Baker Appoints 5-Member MBTA Fiscal Management & Control Board

MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board Appointed by Governor Baker Convenes First Meeting

Board Signals Commitment to Accountability, Reliability for MBTA Operations, Finances

BOSTON- Tuesday, July 21, 2015- The five-member Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Fiscal Management and Control Board (FMCB) appointed by Governor Charlie Baker convened its first public meeting today at the State Transportation Building in Boston.

The Board represents a key reform recommended by the Governor’s MBTA Special Panel following unprecedented winter weather that crippled service at the MBTA.

Joseph “Joe” Aiello serves as the Chair of the FMCB. Other board members include Brian Lang, Lisa Calise, Steve Poftak and Monica Tibbits-Nutt. Calise, Poftak and Tibbits-Nutt also serve as members of the MassDOT Board.

“The people of Massachusetts deserve a world-class public transit system, and I’m pleased the Fiscal and Management Control Board is immediately convening to signal our commitment to accountability and reliability for commuters,” said Governor Baker.  “Legislative leaders delivered on many of the reforms we requested, and I want to thank them again for their willingness to work with us to fix the MBTA. The hard work for these individuals begins today, but I am confident in their expertise and ability to get the job done.”

“Today’s meeting of the Fiscal and Management Control Board marks a major first step in our efforts to set the MBTA on a course of sustainability in its management, operations, and finances.  This past winter taught us two valuable lessons: first, how past financial practices and managerial decisions lead to a long list of maintenance needs that ultimately caused the transit system to struggle through the snow, ice, and freezing temperatures; second, without the T running at full service, we saw just how valuable and important the system is to mobility and our region’s economy,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack.  “Establishing the Fiscal and Management Control Board and getting the MBTA back on track is a top priority for Governor Baker and me, and is a crucial tool for transforming the T.  On behalf of the Baker-Polito Administration, I want to thank our partners in the Legislature for their assistance in creating the Control Board and I look forward to working with the members to start that transformation.”

By statute, the MBTA FMCB consists of five members, one with experience in transportation finance, one with experience in mass transit operations and three members of the MassDOT Board. The Chair is appointed by the Secretary of Transportation.

Governor Baker Appoints 5-Member MBTA Fiscal Management & Control Board

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker today appointed the five-member Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Fiscal Management and Control Board (FMCB) and designated Joe Aiello as Chair immediately after signing into law the Fiscal Year 2016 budget. A key reform recommended by the Governor’s MBTA Special Panel following unprecedented winter weather that crippled service at the MBTA, the FMCB is set to begin working immediately, holding its first meeting on Tuesday, July 21^st.

“Fixing the MBTA will be a complex task, but moving forward with a Fiscal Management and Control Board dedicated solely to the T’s operations and finances is an important step toward delivering accountability for taxpayers and riders,” said Governor Baker. “I want to thank the legislature for putting this board in place with other measures that will allow us to begin fixing the T. I especially want to thank the five talented individuals who have agreed to serve in this crucial capacity, and who bring decades of combined experience and different but complementary perspectives as they get to work fixing the status quo at the MBTA, and begin the process of delivering a world-class public transit system that the people of Massachusetts can be proud of, and deserve.”

“By signing this bill into law we now have two crucial tools to begin fixing the MBTA, a dedicated group focused solely on the T and new tools that will allow the MBTA to operate more reliable services, repair critical infrastructure and explore more efficient ways to serve our riders,” said MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack. “Board members will be meeting on Tuesday, along with the expanded MassDOT Board, for briefings that will help them quickly begin their work to get the MBTA back on track.”

Governor Baker appointed in February a Special Panel to carry out an extensive analysis of the underlying functions of the MBTA’s governance, finances and capital planning which became apparent throughout historic snowfall and persistent freezing temperatures earlier this year. Among thepanel’s recommendations were the call for a FMCB to assume control of the MBTA, a reconstituted Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Board of Directors, lifting of efficiency restrictions at the MBTA, and a separation of the MBTA’s capital and operating budgets among a number of recommendations.

By statute, the MBTA FMCB will consist of five members, one with experience in transportation finance, one with experience in mass transit operations and three members of the MassDOT Board. Lisa Calise, Steve Poftak and Monica Tibbits-Nutt will also be serving roles on the MassDOT Board. The Chair is appointed by the Secretary of Transportation.

About the MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board Members:

Joseph “Joe” Aiello (Chair) is currently a partner and Director of Business Development North America at Meridiam Infrastructure where he has worked since 2007, overseeing strategic development and investments in transportation, water and social infrastructure. Before joining Meridiam, Aiello served in several capacities for 13 years with DMJM Harris prior to its acquisition by AECOM Enterprises, Inc. where he was most recently President for the firm’s global, public private partnership business. Aiello also worked at the MBTA as Assistant General Manager of Planning and Budget and Assistant Director of Construction for Special Projects and Finance. He holds his B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a M.S. in City and Regional Planning from Harvard University.

Lisa Calise is the Chief Financial Officer at Watertown-based Perkins School for the Blind, focusing on global services and education for those living with blindness and deafblindness. Before joining Perkins in 2010, Calise served the City of Boston for over a decade, most recently as the Director of Administration and Finance, and previously as Chief Financial Officer and Collector-Treasurer and Budget Director, implementing government efficiency programming. Calise also served in the White House Office of Management and Budget as a budget examiner. A Massachusetts native, Calise obtained her B.A. from Boston College and a Master’s Degree in Public Management from the University of Maryland.

Brian Lang currently serves as President of UNITE HERE Local 26, Boston’s hotel and food service union. Lang has spent a total of seventeen years representing the union’s 7,000 members, starting as organizing director and eventually being elected as president in 2011. Before joining the UNITE HERE Local 26 team, Lang was already involved as a union organizer for SEIU Local 285. His previous work experience as a meatpacker and a bellman has given Lang a strong understanding for the needs of hotel and food service employees that he uses to advocate for workers’ rights.

Steve Poftak is Executive Director of the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard Kennedy School.  Poftak was Director of Research and Director of the Center for Better Government at the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research.  He has led research projects and authored a number of papers on transportation policy, government efficiency, municipal finance, and job creation.  Previously, Poftak worked at the Commonwealth's Executive Office for Administration and Finance, where he managed the $1.3 billion capital budget, prepared the state's quarterly cash flow reporting, and monitored non-tax revenue receipts.

Monica Tibbits-Nutt is the Executive Director of the 128 Business Council where she has worked since 2010, advising communities in the 128 Corridor in transit planning and overseeing the operation of 12 shuttle routes with nearly half a million in annual ridership. Tibbits-Nutt also has experience with the MBTA, where she served as a Transportation Planning Consultant to the MBTA Advisory Board, and as Executive Director and Transportation Planner for TransitWorks, providing research evaluation for the MBTA and Secretary of Transportation. She holds a B.S. from the University of Southern Indiana and a Masters of City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.

吳志揚訪波城談職棒改革 政治盼藍綠放下鬥爭為民辦事

中華職棒會長吳志揚七月十五，十六日回波士頓舊地重遊，探望老師，參觀球場，與學生時期舊識歡聚，力邀眾人七月廿五，廿六日回台灣欣賞中華職棒明星賽，全壘打大賽，允諾絕對精彩。

國民黨前任黨主席吳伯雄的兒子吳志揚，去年在台灣九合一選舉中，出人意料之外的未能成功連任桃園縣長，後經推舉，今年二月四日，接任中華職棒聯盟會長，刻正世界各地巡訪，觀摩，有心重振台灣棒球風氣。

今年底吳志揚還將成為出任中華隊領隊的首名職棒會長，將帶隊打世界十二強棒球賽。

吳志揚這次來美，主要是應美國職棒大聯盟（MLB）新任會長Robert Manfred之邀，到俄亥俄州辛辛那提市觀摩第86屆明星賽。他認為辛辛那提市設計的各種活動，商品，展覽，直讓球迷從一踏足該市就感受到棒球無處不在，想不瘋狂也難的感覺，希望可以借取經驗，也在台灣創造出一個棒球城來。

七月十五，十六兩日，吳志揚重遊母校哈佛大學，和當年老師，也是哈佛棒球隊顧問的哈佛法學院東亞法律系主任安威廉晤談，說起運動法是未來市場很大的法律事務；參觀紅襪隊球場的周邊翻修，則是希望把棒球場周邊娛樂設施周全的情況，帶給台灣各職棒主場及主場所在地方政府做參考。

吳志揚透露，台灣正在推廣屬地主義，要讓某一城市居民認同某一球隊是代表該城市的球隊，就如他當年的促使桃猿隊落戶桃園，在台灣帶出球隊主場風氣，如今統一獅，兄弟象，義大牛等其他三大職棒，也依序在台南，台中，高雄設有主場，打球時的啦啦隊，吉祥物，廣告花招，都使活動內容豐富很多。

七月十五日晚，吳志揚的波士頓舊友獲悉他回來，由紐英崙中華專業人員協會董事長王世輝，紐英崙客家鄉親會會長周一男，新英格蘭台灣商會創會會長王本仁，以及吳志揚當年在波士頓唸書時好友蕭乃彰之妻，劉惠敏等人呼朋喚友，邀集了駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處副處長陳銘俊，教育組組長黃薳玉等不下四十人和他歡聚，談過去，說棒球。

吳志揚，洪秀華夫婦（中）臨別前，李小玉（右起）搞笑的用下巴夾
棒球，，王世輝，張重華，周萬欽，蔣宗壬，經文處副處長陳銘俊，
陳志清等人每人都戴上中華職棒球帽，以示支持。（菊子攝）

王世輝非常有心思，不但把當年波士頓棒球聯盟台商隊合照找出來，還把王建民加入美國職棒大聯盟的一套新手圖片（rookie card），送了一套給吳志揚做紀念。吳志揚也回贈出席者中華職棒帽子，棒球。

在九合一選舉中被稱為台灣縣市首長中最富裕的吳志揚坦言，目前他在新竹的中華大學，桃園的中原大學，台北的警察專科學校等三所學校教書，還在體育大學唸體育博士，想要為職棒建立制度盡力。至於政治，如果他能發揮所長，真正為台灣，為社會做事，他才會考慮。否則，既能帶給人快樂，榮耀感，不分藍綠都會喜歡的棒球活動，才是他更願意做的事。

圖片說明：

            中華職棒會長吳志揚（右二），洪秀華（左二）夫婦，請波士頓好友們戴上中華職棒球帽，拿著印有職棒徽號的棒球合影。（菊子攝）

            紐英崙中華專業人員協會董事長王世輝（右）送王建民加入美國職棒大聯盟的新手圖卡給中華職棒會長吳志揚（左）。（菊子攝）

        紐英崙中華專業人員協會會長周萬欽（右）送上該為年刊，請吳志揚（左）加入該會，和馬英九總統一起側身該會會員行列。（菊子攝）

            吳志揚（左二），洪秀華（右一）夫婦，和紐英崙客家鄉親會會長周一男（左一）會長夫婦競比說客家話。（菊子攝）

波士頓重建局公佈評估報告 將聘資產管理主任

波士頓重建局（BRA）昨（十六）日公佈獨立機構製作的“重鎚”營運評估報告，將採納新設房地產主任職位，增聘六名計畫員，透明化發展項目審核，翻修中華貿易大樓等來增加收入之類的行動建議。

            波士頓市在馬丁華殊（Martin Walsh）上任市長一職後，早於2014年已做過一次波士頓重建局的營運分析，這第二次的調查分析，行動建議是由麥肯錫（McKinsey & Co.）製作。

            據悉，麥肯錫的評估報告，批評BRA仍然活在紙張時代，是一個功能失調的官僚機構，許多事情都仰賴幾名位高權重的職員，用不成文的規定做決策。整個機構約220名員工，有70%都不清楚方向為何，整體士氣低落。

        麥肯錫發現，波士頓重建局甚至沒有一份市府擁有哪些房地產的完整紀錄，和舊金山（2000萬元，22人），溫哥華（1500萬元，20人），西雅圖（760萬元，15人）等城市相比，波士頓市（650萬元，1人）在主動計畫未來上的經費，人力，都遠落於後。

            波士頓重建局是個監管波士頓土地，物業發展的重要機構，過去18個月來，批准了將近50億元的新土地發展。

            馬丁華殊（Martin Walsh）上任後，包括逼走計畫長沈其樂，清除了不少波士頓重建局裡的前朝人馬，還下令做了兩次波士頓重建局營運狀況的深度評估，並推出新一波的波士頓總體發展計畫，稱為“想像波士頓2030“。

之前在波士頓重建局工作了六年，十八個月前才獲波士頓市長馬丁華殊指派，升遷為局長的高登（Brian Golden）表示，該局將採納麥肯錫的建議，聘用一名物業主任，令增聘五到六名計畫員，來辦理相關工作。該局資深建築師David Carlson也甫於昨日升為市區設計主管。

高登表示，他打算藉著最大化波士頓重建局物業的租金，來取得增聘新人所需經費。

麥肯錫估計，翻修並更好的管理中華貿易大樓，波士頓海事工業園（Boston Marine Industrial Park），應可為波士頓重建局增加6到8百萬雃收入。

在中華貿易大樓內，現有華埠主街，紐英崙華人歷史協會這兩機構，由波市府無償，或以極低租金提供會所用地，一旦波士頓重建局進行物業管理整頓，這兩機構的營運，勢必受到影響。

漢字文化節 7/26

2015年汉字文化节第一次大型文化活动

新任主席郭天涵将在中华公所做书法報告

精彩詩歌朗诵、音樂表演、現場挥毫，把活动推向高潮           

By  黄鏡明

    由纽英崙中華公所、波士頓僑教中心、波士頓中華書法會、北美藝術家協会，纽英崙藝術学会和中華藝術表演基金会等，联合主办的2015年汉字文化莭第一次大型文化活动，将于七月二十六日（星期天）下午一時在中華公所隆重举行。将发邀请函，分别邀请台北经文處正副處長和僑教中心主任、僑社僑領等蒞臨指導。欢迎大波士頓地区僑胞、华人各界人士踴躍出席盛会。

    北美藝術家協会新任主席、 書画家郭天涵，1950年5月出生于中國福州書香世家。曾在福建省師范大学美術系油画班学习；後到中國美術学院进修國画。福建省美術家協会和福州市美术家協会会员。从事中國書画专业创作，有二十多年。2012年，中國文化出版社为其编辑個人書画作品专集：《硯邊戲筆-郭天涵書画集》。

   通读郭天涵中國書画艺术作品，给我留下深刻印象，是無论中國画或書法，其藝術基本功比较扎实。縱觀他的書画作品，才情优于法则，作品大方而质樸。他的用筆，使墨；对线条的运用；运筆之前，用中鋒还是侧锋，点点滴滴，细微處，落筆之前已做好“胸有成竹”的准备。郭天涵的许多作品，拿到桌面上来一看，给我第一個印象是不零乱，中心或主题集中；第二個印象是画面布局“有谱”，易看，耐看，易懂。对其書画藝術整体的评价，正如福建省画院院長郭東健先生说的：天涵平時玩書画，意在自樂自娛，闲玩之樂。即“平淡缄黙”。我想：所谓“平淡”，指平時低调处理藝事，不争高低；“缄黙”，指少说话，不强調己見。虛心听取，廣纳诸見。

    由此，可知天涵博习绘事二十多载，由博而專，由廣至精，积累下可观的大批心力之作。從專业的角度可预想到，這中间的潜心之艱。我這里要特别指出的是：天涵的書法以草書見長，他学懐素起家，但依据不同词句内容，突出重点，给予发挥夸张，氣贯连绵，筆力飄逸，给人留下一种异峰突起、神韵飛揚的良好印象！

Governor Baker Statement on Tennessee Shooting

Governor Baker Statement on Tennessee Shooting

                                                                       

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker issued the following statement on yesterday’s shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee:

“The senseless violence that occurred in Tennessee is a terrible tragedy made worse by the fact that the brave individuals whose lives were taken answered the call to serve and protect our nation. Today, our prayers are with the wounded as we wish them a full recovery and our hearts are with the loved ones left behind by the heart breaking loss of four American patriots."

THE FOURTH "DESIGN BIENNIAL BOSTON" OPENS WITH FOUR ARCHITECTURAL INSTALLATIONS ON THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY AND A DISPLAY AT BSA SPACE

THE FOURTH "DESIGN BIENNIAL BOSTON" OPENS WITH FOUR ARCHITECTURAL INSTALLATIONS ON THE ROSE KENNEDY GREENWAY AND A DISPLAY AT BSA SPACE

BOSTON - Friday, July 17, 2015 - The City of Boston announced the opening of the fourth Design Biennial Boston, a program that supports emerging architects, landscape architects and designers who have created inspiring and innovative practices in Massachusetts. Following an open call for entries, four firms-Cristina Parreño Architecture, GLD, Landing Studio and MASS Design Group-were selected in March by a panel of distinguished professionals and academics with the design field. Since then, the firms have been preparing installations that now are on view on the Rose Kennedy Greenway through September 25. They join 19 previous winners of the Biennial, a group that represents Boston's deeply creative pool of design talent. The 2015 Biennial is sponsored by the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics, the Boston Art Commission, pinkcomma gallery, BSA Space and the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy. A related introductory exhibition curated by pinkcomma is located at BSA Space (290 Congress Street). The four site-specific installations include a 17-foot-high landmark that acts as an urban periscope constructed of 350 custom-fabricated glass blocks; a series of chambers enclosed by resin-infused fiberglass that forms a surprising collective interior space; a field of 18 reconstituted wharf pilings recycled from a shipyard in Boston Harbor; and a lattice-like structure composed of more than one thousand wood and metal components to create an intimate gathering space. "Boston has a vibrant talent pool of designers, and these four installations remind us of how creative artists can be when given opportunities," said Mayor Walsh. "Boston is on its way to becoming a municipal arts leader, and implementing this type of exciting and thoughtful work into the public realm is what gets us closer to that goal." "Boston is home to a healthy, vibrant design community," said Joyce Linehan, Chief of Policy for the City of Boston. "We have world-renowned architects, artists and innovators. We have outstanding schools that specialize in design. We have all the tools we need to meet the Mayor's challenge to think big about our built environment as we embark on our first citywide plan in 50 years. The emerging designers represented here exemplify the spirit of imagination that will inform our process." "This fourth installment of the Biennial has moved outdoors to put the work ofemerging designers on display in an exciting and very public way," said Chris Grimley of pinkcomma gallery and over, under, a Boston-based interdisciplinary practice with expertise in architecture, urban design, graphic identity, and publications, and one of the exhibition's curators. "At a time when the Mayor has brought forth urgent questions about the quality of buildings being produced in the city, the Biennial participants demonstrate how Boston's new design talent can be drawn on for its innovative thinking and ability to respond to the challenges we will face in the future." The previous design work of each team is presented at BSA Space, as are the ideas behind their installations. The public is invited to tour the exhibition and then pass through the Greenway. The works are located on two blocks along Atlantic Avenue, the first with three installations between Congress and Pearl Streets, the second with one installation nearest to High Street. The sites are immediately adjacent to the 250-foot-high suspended art piece, As If It Were Already Here, near South Station, by Janet Echelman. "We are excited to host the 2015 Biennial on the Greenway," said Lucas Cowan, curator of public art for the Greenway Conservancy. "With the Biennial installations and Janet Echelman's piece so close to one another, the Greenway has become home to a wonderful confluence of architecture and public art, showcasing innovative thinkers who make Greater Boston their home." "This year's Design Biennial Boston has provided four outstanding emerging designers with an invaluable chance to engage the wider public in their imaginative work," said panelist Tim Love AIA, 2015 president of the BSA and a Biennial participant in 2008. "BSA Space is pleased to host the introductory exhibition and support the Biennial. We believe that Boston's future is in good hands if these brilliant minds are given more opportunities to shape our city." The jury for the 2015 Biennial included curators Chris Grimley, Michael Kubo, and Mark Pasnik AIA (pinkcomma gallery) along with Lucas Cowan (Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy), Eden Dutcher (GroundView), Michael Evans (Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics), Mary Fichtner (BSA Space), Karin Goodfellow (Boston Art Commission), Dan Hisel (Dan Hisel Architect/Wentworth Institute), Eric Höweler AIA (Höweler + Yoon/Harvard University), Tim Love AIA (Utile/Northeastern University/2015 BSA President) and Ana Mijlački (Project_/MIT).

B.A.A. Half Marathon® Registration is Now Closed

B.A.A. Half Marathon® Registration is Now Closed

               

Third and final event of the 2015 B.A.A. Distance Medley, held on October 11, quickly reached its field size limit of 8,500 entrants

BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today announced that registration for the 15th B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, closed after its 8,500 entrant field size limit was reached. The B.A.A. Half Marathon will be held on Sunday, October 11, 2015, and will be the third and final race in the 2015 B.A.A. Distance Medley. Registration opened on Wednesday, July 15 at 10:00 a.m. ET, and closed at 5:00 p.m. ET, on Thursday, July 16.

Similar to 2014, the B.A.A. Half Marathon used both a first-come, first-served and random selection process to fill the 8,500 runner field. A total of 2,640 runners pre-registered for the event through B.A.A. Distance Medley registration, which was held in January. In addition, up to 700 runners will comprise the Dana-Farber Fundraising Team, raising at least $750 for the Jimmy Fund.

Approximately 5,000 entries were available beginning on Wednesday, July 15, with 2,000 selected by a first-come, first-served basis. The remaining 3,000 entrants will be decided through random selection of those applicants who submitted an entry before the 5:00 p.m. ET closing time on Thursday, July 16. 

The B.A.A. Half Marathon is presented annually by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Through its official team of participants, up to 700 runners will raise funds to advance cancer research and improve patient care. Dana-Farber has a separate registration, and spaces are still available for those who would like to join the fundraising team. For more details or to register for the Dana-Farber team, please visitwww.rundanafarber.org.

EVENT NOTES:

·         The B.A.A. Half Marathon’s 13.1-mile, rolling course is an out-and-back route that runs along the Emerald Necklace park system, highlighting the beauty of the historic park system while furthering the B.A.A.’s mission of promoting health and fitness. The B.A.A. Half Marathon will begin and end at White Stadium in Franklin Park, one of America’s oldest parks, in Boston’s Jamaica Plain and Dorchester neighborhoods.

·         The B.A.A. Half Marathon is the third and final race in the 2015 B.A.A. Distance Medley, a three-race series which combines the B.A.A. 5K in April, the B.A.A. 10K in June, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon. Each of the three races has its own prize purse. In addition, top finishers of the events are eligible to win bonus prize money based upon podium finishes.

·         A total prize purse of $55,800 is at stake in the B.A.A. Half Marathon. Prize money will be distributed to the top ten runners overall, the top three in the masters division, and the top three in the push rim wheelchair division. Prize money awards are equal for men and women and are based on gun time results. The overall men’s and women’s B.A.A. Half Marathon champions will each receive $10,000 in prize money.

·         At the 2014 B.A.A. Half Marathon, Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa successfully retained his men’s title, finishing in a time of 1:01:38. Desisa’s win was a precursor to his triumphant victory at the 2015 Boston Marathon in April. Kenya’s Stephen Sambu came away with the B.A.A. Distance Medley crown, having finished in the top four at all three events.  

·         Ethiopia’s Mamitu Daska won the women’s race at the 2014 B.A.A. Half Marathon in record fashion, setting an event record of 1:08:20 en route to defeating Kenyan Cynthia Limo by four seconds. American Molly Huddle took third in 1:09:22. With her victory, Daska solidified the B.A.A. Distance Medley title; she won both the B.A.A. Half Marathon and B.A.A. 10K in 2014, and placed second in the B.A.A. 5K.

·         Since the event’s inception in 2001, the B.A.A. has directed a portion of the entry fees from the B.A.A. Half Marathon towards the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, which works to preserve, maintain, and promote the historic park system. The Emerald Necklace park system was developed by America’s first landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon features recreational use and appreciation of the landscape, waterways, and parkways as they were intended at the time of design in the late 1800s. The Franklin Park Zoo also has been an attraction of the B.A.A. Half Marathon since the event’s inception.