Environment
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L.A. Times Analysis Shows Racist Harms of Freeway Projects
In five states — California, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas — the paper found that large highway building projects demolished homes predominantly in Black and Latino neighborhoods.
November 13, 2021
Environmentalists Press for All-Electric MBTA Bus Fleet By 2030
"We’ve been pushing the T to set an ambitious deadline for electrification is because the T needs to make a plan for a new fleet, to get its garages modernized, and to make sure there’s enough funding available in the state budget," explained Veena Dharmaraj, Director of Transportation at the Massachusetts Sierra Club.
September 30, 2021
Please Stay On The Grass: More Absorbent Streets Could Mean Less Catastrophically Flooded Subways
Ripping up some asphalt is a start.
September 3, 2021
Mass. Fiscal Alliance Launches Referendum to Overturn Key Climate Policy
Earlier this week, the Massachusetts Attorney General's office certified a ballot question that, if it's approved by voters in 2022, would "prohibit Massachusetts from imposing any tax, fee, revenue-generating measure, or market-based compliance measure if it would reduce or restrict the supply of gasoline."
September 2, 2021
Federal Infrastructure Bill Could Buy Big Projects, But Not Long-Term Fiscal Stability
A massive influx of federal funds (and the looming possibility of a major federal infrastructure bill) is shoring up budgets at the state's major transit agencies in spite of the past year's dip in ridership and fare collections, and opening up possibilities for funding major projects, like the electrification of the regional rail network and a new link between the Red and Blue lines in downtown Boston.
August 25, 2021
MBTA Flood Resiliency Projects Face Major Test As Henri Approaches
Forecasters say that Henri could bring up to 8 inches of rainfall to parts of the state, plus sustained high winds and storm surges that could flood low-lying areas along the coast.
August 20, 2021
Mayor Janey Is Missing From Vision Zero Candidate Survey
Mayor Walsh adopted ambitious goals to reduce tailpipe pollution, but made little progress on implementing policies that could reduce traffic and pollution. The next Mayor will likely feel more heat – literally and politically – to take bolder action.
August 10, 2021
Where Boston Mayoral Candidates Stand On City Climate Policy
Whether Boston meets its 2030 climate goals will largely depend on the city’s next mayor, whose administration will have broad control over some of the city’s biggest sources of pollution: energy-inefficient buildings, and traffic on city streets.
August 4, 2021
Environmental Justice Advocates Want More From Transportation and Climate Plan

July 6, 2021
MassDOT Ghosts Somerville Critics At I-93 Virtual Public Meeting
"People started to realize they’re not hear to hear us," says Somerville resident Melissa McCue-McGrath. "They’re here to say they had a meeting, but they’re not going to do anything for the people who live here and are dying here... It wasn’t that they didn’t hear us; they were just choosing not to."
June 10, 2021