MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES CHARGING STATIONS AVAILABLE ON CITY HALL PLAZA

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES CHARGING STATIONS AVAILABLE ON CITY HALL PLAZA THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH WRIGHTGRID AND BABSON COLLEGE

BOSTON - Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that WrightGrid, the leading provider of solar-powered charging stations for mobile devices, has installed two WrightGrid Model Z charging stations at City Hall Plaza, providing Boston's residents and visitors with free, secure, and sustainable charging.  The announcement builds on the Mayor's commitment to establishing City Hall Plaza as a more welcoming and vibrant space.  This 60-day pilot is made possible through a partnership with Babson College, and aligns with the City of Boston's sustainability goal to support grassroots, community-driven climate action efforts, especially through smart solutions. "We are thrilled to partner with WrightGrid and Babson to bring Boston's residents and visitors solar powered mobile charging stations at City Hall Plaza," said Mayor Walsh. "These innovative stations further our goals to activate and enhance City Hall Plaza as a welcoming destination." "We are excited to be part of this free, innovative, sustainable offering that will be of great service to those who live in, work in, and visit the City of Boston," said Kerry Healey, President of Babson College. "As a school committed to social and environmental responsibility, it is always rewarding to see a Babson graduate - especially an award-winning entrepreneur - taking action to solve a problem and bring a new solution that creates both social and economic value." "We are extremely excited to be launching our second pilot this fall in the City of Boston, through the sponsorship of Babson College," said Ryan Wright, CEO & founder of WrightGrid and Babson MBA alumnus. "The pilot is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate exactly how our Model Z charging stations can be a valuable component of today's smart city infrastructure by providing free sustainable charging solutions to the public. We are so grateful to have such forward-thinking partners in Babson College as well as the City of Boston." Mayor Walsh earlier this fall announced the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) calling for a partner to work with the City of Boston to enhance City Hall Plaza to create a compelling vision for how to make the plaza both a civic space and attractive destination for residents and tourists.