ABC Year in Review
December 30, 2014
2014 has been another great year for A Better City. We welcomed seven new members to the organization: Boston Global Investors, Gerding Edlen, HNTB, Jamestown LLC., Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., Keville Enterprises, Inc., ZipCar, each of whom will add new ideas and insight on how ABC can help improve the economic competitiveness of the region. At our 2014 Norman B. Leventhal Excellence in City Building Awards we celebrated our leaders in elected office that were championing efforts to fund and support transportation throughout the Commonwealth; Steve Samuels for his commitment to creating a new neighborhood in the Fenway; and Fred Laskey for his years of leadership in leading the MWRA and helping clean the Boston Harbor. This year’s event drew a record crowd of over 300 attendees and almost 60 sponsors. The continued growth and success of the organization is a testament to the vital role we play for both our members and our stakeholders as the leading voice of the business community on issues pertaining to transportation, land development and the environment.
On the transportation policy front, we were as busy as ever and provided our expertise on a number of in initiatives. I was honored to be able to co-chair the Transportation and Infrastructure Transition Team for Mayor Walsh, and we began the year by presenting a comprehensive report to the Mayor which will provide him and his staff with guidance over the course of his first several years in office. I have also been asked to chair the external advisory group for Go Boston 2030, a major initiative of Mayor Walsh which will envision the city’s transportation future for years to come. We were also asked to serve on the Patrick administration’s Allston Interchange Task Force, which will advise MassDOT as it begins the process of redesigning the interchange. We have been providing in-depth analysis and recommendations for this critical project and will continue to do so as it proceeds.
Turning to Land Development, ABC spent significant time managing the South Boston Waterfront Sustainable Transportation Plan on behalf of MassDOT, City of Boston, MassPort and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. This comprehensive analysis of one of the fastest growing areas in the country will provide policymakers with a detailed blueprint as they work to make sure that the area’s vibrant economic and development activity continues and that transportation improvements are implemented that allow the area to reach its full growth potential. Next year, ABC will continue to collaborate with the public sector on the plan’s implementation. We also remained active on the BRA’s Municipal Harbor Plan Advisory Committee.
Our activity to improve Boston’s environment continued to grow and expand in important ways. Our Challenge for Sustainability participants reduced 18 million kWh (generating $1.4 million savings), and 6,000 tons of carbon saved equaling 2.2% of GHG emission. We also enrolled 86 facilities with over 36 million square feet. Additionally, we launched the new Allston Brighton TMA in April with 11 founding members including Boston University, Brighton Landing Condo Association, Doubletree Hotel, Harvard Real Estate, Samuel and Associates, and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. Finally, we played a leading role in advising the City of Boston on behalf of the commercial real estate sector as the city updated its Climate Action Plan.
We are also grateful to our members, our partners in the business community and other stakeholders who helped raise close to $3 million in an effort to defeat ballot Question 1 and maintain the indexing of the gas tax. By Election Day, our coalition had grown to more than 100 organizations and individuals. While we came up short, the result was a close one that we are proud of. Moreover, this broad and diverse coalition will continue to work together to advocate for improvements and investments in our transportation system.
Thank you to all of our members and partners who helped make 2014 a great year for ABC. We look forward to working with you to make 2015 another great year of progress and achievement for both the organization and Greater Boston.
Richard Dimino, President & CEO
