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Globe Op-Ed by BPL President David Leonard - Boston Public Library Fund

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On April 10, 2025, The Boston Globe published a powerful Op-Ed by Boston Public Library President David Leonard.

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By Alison Barnet

Recently I was startled to see that the building that replaced Morse Fish is called The EL. Could that possibly refer to the elevated Orange Line that used to run on Washington Street? Yes, it does.

Although I've missed the El every day of my life since it was torn down in 1987, I would not memorialize it with a high-rise condo building. And I think it's ironic that it's right across the street from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, which couldn't have been more negative about the train.

Roman Catholics believed the Yankee transit authority had built the El to thwart them-a story that still circulates. As the El ran down the middle of Washington Street, it tilted toward the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, and parishioners claimed its roar interrupted mass.

When I went to the Greek festival at St. John the Baptist's church the other day, I saw a large ad for The El, showing grills and patio furniture on the roof with the tower of the Cathedral in the background. Nothing about St. John's. Didn't the church protest the blocking of its windows?

There have been several big losses in recent South End history, including the Harriet Tubman House, the South End library, and Morse Fish. Wouldn't "The Morse" or "The Fish" have been the new name, given what's going on with South End names?

History is getting stranger and stranger. The Quinzani Bakery site is The Quinn, a building on Harrison Ave."The Harris." There's The Lucas (Holy Trinity Church), The Cosmopolitan (Immaculate Conception Church), Ink Block and SoWa.

Joking around in Olympia Flower the other day, I was saying that if a tower went up there-God forbid-it would probably be called The Olymp. Foodie's would become The Foo, the Animal Rescue League' s new building The Animal (sounds like mafia), the Buttery The Butt and Washington Street The Wash. Pineapple can stay. Alison Barnet is a South End resident and author of four books.

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Guest Op-Ed: What's Become of South End History?

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By Alison Barnet Recently I was startled to see that the building that replaced Morse Fish is called The EL. Could that possibly refer to the elevated Orange Line that used to run on Washington Street? Yes, it does.

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We Are All Immigrants Now: Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Decimates Health Care Access for All But a Privileged Few | Milbank Memorial Fund

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The GOP Plan to End Obamacare involves fiscally starving it to death rather than an explicit repeal. Trump’s recent signing of the “Big Beautiful Bill” brings us closer to that harsh reality.

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Funding was the start – now we need to build out systems to help our immigrant workforce learn English - CommonWealth Beacon

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IN POLITICS, timing can be everything. When the Boston Foundation’s Latino Equity Fund released “The ROI of ESOL,” documenting the economic returns of

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Boston Globe Op-Ed: What is the Vision for Boston’s Waterfront? - Barr Foundation

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Boston Globe Op-Ed: What is the Vision for Boston’s Waterfront? | Barr Foundation provides insights, stories, and updates on what’s driving impact and equity in our communities.

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The MBTA needs to ditch fares - The Cypress

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I was about to get on the Green Line when I discovered that my Charlie Card was missing from my wallet. My brother had borrowed it without asking. Despite my commitment to supporting public transit, I decided that just this once, I would use it without paying. After all, fare avoidance was commonplace on the…

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Why the Democratic supermajority on Beacon Hill won’t pass Democratic bills - CommonWealth Beacon

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Sooner or later, enough people will learn how democracy in Massachusetts is a lie. When they do, leadership’s iron grip will crack, not because those in power wanted to change, but because voters finally forced them to.

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https://commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/yes-the-mbta-operating-budget-has-increased-significantly-and-thats-a-good-thing/

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Yes, the MBTA operating budget has increased significantly – and that’s a good thing - CommonWealth Beacon

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To provide the services we need, want, and expect from our public transit system, the T needs to do more things and hire more people and pay them competitively. There’s nothing controversial or troubling about this.

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Op-Eds do not reflect the editorial opinion of The Daily Free Press. They are solely the opinion of the author. Jerry Zhou (CAS '26) is a fourth-year Boston University College of Arts and Sciences studying Architectural Studies and Sociology. He has been interviewed for two prior pieces regarding cycling infrastructure by The Daily Free Press.
There is no bike lane in front of Boston University's Warren Towers - one that functions, at least.

Recently, the Urbanism Club at BU spent an hour observing the Warren Towers "bike lane" from the fourth floor of the Center for Computing and Data Science.

Over the course of the hour, there were at least two cars or delivery vehicles parked in the lane at any given time. That left people on bikes, scooters, skateboards or any other mobility device weaving between cars, trucks and buses just to get through this treacherous stretch of Commonwealth Avenue.

There might be a painted bike symbol and lines on the pavement, but this is no space for bikes or scooters. This "bike lane," functionally, is a "I can park here if my hazards are on" lane.

The City of Boston knows this. For years, the City has claimed to identify Comm. Ave. as a priority location for safe, protected infrastructure. In February 2023, the City began handing out to students and other users on Comm. Ave. to notify us that we'd be getting protected bike lanes in the future. These lanes have yet to materialize.

While these better bike lanes are tied up in the hands of city bureaucracy and the upcoming mayoral election, students' lives are being put at risk. Every time a student has to weave between trucks and buses to avoid an UberEats driver or semi-truck parked in the bike lane, inaction on this project puts student safety on the line.

It's time for something better. And now is a better time than ever.

At the same time the City is pursuing - and stalling - protected bike lanes on Comm. Ave., BU is renovating Warren Towers. Typically, developers of large projects, such as the Warren Towers renovation, are required to sign what's known as a Transportation Access Plan Agreement .

These agreements often result in the developer agreeing to construct an improved public realm, including more green space and protected infrastructure for bikers and scooters. For instance, the last agreement BU signed included protected bike lanes in front of the CDS building.The current agreement , negotiated between the City and the University, fails BU students.

Although the University states it will reconstruct the sidewalk in front of Warren Towers to improve "bicycle facilities," the site plan proves otherwise. Bicycle facilities will stay the same as the current condition, according to the site plan attached to the agreement.

BU is leaving students who bike and scooter to fend for themselves against illegally parked cars and trucks. And if the University and the City don't act now to change the agreed-upon public realm "improvements" for the Warren Towers renovation, they will be responsible for putting students' lives in danger for decades to come.

This isn't a herculean task. While BU reconstructs the sidewalk in front of Warren Towers, they should reconstruct it to add protected bike lanes - like we have in West Campus.

This not only prevents Uber drivers and delivery trucks from parking in the bike lane, but also reduces the amount of distance that pedestrians need to cross Comm. Ave. These protected bike lanes will make it safer to bike and scooter. They'll make it easier for pedestrians to cross Comm. Ave. And they'll even make it safer for drivers, who no longer have to deal with bikes and scooters weaving through illegally parked cars.

A protected bike lane is better for everybody.

We've done the measurements. There's space. Between the street's existing curbs, we measured just under 29 feet of width. That's wide enough for a standard 10-foot-wide lane for cars and an 11-foot-wide lane for buses, leaving just about eight feet left over for a protected bike lane.

If the City and the University claim space is the limiting factor, that's all the more reason for a sidewalk-level bike lane, which is the type of bike lane that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation recommends on space-constrained roads.

The only thing stopping Warren Towers from having a protected bike lane now is inaction on both the City and BU's part.

Although both parties are currently choosing the path of least resistance, which is to not include a protected bike lane in front of Warren Towers, we must make it so that inaction is not their easiest way out.

BU students deserve safe streets. They deserve safety on Comm. Ave. They deserve it on Bay State Road, on Park Drive in South Campus and on the Riverway in Fenway Campus.

And they most certainly deserve it in front of Warren Towers.

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OP-ED: We deserve a better bike lane in front of Warren Towers

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Op-Eds do not reflect the editorial opinion of The Daily Free Press. They are solely the opinion of the author. Jerry Zhou (CAS '26) is a fourth-year Boston University College of Arts and Sciences studying Architectural Studies and Sociology. He has been interviewed for two prior pieces regarding cycling infrastructure by The Daily Free Press.

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In September, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, responsible for Boston's public transit network, announced they would be cracking down on fare evasion - the practice of traveling on public transit without paying. This move comes after the MBTA has already l ost tens of millions of dollars from unpaid fares . According to a 2021 MBTA analysis, the system lost between $5 million and $6 million in annual revenue from unpaid fares on subways, trolleys and buses. Including the commuter rail, the MBTA lost an additional $10-20 million each year. When a n NBC investigative team scoped out several Green Line stations near Boston University , they found that almost every passenger boarded the train without paying.

This lost revenue matters. The MBTA ranks among the worst public transit networks for derailments in 2024, and d elays are frequent . Furthermore, the design of the MBTA's subway lines make many routes deeply inefficient. For example, a trip from the Joyce Cummings Center to Assembly Row takes a mere 10 minutes by car, but roughly 40 minutes on public transit.

This is problematic because having reliable public transit is important. Public transportation reduces traffic congestion and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions . Furthermore, the Urban Institute notes that proximity to public transit correlates with higher employmen t, suggesting a link between transit access and economic mobility. They note: " availability of public transit influences job accessibility, commute times, and overall economic outcomes ." The MBTA's inconsistent service denies Greater Boston the full realization of these benefits.

As part of its newest crackdown on fare evasion , the MBTA announced it will deploy representatives throughout the system - named the Fare Engagement Team - to conduct fare checks. Riders caught without a valid fare will first receive an official verbal warning, followed by a $50 citation for the next three offenses and $100 citations for each additional offense. This is a good start - and the MBTA should collect data to evaluate the effectiveness of these measures, if it is not already doing so .

However, the MBTA can and should do more to increase fare revenue. First, it should install fare gates at Green Line stops and other stations where fare evasion is frequent. Unlike traditional turnstiles, which present accessibility issues , fare gates are both accessible and effective. When the Bay Area Rapid Transit installed fare gates at their stations, the agency reported a noticeable decline in fare evasion . Crime also dropped - though this might only be indicative of correlation rather than causation. Second, the MBTA should be prepared to increase citation amounts if current enforcement efforts fail to deter fare evasion.

Finally, the MBTA should better publicize its new, easier ways for consumers to pay. For example, in 2024, the MBTA implemented tap-to-ride technology , eliminating the cumbersome process of purchasing and refilling CharlieCards. Riders can now simply tap a credit or debit card, or use Apple Pay, to enter subway stations or pay for buses. Furthermore, on the Green Line, passengers can pay on board rather than at station machines - allowing them to catch trains more quickly without skipping payment. The MBTA should make it clear that these options exist and that paying fares is now easier than ever. Meanwhile, as Tufts students, we can do our part by paying our fares and contributing to a stronger, more sustainable transit system - for ourselves and for the thousands of people in surrounding communities who rely on effective public transit.

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The MBTA must crack down on fare evasion - The Tufts Daily

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In September, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, responsible for Boston's public transit network, announced they would be cracking down on fare evasion - the practice of traveling on public transit without paying. This move comes after the MBTA has already lost tens of millions of dollars from unpaid fares.

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Boston neighborhoods face gentrification. Wu has a plan to fight back. - The Boston Globe

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Her anti-displacement plan protects the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.

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HIGH ON BOSTON Mayor Michelle Wu's agenda is a municipal-level Green New Deal. Indeed, the new mayor recently declared that she is "looking to make Boston the greenest city." The Boston Green New Deal document, released in 2020 by then-Councilor Wu, makes clear that this undertaking is not simply about dramatically cutting carbon dioxide (CO ₂) emissions; it is also about creating a city centered on social and ecological justice.

What's missing from the document and the ensuing discussions is Boston's single biggest emissions source: flights from Logan Airport. Were Logan's harmful impacts on surrounding communities included, any Green New Deal true to its name would reach an inescapable conclusion: Logan Airport must be radically downsized.

The Wu administration's plans for green transformation build on fertile soil. An ordinance Mayor Kim Janey signed in October 2021, for example, requires all large buildings to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The regulation's underlying logic is that 70 percent of Boston's emissions ( estimated at 6.2 million metric tons in 2019) come from buildings. And half of those are from commercial structures of over 20,000 square feet or residences with 15 units or more.

While the regulation is undoubtedly valuable, its justification is informed by a deficient estimate of Boston's total emissions. Most notably, as an appendix to the City of Boston's "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory" states, it "does not include emissions from airplane travel."

As for Massport, the state authority which owns and operates the airport, it does offer an estimate of aircraft-related emissions: almost 500,000 tons in 2019. But Massport limits its analysis to aircraft engine start-ups, taxiing, and take-offs and landings.

A far better measure concerns the jet fuel Logan consumes. In 2019, that figure was a little more than 521 million gallons. This translates into about five million tons of emissions-more than those from all of Boston's buildings. (It is also roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of Uganda, a country of about 50 million people.) Were these added to the emissions City Hall now counts, it would constitute more than 40 percent of the total.

According to a recent study, every 4,434 tons of emitted CO 2 leads to one premature death due to rising temperatures. Logan's 2019 consumption of jet fuel thus translates into 1,128 excess fatalities.

Beyond altering the climate, the flights are a major source of harmful air pollutants. Their effects are most felt in communities which neighbor Logan. Research demonstrates that the pollutants lead to markedly greater risk of asthma among children and of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among adults who have lived nearby for three or more years. They also result in significantly increased exposure to gaseous pollutants and particulate matter associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and learning disabilities.

East Boston, with its large immigrant, working-class population, is the community most directly impacted. It is also the Boston neighborhood with "the most population, buildings, and land area at risk from coastal flooding," says a city report. In decades past, Massport devoured many streets and residences and even its most beloved green space, Wood Island Park, to expand the airport. This also involved destruction of wetlands. Airport expansion thus eliminated important natural defenses to flooding, while helping fuel climate-change-induced sea-level rise that increasingly threatens East Boston and nearby coastal areas.

If Boston is going to achieve drastic cuts in carbon emissions and bring about an environmentally just city, addressing Logan Airport must be central to the undertaking. In a rapidly warming world, aviation industry promises of electric airplanes or biofuels are dangerous diversions from the hard decisions that far-reaching decarbonization and climate justice require.

Around the world, there is growing recognition of this reality. From Oakland to Barcelona, there are campaigns opposing airport expansion. In 2020, authorities blocked a planned enlargement of Bristol Airport in the United Kingdom. And in 2021, the French government rejected the expansion of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and outlawed many short-haul flights within France.

By working with state and local government allies across Massachusetts, the Wu administration can bring pressure to bear upon Massport to begin shrinking Logan's size and the number of departing flights. By collaborating with neighboring communities, it can also help make the areas around the airport more resilient and healthy. And by working with labor unions, it can help ensure well-paying, green jobs for those displaced by Logan's downsizing and bring about infrastructure for low-carbon forms of transport.

Such tasks are essential to a Boston Green New Deal worth fighting for.
Joseph Nevins is a professor of geography at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Along with Eleni Macrakis and Suren Moodliar, he is also a coauthor of A People's Guide to Greater Boston.

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Boston Green New Deal should include downsized Logan Airport - CommonWealth Beacon

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HIGH ON BOSTON Mayor Michelle Wu's agenda is a municipal-level Green New Deal. Indeed, the new mayor recently declared that she is "looking to make Boston