Winthrop and Revere Awarded $900,000 in Loan Forgiveness for Clean Water Projects
House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo announced the communities of Winthrop and Revere received $900,000 total in loan forgiveness from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust for improvements to vital water infrastructure.
The Trust awarded the Town of Winthrop $514,000 in loan forgiveness for its town center sewer and drainage improvement project. In addition, the Trust awarded the City of Revere $398,000 in loan forgiveness for work to upgrade the city’s sewer system.
“The House has a long history of working to protect clean and safe water infrastructure in our communities,†said Speaker DeLeo (D-Winthrop). “These funds, sourced to efforts by the House in funding the Clean Water Trust, help to ease the costs of important water infrastructure projects that ensure the water services our residents and businesses depend on are safe and reliable.â€
“These grants are integral to supporting public health and clean water access in Revere and Winthrop,†said Senator Joe Boncore (D-Winthrop). “We are grateful to the Clean Water Trust for their assistance to prioritize updated infrastructure in our communities.â€
“I thank the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust and Treasurer Deb Goldberg for awarding a loan forgiveness to City of Revere in the amount of nearly $400,000 for phase 10 construction of this needed pumping station and drainage project,†said Representative RoseLee Vincent (D-Revere). “As the City looks to continue updating and upgrading drainage infrastructure across our community, it is wonderful to see the state partnering with Revere to help ease the cost burden for these infrastructure improvements.â€
New England Governors Call for Modernization of Regional Electricity System
Recognizing the critical role that New England’s regional wholesale electricity market plays in addressing climate change and cost-effectively reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions, Gov. Charlie Baker and Governors from four Northeast states last week issued a statement calling for reforms needed to achieve their states’ respective goals for clean, affordable, and reliable electricity.
“To meet to our Administration’s goal of net zero emissions in Massachusetts by 2050, the Commonwealth needs a regional electricity system that can support the delivery of clean, affordable, and reliable energy to residents and businesses,†said Gov. Baker. “My administration looks forward to working with our partner states, ISO-New England and stakeholders to build a more transparent, modern and cost-effective power system that will allow New England states to meet our ambitious climate change and clean energy goals while creating a better future for our residents.â€
The statement, signed by Gov. Baker, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, calls for reform of the regional electricity market design, transmission planning process, and the governance of the ISO-New England, the independent system operator for the New England power system. A Vision document outlining specific areas for reform will be released later this week through the New England States Committee on Electricity (NESCOE), a non-profit entity that represents the collective perspective of the New England states in regional electricity matters.
In the coming months, the states will convene open and accessible forums to ensure that all interested stakeholders have an opportunity to participate in further refinement of the principles of the shared Vision.
Fall Commuter Rail Schedule Changes Take Effect Nov. 2
The MBTA is reminding customers of upcoming schedule changes coming to the Commuter Rail network this fall effective Monday, Nov. 2. These updates are being made in response to changing ridership patterns on the Commuter Rail as a result of the pandemic. Upcoming Commuter Rail schedules are available at mbta.com.
The goal of these schedule changes is to accommodate traditional ridership while also adapting service where commutes have changed (to accommodate new staggered work start times, for example) and where the Commuter Rail may become a new option for some customers. These schedules aim to level out service consistently over the course of the day and eliminate gaps in mid-day service, providing more options to riders that promote social distancing.
More Information on Fall Changes Effective Nov. 2:
•Full schedules effective Nov. 2 are available at mbta.com. Train counts will increase on weekdays from 505 in fall 2019 to 544 in fall 2020, utilizing the same number of train sets and crews as October 2019. Thirty-two of the thirty-nine new trains (82 percent) will serve either Fairmount, Brockton, or Lynn:
Lynn service: This fall, mid-day service will operate every thirty minutes (fall 2019 service ranged thirty to ninety minutes).
Commuter Rail Fare Pilot Updates:
•The Lynn Zone 1A pilot remains in effect through Dec. 31. This pilot provides additional travel options for North Shore customers, eases crowding on nearby bus routes, and allows the MBTA to collect ridership data related to the effects of temporary fare changes on relieving crowding.
•The Five-Day Flex Pass pilot will be extended to Dec. 31. The Five-Day Flex Pass on mTicket is a bundled fare good for any five days of travel within a 30-day period.
•The Youth Pass is currently valid on all Commuter Rail Zones with this pilot extended to Dec. 31. The Youth Pass Program is a partnership between the MBTA and participating cities and towns that offers young adults with low incomes roughly 50 percent reduced one-way fares or $30 monthly LinkPasses and was previously only available on bus and subway.