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Our campaign to influence the MBTA fare and service changes for the economic benefit of Greater Boston has been underway since the new year. After conducting a series of focus groups to collect feedback on how the MBTA's proposed scenarios would affect our member businesses and institutions, we published a position paper in March suggesting a reduced schedule of service cuts and a fare increase of no more than 25%. We also hosted a Business Community Briefing on these impacts, drawing an audience of over 100 influential business and government leaders. We were pleased when the MBTA recently released "Scenario 3," calling for minimal service cuts and an average 23% increase in fares. We recognize that this is only a short-term fix, however, and continue to advocate for legislative involvement to implement a longer-term solution to transportation finance in the Commonwealth. 

    

Longfellow Bridge  

The rehabilitation of the  Longfellow Bridge, the signature project in the state's Accelerated Bridge Program, reached a major milestone with the release of the Federal Highway Administration's Environmental Assessment (EA) on the project. ABC attended and testified at a public meeting on the EA, held at MassDOT on March 1. ABC is generally in favor of the proposed lane configurations for the bridge - one lane out to Cambridge, two splitting to three coming into Charles Circle - and of other aspects of the project which will increase the amount of usable parkspace in the Esplanade. The project also includes a new, wider pedestrian bridge over Storrow Drive, which will further enhance the public's access to the Esplanade.

  

Boston Public Market  

Building on its white paper project examining the proposals for a new Boston Public Market, the ABC Young Leaders group hosted a special luncheon with Donald Wiest, the head of the organization that's been selected to run the new year-round market on the Greenway. Don's presentation included discussion of the proposed merchandising mix to support a year-round market and of the participatory shopping experience that will make a visit to the market unique.

   

Crossroads Initiative
We continue to see tangible progress on the Crossroads Initiative from our headquarters here on Broad Street. This week witnessed the planting of a row of beautiful trees, which will grow in to create a magnificent boulevard connecting downtown Boston with the South Boston Waterfront. We look forward to keeping you informed about future developments with this project as they unfold before our very eyes. 

 

2012 Challenge for Sustainability

Our hugely popular Challenge for Sustainability has been growing rapidly into the Main Streets neighborhoods of Boston. To welcome our new members and to honor current program participants who have achieved exceptional results in progress towards sustainable business practices, we spent a beautiful March evening "Toasting to Success in Sustainability," where our team presented awards to benchmark businesses and institutions. We also continue to host monthly roundtables on sustainability topics, including Building Your Own Green Fair and Energy Efficiency for Small Businesses.

 

Sustainability & Climate Change Committee  

ABC's Sustainability & Climate Change Committee hosted Mark Sylvia, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), at its March quarterly meeting.  Mr. Sylvia provided an update on several key DOER initiatives that directly impact ABC members, including the development of the next set of three-year energy efficiency plans and the Building Asset Labeling pilot program.  The draft three-year plans from the utilities are due to the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council in April.  Thee EEAC includes S&CC Committee co-chair Rick Mattila as a representative from the commercial real estate sector.    

    

ABC TMA Expansion  

Since 1996, our ABC TMA has assisted employees with their commutes to work by providing comprehensive programs and services that encourage public transit, ridesharing, biking and walking. ABC TMA currently serves over 80,000 commuters in the downtown and Back Bay areas of Boston. Through a generous grant from the Barr Foundation, the TMA has launched an expansion to serve businesses and buildings in the Fenway, Kenmore, Allston, and Brighton neighborhoods. The Boson Red Sox hosted our kickoff meeting of this group at historic Fenway Park, where Transportation Commissioner Thomas Tinlin discussed the important role that TMAs serve in Boston.