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WASHINGTON, DC -
Tuesday, December 14, 2021 - Mayor Michelle Wu today joined nine other mayors
at the White House to build partnerships with the federal government and
other major U.S. cities. At the gathering for newly-elected mayors, Mayor
Wu met White House Cabinet Secretaries to share Boston’s interests in and
partnership on key federal legislation, including the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law (BIL), the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA),
and the Build Back Better Agenda (BBB). The three legislative
frameworks aim to advance the country’s domestic infrastructure,
transportation, and energy efficiency in the wake of the global pandemic.
“Cities across the
country are ready to show what’s possible with bold action and
partnership,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m grateful to collaborate
with dynamic mayors across the country and the Biden Administration to
ensure Boston has the resources, policies, and community partnerships to be
a city for everyone.”
Mayor Wu met with
Marcia Fudge, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban
Development; Marty Walsh, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor and
former Mayor of Boston; Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Transportation; and Gina McCarthy, the White House National Climate
Advisor. In addition, Mayor Wu met with Mitch Landrieu who President Biden
has tasked with leading the implementation of the Infrastructure Law.
Also in attendance
were newly-elected mayors from other major cities across the country,
including Mayor-elect Eric Adams of New York, New York; Mayor-elect Andre
Dickens of Atlanta, Georgia; Mayor-elect Bruce Harrell of Seattle,
Washington; Mayor Jim Ross of Arlington, Texas; Mayor Tim Kelly of
Chattanooga, Tennessee; Mayor-elect Justin Bibb of Cleveland, Ohio;
Mayor-elect Aftab Pureval of Cincinnati, Ohio; Mayor-elect Daniel
Rickenmann of Columbia, South Carolina; and Mayor-elect Ken Welch of St.
Petersburg, Florida.
The Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law invests in some of Boston’s highest priorities and
potential projects, including funding to improve road safety, improve
public transportation, and electrify school buses. Mayor Wu conveyed the
City’s willingness to partner with the federal government to fund further
projects in climate resilience and modernizing Boston’s transportation
infrastructure.
Boston will receive
approximately $558 million in ARPA funds. Mayor Wu has made
investing these funds in housing a top priority, as well as in transit,
infrastructure, and climate resilience. Boston recently appropriated $8
million for an innovative program to make three bus lines free for a 2-year
period, as previously announced by Mayor Wu.
In addition, $115
million in ARPA funding is budgeted to make up for lost revenues through
2024; $81.5 million was previously appropriated for an Emergency Relief
Package in July focused on public health, small businesses, arts
organizations, tourism, food access and other health disparities.
More than $354
million remains to be allocated through a community-led process to serve
the communities and families most affected by the public health and
economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Wu has identified housing
as a top priority for these remaining funds, as well as creating new
homeownership opportunities.
Mayor Wu also shared
how Boston is ready to partner with the federal government on the Build
Back Better framework. Build Back Better has the potential to
significantly support Boston’s work to be a Green New Deal city, including
in meeting ambitious decarbonization goals, creating good-paying jobs in
the emerging green economy, expanding the tree canopy, retrofitting aging
buildings to be more energy efficient, and building resilient stormwater
infrastructure to withstand more intense and frequent storms.
As part of the
ongoing partnership between Boston and Washington, D.C., earlier this month
Mayor Wu met with U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm in Boston on
the Secretary’s Build Back Better Tour. The Mayor and Secretary Granholm toured the Boston Arts Academy, a new building under construction that is
designed to meet Boston’s carbon neutrality goals.
Build Back Better
expands on the City’s recent work toward sustainable growth. In Mayor Wu’s
first week as Mayor, she signed a historic ordinance requiring Boston to divest from fossil fuel
industries by the end of 2025.
Mayor Wu recently
took steps to expand accessibility to public transportation, notably the
23, 28, and 29 MBTA bus routes. Mayor Wu filed an order to allocate $8 million in federal funds to
eliminate fares, a motion that has since gotten approval from the Boston
City Council. Additionally, last week Mayor Wu announced several new steps to reduce vehicle emissions by accelerating
the adoption of electric vehicles and other low-emission transportation
options in Boston.
In October, the
Boston City Council unanimously passed the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure
Ordinance. This building
performance standard helps put Boston on a path to achieve carbon
neutrality by 2050.
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