0 Self-driving Cars Create Employment Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities

Self-driving car in the street of Boston and Cambridge

Credit: Boston Herlad

Self-driving cars, who’s technology in part is being created and tested in Boston, will offer the nearly 2 million individuals with disabilities new employment opportunities.

From the Boston Herald:

In a study released by the Boston-based Ruderman Family Foundation last week, researchers found self-driving cars would dramatically improve the lives of disabled residents by making it easier and cheaper for them to travel — especially to and from a job.

“Approximately 2 million individuals with disabilities would have new employment opportunities,” the study said. “New transportation technologies have the potential to help those with disabilities enjoy the activities that those without disabilities take for granted.”

0 Boston Self-driving Cars Hit Roadblock

Self-driving car in Boston

Credit: Boston Globe

There is no easy ride for the self-driving car industry. Legislation is looking to dramatically put the brakes on this.

A recent Boston Globe article noted Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, a Pittsfield Democrat, and Senator Jason Lewis, a Winchester Democrat unveiled “a measure that would set statewide rules for the testing and use of autonomous vehicles…Among other provisions, the bill would mandate that all self-driving cars weighing under 8,500 pounds be zero-emissions vehicles, and require their operators to pay the state 2.5 cents for every mile they travel. Only freight and emergency autonomous vehicles could drive more than a mile without a passenger.”

Additional details on the battle between self-driving auto producers and state legislators is available on the Boston Globe.

0 Monorail Proposed in Boston

Aerial view of the greenway in downtown Boston

Credit: Boston Herald

We have worked so hard to suppress the central artery I’m not too sure it makes sense to litter it with a monorail.

From the Boston Herald:

Minnesota-based JPods has proposed bringing their solar-powered gondola pods to Boston and Somerville, an idea that caught the attention of former city councilor Steve Murphy, who liked them for the Greenway.

JPods are among a category of vehicle called personal rapid transit, a network of small, solar-powered automated vehicles that operate on specially built guideways. They’ve been tested — in different forms — everywhere from New Zealand to Abu Dhabi and even installed in Heathrow Airport to ferry travelers from Terminal 5 to the long-term car park. The expansion of these projects always seems to end with the conclusion that they don’t move a high enough volume of people for the considerable cost. It’s just the type of problem Boston’s innovators could take on.

0 Boston Parking: A Growing Challenge for Hub Commuters

boston garage closed

Credit: The Boston Globe

How long does it take for you to find a parking space or have you given up.  My father would say, as he combed the Financial District for the coveted spot, you have to believe.  Believe that there is a spot for you.  Well, for those that don’t follow that model, they have found that getting that spot is nearly unattainable.  I rely on the T and Uber, during prime time and use the believe method for early morning meetings.

A recent Boston Globe article indicates that the daily plight for Boston commuters is only worsening. “Boston’s current parking crunch is the product of conflicting ambitions. City planners placed parking caps on downtown and South Boston years ago, hoping to reduce pollution and encourage the use of public transportation, while mayors and developers pressed for business and residential expansion…James Gillooly, interim commissioner of the Boston Transportation Department, estimates about 3,000 spaces have been eliminated in the Seaport area over the past several years, as offices, condos and hotels have replaced open lots…’As this neighborhood grows,’ said Gillooly, “there will be spaces that used to be used by people in the financial district, who now have to come up with a new strategy of how to come and go from work.’’

More information on Boston’s transforming parking landscape is posted on The Boston Globe’s website.

0 Commuting to Boston: the reality of Mass. Pike Traffic

Mass Pike commute in to Boston

Credit: wikimedia.org

I meet with evolving, growing companies each day, looking to house their corporate office in Boston  Commutes are a factor of life in our city, and to-date, I have yet to see a company avoid Boston due to commutes.  Our infrastructure needs to be maintained and upgraded and yes it is frustrating, but I will continue to traverse the Pike, leaving earlier in the morning to beat the rush.

The BBJ offers the following for context:

“The toll-paying commuters lost two lanes last August (one each way) as much-needed repair began on the Commonwealth Avenue bridge. This is no minor inconvenience: The project, a $22 million job, is supposed to take two years….The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has been trying to soft-sell this traffic travesty, and they recently produced a heap of data using a real-time traffic tracking system indicating that the average inbound delay is about 10 minutes during rush hour. Although the data doesn’t jibe with most motorists’ experiences, even 10 extra minutes adds some 2,500 minutes a year to the average motorist’s commute, or 5,000 minutes (or 83 hours, or two full work weeks) over the life of the bridge repair project.”

0 Boston Among ‘Most Walkable’ US Cities

people walk the streets of Boston

Credit: The Boston Globe

Boston makes big claims about sports, education, medical and financial services.  If you’re from here you have very strong opinions about how our town is better than all the rest.  Well, we have a new one, most walkable.

The BBJ, citing a report from a Washington D.C.-based research group and George Washington University, claims, “the report concludes, the most-walkable cities will be, in order: Boston, Washington D.C., New York, Miami and Atlanta.”

The criteria for walkability, according to the research group:

“The report’s executive summary states: ‘Walkable urban development is characterized by much higher density and a mix of diverse real estate types, connected to surrounding areas via multiple transportation options, such as bus and rail, bike routes, and motor vehicles. For those living or visiting a walkable urban place, everyday destinations, such as home, work, school, stores, and restaurants, are within walking distance.'”

0 South Station Redevelopment: Back to the Drawing Board

South Station in Boston

Credit: Boston Business Journal

The starts and stops at South Station redevelopment – will we see condos or more office space?

A recent article on the BBJ’s website, quotes a senior vice president in Hines’ Boston office:

Seven years after getting permits for a 1.9-million-square-foot mixed-use project anchored by a 47-story office tower, Houston-based developer Hines is headed back to the drawing board. It plans to reduce office space and eliminate a 200-room hotel while increasing the number of residential units, said David Perry, a senior vice president in Hines’ Boston office.

For the full article, head over to the Boston Business Journal.

0 Will MBTA’s Red and Blue Lines Ever Meet?

Some say yes and some say no. The goal to have contiguous Subway transit moved forward a couple of steps and back one.

The Boston Globe reports progress, noting “supporters of a “Red-Blue Connector” appeared to gain a boost Thursday when the body controlling distribution of federal transportation aid in Greater Boston programmed $49 million to design the connector. The tunnel would extend the Blue Line a half-mile beneath Cambridge Street from its Government Center/Bowdoin terminus to meet the Red Line at Charles/MGH.”
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