Meeting Recap: January 27th Transportation & Infrastructure Advisory Committee Meeting
February 20, 2025
The Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Advisory Committee met on January 27, 2025, to discuss transportation funding initiatives, policy priorities, and strategic goals for the year. Kate Dineen, President & CEO of A Better City, opened the meeting, followed by a review of the Governor’s Transportation Funding Task Force recommendations and the proposed H1 budget. The task force’s final report, released on January 14, outlined strategies to stabilize, enhance, and transform transportation financing. Recommendations included increasing Chapter 90 funding by at least 50%, expanding Fair Share revenues to strengthen borrowing capacity, and reassessing user-based fees to support climate and economic goals. Governor Healey’s $8 billion, ten-year investment plan—now awaiting legislative approval—directly supports MBTA improvements and the I-90 Allston Multimodal Project.
The Governor’s plan allocates $756 million from the state budget and an additional $857 million through a supplemental budget for immediate infrastructure needs. The Fair Share surtax, designed to be split 50-50 between transportation and education, has generated more revenue than the state has spent in the past two years. However, transportation has only received 41% of these funds, prompting calls to ensure the intended distribution is met. The administration proposes using Fair Share revenues to stabilize MBTA operations, increase borrowing capacity, and provide predictable funding for Regional Transit Authorities.
For the MBTA, funding focuses on maintaining operations, accelerating the delivery of new Red and Orange Line cars, and advancing the fare transformation program. The plan prioritizes service reliability, accessibility, and preparation toward a transition to a fully electrified commuter rail network, beginning with infrastructure upgrades and the Fairmount Line Decarbonization Pilot.
For the I-90 Allston . . .
MA Large Building Energy Reporting Update
February 19, 2025
On December 30, 2024, the MA Department of Energy Resources (DOER) filed its final draft regulations on Large Building Energy Reporting (LBER) with the joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy. This requires electricity, gas, and steam utilities to report usage data on behalf of covered buildings (20,000 square feet and above). Building owners need to report on usage of additional energy sources such as oil, propane, wood, and on-site renewable energy generation. Annually, by May 30, all energy usage needs to be provided for the previous calendar year. For 2025, the reporting deadline will be June 30, 2025.
Thanks to member engagement on this important topic, A Better City provided a robust set of comments resulting in important changes to the regulations:
- 27.02: Energy Usage for Building Owners: There was confusion about what utilities and building . . .
MA Stretch Energy Codes Update
February 19, 2025
On February 14th, the MA Department of Energy Resources (DOER) released updates to the Stretch and Specialized Energy codes for residential and commercial buildings. Many of you attended an A Better City’s focus group and provided comments on these proposed updates in Fall 2024.
The updated codes went into effect immediately and can be found:
BEUDO Regulatory Process Update
February 19, 2025
The City of Cambridge passed the updated Building Energy Use and Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) in June 2023 with a rigorous set of steps and deadlines for reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 for non-residential buildings 100,000 square feet or larger, and by 2050 for non-residential buildings 25,000-100,000 square feet.
Cambridge is going through a similar process to Boston by creating detailed regulations for BEUDO in multiple phases. The first set of regulations contained information on carbon emissions calculations and ways in which owners can purchase renewable energy to offset emissions created from grid electricity. A Better City provided comments on this regulatory phase.
Regulatory language on these topics was approved and posted to the BEUDO website in December 2024. Emission factors were published in BEUDO procedures.
The next phase of . . .
Meeting Recap: February 6th Energy & Environment Advisory Committee Meeting
February 18, 2025
The Energy & Environment (E&E) Advisory Committee met on February 6, 2025, to discuss the draft 2025-2026 policy agenda that frames the workplan for our E&E Unit. The E&E Unit’s 2024 accomplishments were also discussed.
The E&E policy agenda is reviewed and updated at the start of every two-year legislative session. The 2025-2026 E&E policy agenda pushes for equitable climate policies across mitigation, adaptation, energy, and climate funding, as well as for aligned and coordinated approaches to such policies across jurisdictions and at a regional scale. It has 4 major goals:
Goal 1: Mitigate the Progression of Climate Change & Scale Up Decarbonization of the Built Environment focused on continued advocacy to promote and advance the decarbonization of buildings to support the City and State in meeting their statutory climate goals, and a continued partnership with the City of Boston’s PowerCorpsBOS Building Operations program that provides pathways into large building operations in member and partner buildings.
Goal 2: Adapt to the Effects Of Climate Change & Promote Critical Infrastructure and community Resilience focused on promoting adaptation policies across federal, state, and city levels with a focus on critical infrastructure and community resilience, supporting the implementation of community-based heat resilience solutions, and tracking the implementation of nature-based solutions.
Goal 3: Promote the Decarbonization, Reliability, And Resilience Of Our Energy Supply focused on supporting ongoing efforts to accelerate the equitable, reliable, and affordable decarbonization and resilience . . .
Meeting Recap: February 4 Land Use & Development Advisory Committee Meeting
February 05, 2025
The Land Use and Development Advisory Committee met on February 4, 2025 to review the goals of the 2025 Policy Agenda. As an introduction to the goal of Downtown Revitalization, John Weil, Senior Program Manager for the Boston Planning Department, presented an overview of the City’s Downtown Conversion Program that incentivizes office to residential adaptive reuse. John reviewed the evolution of the conversion program from origins in the PLAN: Downtown process in 2020 to a pilot for post pandemic revitalization of downtown, filling vacant space in Class B and C office buildings. The program offers a 29 year, 75% residential property tax abatement and a streamlined permitting process in return for adaptive reuse that includes 17% affordable units that comply with stretch code green energy standards. To date,14 applications for the program have been submitted, that when completed will produce 690 units of new housing, with 139 affordable units. The Downtown Conversions Program projects are eligible to take part in an expedited Article 80 review process that includes an interagency joint review. The program still faces several challenges, including market conditions, physical attributes of buildings, construction cost for conversions, building performance characteristics, and regulatory requirements that can slow the advancement of the program. Members of the Advisory Committee suggested doing a case study of a leading project to better understand how the process works. This presentation serves as a model for future discussion of topics included in the Policy Agenda.
The committee reviewed the goals of the Policy Agenda and topics for future sessions.
Goal 1 is “Support improvements to the process of planning and development in Boston” which includes continuing examination of the Article 80 development review process. A next step is follow up to review how our comments on the Action Plan are being incorporated and to . . .
Boston Zoning Commission Passes Zero Net Carbon Zoning
January 30, 2025
On January 29, the Boston Zoning Commission voted 8-3 to approve the Zero Net Carbon (ZNC) Zoning Initiative. Among other things, the ZNC will require the owners and operators of new buildings over a certain size to purchase green power at the time of occupancy. We appreciate the intent of this initiative, as well as our membership's deep engagement and valid concerns regarding feasibility. Moving forward, we will continue to work closely with our members and with City leadership to troubleshoot implementation challenges that may arise and to advocate for strategies to help mitigate cost concerns. Please see the additional information below and do not hesitate to reach out with questions.
What does this mean?
Beginning on July 1, 2025, most new buildings with 15 or more units or 20,000 square feet and additions of 50,000 square feet will be required to meet a Net Zero Carbon emissions standard. This standard requires net zero operational emissions upon a building’s opening, embodied carbon reporting, and a LEED certifiable requirement. Once constructed and in operation, compliance with net-zero emissions will be demonstrated through Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) compliance. Labs will be given until 2035 to comply, and hospitals and manufacturing will be given until 2045 to comply with Net Zero Carbon emissions.
How has A Better City represented member perspectives?
Over the past several months, A Better City has been working directly with the City of Boston’s climate leadership team to discuss member perspectives and concerns. On January 21, A Better City hosted a ninety-minute member focus group with Brian Swett, Chief Climate Officer; Oliver Sellers-Garcia, Green New Deal Director; and Travis Anderson, Senior Infrastructure and Energy Planner—you can review the presentation
B-Cool Summer 2024 Temperature Sensor Pilot Preliminary Results
January 24, 2025
Left to right: Isabella Gambill (A Better City), Julia Howard (The Boston Foundation), Dr. M. Patricia Fabián (Boston University), Jonathan Lee (Boston University), Yirong Yuan (Boston University), and Zoë Davis (City of Boston). Photo Credit: Megan Jones (Boston University)
On Wednesday January 22 A Better City was thrilled to share the preliminary results from our B-COOL Summer 2024 Temperature Sensor Pilot, led by A Better City, the Boston University School of Public Health, the City of Boston’s Office of Climate Resilience, and The Boston Foundation. The pilot deployed 15 temperature sensors across heat island hotspot neighborhoods last summer to determine differences in lived heat experiences and to fill data gaps in neighborhood-specific temperature data.
Building upon the work of Boston’s Heat Plan and the Wicked Hot Boston project, the B-COOL pilot confirms significant temperature differences across neighborhoods in Boston. The B-COOL results further clarify that many hotspot neighborhoods are reaching advisory or emergency conditions earlier and for longer durations than the National Weather Service Station at Logan Airport.
During one declared heat advisory event in summer 2024, there were several sensors that recorded hotter temperatures, breaking the heat emergency threshold, whereas one of our cooler sensor locations never reached heat advisory or emergency conditions for that timeframe. This indicates significant differences in where heat advisory or emergency conditions are being felt across the city (differences both within and across neighborhoods), and for how long neighborhoods are exposed to high heat, compared to the alerts based on . . .
All Aboard for Progress: Modernizing the Commuter Rail
January 16, 2025
On December 19, 2024, A Better City, representing its over 130 member organizations and institutions, testified before the MBTA Board of Directors. The testimony focused on the Regional Rail Request for Information results and the upcoming commuter rail procurement.
Caitlin Allen-Connelly, Senior Advisor on Transportation for A Better City, began by commending the MBTA for the success of the Track Improvement Plan. She noted that this initiative has produced impressive results, including faster, more reliable service on the Blue, Orange, and Red Lines. Green Line riders will also soon benefit from a smoother, more efficient commute. A Better City celebrates this progress and remains committed to ensuring the MBTA has the resources to maintain this positive trajectory.
A Better City also expressed strong support for the MBTA as it prepares for the next commuter rail contract, the Commonwealth's largest. This contract represents a critical opportunity to modernize our rail system. A Better City urged the MBTA to leverage this opportunity to build a truly transformative transportation system for the future by:
- Promoting equity and environmental justice: Supporting regional growth while prioritizing the needs of environmental justice communities.
- Electrifying the system: Reducing emissions, improving service, and incentivizing the use of public transportation.
- Prioritizing safety and reliability: Ensuring a safe and dependable transportation system for all riders.
Allen-Connelly commended Mike Muller, Executive Director of MBTA Commuter Rail, and his team for their commitment to defining the MBTA's rail modernization vision. They have diligently explored both traditional and innovative procurement approaches to identify the most cost-effective and efficient path forward.
The procurement structure is a crucial decision point for our . . .
Exploring Extreme Heat Policy: Best Practices & Recommendations for Heat Policymakers
January 15, 2025
While we are lucky to have strong recommendations for heat resilience through Boston’s 2022 Heat Plan and 20-Year Urban Forest Plan, as well as heat’s inclusion in the 2023 ResilientMass Plan statewide, policies are needed to codify best practice recommendations and move the needle on the implementation of equitable heat solutions. In December 2024, the Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) published a set of extreme heat policy reports on behalf of A Better City: an extreme heat policy brief with AEC’s recommendations for Massachusetts, and an extreme policy background report, which reviews existing policies and protocols for both short- and long-term heat resilience interventions in Massachusetts and in other jurisdictions. These reports were researched and written on behalf of A Better City.
In AEC’s review of existing policies for extreme heat and their provision of best practices and recommendations for Massachusetts, AEC discusses extreme heat policies both in terms of short-term heat emergency response, for example, heat emergency declaration protocols, emergency utility shutoff protections, grid demand management, resource allocation for heat-vulnerable populations, and EMS or . . .
