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 The rescinded federal grant represented approximately 17% of the total project cost, but there is still overwhelming support to deliver this project, including a commitment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 . . .
Event Recap: Summer Spotlight Series Kickoff with Meet Boston's Martha Sheridan
May 05, 2026
On April 30, 2026, A Better City kicked off a virtual Summer Spotlight series with Meet Boston’s Martha Sheridan. Martha provided an overview of the incredible events Boston will be hosting in summer 2026, namely the World Cup, 250th Celebrations, and Tall Ships/Sail Boston.
If you weren’t able to tune in, or would like more information, you can review the slides here and the FIFA Business Engagement toolkit here. We also encourage you to check out MeetBoston.com, which has resources, links, and answers to all your questions for summer 2026.
We hope you can join us on May 12 at 12-1 PM for our next Summer Spotlight Series focused on transportation readiness with the MBTA's Erika Mazza. This conversation will be followed by a May 12th briefing from MBTA’s Erika Mazza on transportation readiness for summer . . .
Governor Healey Files Ride Safe Act
May 05, 2026
On May 4, 2026, Governor Maura Healey MORE
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 . . .
