The panel series moved from policy to implementation by showcasing how climate leaders are both decarbonizing and fortifying their building stock, uplifting innovative and replicable strategies, and identifying challenges to implementation and scalability. The first panel focused on decarbonization in existing buildings, the second on decarbonization in new construction, the third on new technologies and opportunities, the fourth on deconstruction and embodied carbon, and the fifth on lessons in building resilience. For each panel, the speakers, slides, and a panel summary is provided below.
Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Decarbonization in Existing Buildings September 24, 2025 (slides)
- Torey Brooks, Senior Manager of Sustainability, Pembroke—Relaxing temperature settings in a back-of-house pilot
- Saagar Patel, Senior Director of Decarbonization, Equity Residential—New window technology pilot
- Al Scaramelli, Managing Director, Beacon Capital Partners—Building equipment optimization pilot
- Neetu Siddarth, Sustainability Director, Energy & Utilities, BXP—Waste . . .
Event Recap: Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Resilience
April 08, 2026
On Wednesday, April 8, A Better City hosted a fifth and final panel in the "Built to Lead: Lessons in Building Decarbonization and Resilience" series, a showcase of the climate leadership of A Better City member companies and institutions. Although the previous four panels have focused on different aspects of building decarbonization, this panel event focused on building resilience: how building and asset owners and developers are responding to current and future climate challenges. All panelists were asked to include the work underway to mitigate sea level rise and storm surge, increased precipitation and stormwater, extreme heat, and wind.
The panelists were:
- Andy Dankwerth, Senior Vice President of Design & Development, Pembroke who led us through the work underway at Commonwealth Pier – an historic pier and building, a lot of which overhangs into the water. He discussed what is being done to fortify both the pier and building. The project is nearing
- David Burson, Senior Project Manager, Mass General Brigham walked us through the resilience strategy of the healthcare system including case studies of work that has already been done, challenges ahead particularly on the MGH campus, and some new construction on that campus aimed in part to help mitigate some of these climate challenges.
- Doug Manz, Partner & Chief Investment Officer, The HYM Investment Group then discussed the phased approach HYM is taking to the development of Suffolk Downs, the old racetrack that spans both Boston and Revere. He discussed this approach to their land use plan, their resiliency plan, and what the full mitigation build will look like when completed.
- Andrew Wang, Vice President, Design, Related Beal then discussed the proposed mix use development known as Channelside on the Fort Point Channel. He walked us through what is on site today and . . .
Testimony: MBTA March Board Meeting
March 27, 2026
On March 26, Amir Wilson testified at the MBTA Board Meeting to affirm support for the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project, to highlight the importance of the MBTA Capital Improvement Plan process, and to flag clarifying questions regarding World Cup preparation. See the full testimony below:
Amir Wilson, Transportation Policy & Data Manager, on behalf of A Better City
Chair McGee, Members of the Board, Secretary & General Manager Eng, thank you for the opportunity to deliver comments today.
My name is Amir Wilson, Transportation Policy & Data Manager, delivering testimony on behalf of A Better City. As you may know, A Better City represents a multi-sector group of more than 130 business leaders focused on advancing its vision to create a more vibrant, competitive, sustainable, and equitable city and region for all.
Today, I have a few comments to make. First, to express A Better City’s support for the North Station Draw One Bridge Replacement Project. The replacement of the bridge and signal infrastructure is essential to . . .
PowerCorps Building Operations Cohort #4 Graduation
March 26, 2026
2026 PowerCorpsBOS graduates and staff
On March 25, a graduation ceremony was held at Roxbury Community College to celebrate 38 graduates from the 2025-2026 PowerCorpsBOS programs, supported by Mayor Wu, graduates family and friends, PowerCorps staff, and partners. This is the largest number of graduates since the program’s inception and the biggest number of women! Of the 38 graduates, 16 graduated from the Building Operations program that A Better City supports. Thank you to BXP, Equity Residential, Related Beal and Trinity Management for partnering with the program to offer internship to hire opportunities from October 2025-March 2026.
All building operations trainees accomplished the following certificates: OSHA 10 Construction Safety & Health Certification, 608 EPA Universal Certificate, BPI-Building Science Principles, BOC-Fundamentals in Energy Efficient Building Operations (FEEBO), UGC-Green Professional Building Skills GPRO, Massachusetts ‘Hot Works’ Certificate, and Ready to Work Certificate for HVAC. In addition, they had hands-on training in basic HVAC&R, control systems, and Building Automation Systems/Building Energy Systems from The Peterson School.
A joyous celebration was had by all – CONGRATULATIONS to the new graduates!
PowerCorpsBOS Building Operations Staff and A Better City Partner
For any questions, please contact Yve Torrie.
Event Recap: The Future of Festival Marketplaces: An Evening of Connection & Conversation
March 24, 2026
On Monday March 23, A Better City hosted an evening of connection and conversation with Mayor Michelle Wu and City of Boston leadership, international experts, and local stakeholders to help reimagine the future of the Faneuil Hall Marketplace district.
Attendees gathered under the historic Quincy Market Rotunda, once covered by a false ceiling, to connect and to enjoy an array of delicious local food from America's first food hall. The speaking program included remarks from Mayor Michelle Wu and Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, followed by a rich panel discussion facilitated by Kate Dineen that showcased the expansive expertise of Planning Chief Kairos Shen and three of the City’s advisors: Maurice Cox, Francine Houben, and James Lima. You can check out event photos here.
We'd especially like to thank our wonderful hosts at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Jenny Harding and Jessy Haggard, and to Quincy Markets incredible vendors Bakey Babka, Boston Chowda Co, DalMoros Fresh Pasta To Go, and Mona Sweets, for helping us create such a special evening.
We look forward to continuing this important conversation for the future of our downtown, our city, and our . . .
