Healey-Driscoll Administration, MassDOT, MBTA Celebrate Launch of South Coast Rail

Healey-Driscoll Administration, MassDOT, MBTA Celebrate Launch of South Coast Rail  

Service began today on the new Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line 

EAST TAUNTON – The Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) today celebrated the launch of South Coast Rail and the beginning of service on the new Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line. Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, MassDOT Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt, and MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng joined municipal leaders, elected officials, and local stakeholder groups aboard Commuter Rail trains in Fall River and New Bedford to East Taunton Station where a celebratory event took place.    

For the first time in over 65 years, the cities and towns of southeastern Massachusetts will now have passenger rail service to and from downtown Boston. Schedules are available on mbta.com.   

“Our administration isn’t kicking the can down the road when it comes to delivering the transportation system that our residents deserve. That’s exactly how we approached the South Coast Rail project. After years of delays, we took this challenge head on and delivered for the people of the South Coast – and our entire state will benefit,” said Governor Maura Healey. “The start of rail service will give people more options for how to get around, where to live and where to work. It means less traffic congestion and shorter commutes, giving people more time back with their loved ones. And it will bring more customers to local businesses and cultural attractions in Southeastern Mass. We congratulate General Manager Eng and his team, especially all of the workers who got this line ready to roll, for their hard work on this transformative project.”  

“There’s a reason that Commuter Rail ridership has returned to pre-pandemic levels faster than any other system in the country – because we’ve proven to riders that it’s an easy and reliable way to get where they need to go. That’s why it’s so important that we are expanding rail service to the South Coast for the first time in 65 years,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “As a former Mayor of a city with commuter rail service, I know what it does for a local economy, especially in South Coast cities that have incredible destinations like Battleship Cove in Fall River, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, art galleries in Taunton, and feasts and festivals all over. We are thrilled to be bringing this investment to the South Coast and hope riders will join us aboard the train soon!”  

“The Healey-Driscoll administration is deeply committed to meeting the needs of every resident in every municipality—and to advancing efforts that leave our communities stronger than we found them,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “The story of South Coast Rail is one of perseverance and persistence. What began as a grassroots movement to connect Boston to New Bedford and Fall River grew into a powerful regional call to action. After more than a decade of collaboration, coordination, and unwavering commitment, this region now has access to the passenger rail service it has long deserved.”    

“It is with great pride that we deliver long-awaited train service to southeastern Massachusetts, making South Coast Rail a reality. The Healey-Driscoll Administration is giving us the tools to rebuild and reshape mass transportation to support communities, housing, and jobs for current and future riders. This is truly a day for celebration for all, in particular for the many stakeholders who long advocated for this service,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “It is through the collaboration of an incredible number of MBTA teams, contractor crews, our MassDOT partners, many community members, elected officials, our operating partners at Keolis, and so many more. I am so grateful for their dedication and tremendous hard work. Today, we make history together and welcome back our southeastern Mass. passengers to the T.”    

The South Coast Rail Program extended the existing Middleborough Commuter Rail Line, reconstructed over 17 miles of the New Bedford Main Line and nearly 12 miles of the Fall River Secondary Line, upgraded the existing Middleborough Secondary track from Pilgrim Junction to Cotley Junction (a distance of 7.1 miles), constructed two new layover facilities, and constructed six new Commuter Rail stations at Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Fall River Depot, Church Street, and New Bedford. 

South Coast Rail Schedules     

South Coast Rail will operate more trips than originally planned, which benefits both the newly served southeastern Massachusetts communities and previously served communities like Brockton and Bridgewater. Through enhanced access to public transportation, South Coast Rail is anticipated to offer significant economic and housing development, as well as educational and recreational opportunities throughout southeastern Massachusetts with area residents having much easier access to the many amenities of the South Coast and connections to downtown Boston.  

There are 15 trips on the Fall River section of the line and 17 trips on the New Bedford section of the line for a total of 32 trips between South Station and East Taunton on weekdays. There are a total of 26 trips between South Station and East Taunton on the weekends. Trains run every 70 minutes on weekdays and every two hours on the weekends.     

Late-night service is offered to South Coast Rail stations with the last train leaving Boston just before midnight.     

In addition to direct service, there are connecting trains operating between each terminus point and East Taunton Station. This allows for even more frequent service, which is consistent with the all-day service model across the rest of the Commuter Rail network.     

Full schedules are available now at mbta.com.    

Commuter Rail Line and Station Renaming, Other Changes     

Passengers are reminded that the Middleborough/Lakeville Commuter Rail Line is now renamed the Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line.     

Middleborough/Lakeville station (located at 125 Commercial Drive, Lakeville) is renamed Lakeville Station.      

Commuter Rail trains no longer stop at Lakeville Station. The Lakeville Station will serve only the seasonal CapeFLYER.   

The new Middleborough Station (located at 52 West Grove Street, Middleborough) will serve the Commuter Rail.     

Free Weekday Service March 24 – March 31   

As previously announced, fare-free weekday service will be available on the Fall River and New Bedford lines each weekday, March 24 – March 31. Passengers can ride for free if they are boarding or ending their ride at one of the six South Coast Rail stations. Riders should share their origin and destination stations with conductors in order to receive free travel. This offer is only valid on the Fall River and New Bedford lines and does not apply to trains on other Commuter Rail lines.     

Free Weekend Service and Parking This Spring  

As previously announced, free weekend service and daily parking will be available from March 29 to April 27.   

• Free Weekend Service     

Fare-free service will be available on the Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Lines for all weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) between March 29 and April 27 as well as on April 21 (Patriots’ Day). Passengers can ride for free if they are boarding or ending their ride at one of the six South Coast Rail stations.     

Riders should share their origin and destination stations with conductors to receive free travel. This offer is only valid on the Fall River and New Bedford Commuter Rail Lines and does not apply to trains on other Commuter Rail lines.      

On weekdays, regular Commuter Rail fares are in effect for South Coast Rail.     

• Free Parking    

Commuter Rail parking at the six South Coast rail station lots – Middleborough, East Taunton, Freetown, Church Street, Fall River Depot, and New Bedford – will be free March 24 through the end of the day on April 30, 2025.     

This free parking promotion may end earlier than anticipated if South Coast Rail parking lots fill up and spaces become unavailable. Standard parking rates for South Coast Rail stations are $4 per day on weekdays and $2 per day on weekends/holidays.       

Fares  

On weekdays beyond March 31 and weekends after April, regular Commuter Rail fares are in effect for South Coast Rail. All South Coast Rail stations are Zone 8 stations. This means that passengers pay a full fare of $12.25 and a reduced fare of $6 for a one-way ride between Zone 1A to 8.  Passengers can purchase fares onboard with conductors or via the mTicket app. mTickets are a convenient option for one-way Commuter Rail rides or pass holders who don’t often take subway or bus, offering a $10 discount on monthly passes and a 10% discount for 5-day Flex Passes. mTickets are valid for 90 days after purchase. More information is available at mbta.com/mTicket.   

Other fare options:     

• Weekend/Holiday Pass: Flat $10 weekend and holiday pass fares apply across Commuter Rail stations and zones including South Coast Rail  

• Monthly Pass (Zone 8): Monthly Zone 8 passes cost $388 full fare / $190 reduced fare. A discount of $10 full fare / $5 reduced fare is available for monthly passes on mTicket.   

輝達 (NVIDIA) 將在波士頓設立加速量子研究中心

輝達(Nvidia)執行長黃仁勳(Jensen Huang)(右起))和夥伴健康集團
(PHS)代理執行長Anne Klibanski，數據科學長keith Dreyer
在2019年的世界醫藥創新會議上合影。( 檔案照片，周菊子攝)

              (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合編譯) 繼生物科技之後，大波士頓現正邁向成為量子計算樞紐之路。輝達 (Nvidia)執行長黃仁勳3月20日在2025年GTC大會的首屆量子計算日圓桌討論中透露，將在波士頓成立 加速量子研究中心 (Nvidia Accelerated Quantum Research Center，簡稱NVAQC)。

               總部設在加州聖塔克拉拉 (Santa Clara) 的輝達，其實3月18日就已在官方網站上貼文，稱加速量子研究中心 (NVAQC)這天在NVIDIA GTC全球大會上宣佈，將以NVIDIA GB200 NVL72系統和NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand網路平台為設施配備，容納一台擁有 576 個 NVIDIA Blackwell GPU 的超級計算機，專用於量子計算研究。

               這個加速量子研究中心將設於波士頓，因為要和位於波士頓的QuEra Computing，以及哈佛量子計畫 (Harvard Quantum Initiative)和麻省理工學院量子工程中心的工程量子系統小組 (Engineering Quantum Systems group at the MIT Center for Quantum Engineering) 等大專院校的量子計算研究單位合作。

               英國倫敦的Quantinuum 和以色列的Quantum Machines 也都是NVAQC的合作機構之一。.

               輝達在麻州的Westford已經設有辦公室，但未透露新設的「加速量子研究中心 (NVAQC)會在哪兒。

               QuEra執行長Andy Ory表示，能和輝達合作令人興奮，該公司最近完成粒子估斯歷來最大的一崙融資，估價也推到了10億美元。

               在大波士頓，由華人沈亦晨所創辦的Lightelligence，專注於光子計算技術的開發，結合了量子計算研究。

Lightelligence最近推出名為 Hummingbird 的光子網絡晶片處理器（Optical Network-on-Chip, oNOC），專為人工智慧（AI）工作負載設計2。這款處理器結合了光子與電子技術，能顯著降低延遲與功耗，並提升計算性能。該公司的技術被業界認為有潛力解決傳統計算中的瓶頸問題，並在高效能計算和數據中心應用中發揮重要作用1。

黃仁勳是在被稱為 「人工智慧超級盃 (Superbowl of AI)」的2025年NVIDIA GTC大會做主題演講時，正式公佈了這訊息。他說，這世界將需要比之前一年還高100倍的計算能力，來執行人工智慧。

輝達的現有市值為2.87兆美元，是全世界最有價值的公司。

CITY OF BOSTON RELEASES ANTI-DISPLACEMENT ACTION PLAN

 CITY OF BOSTON RELEASES ANTI-DISPLACEMENT ACTION PLAN

‘A Place to Thrive’ provides two-year plan to stabilize residents and small businesses

BOSTON - Friday, March 21, 2025 - Mayor Michelle Wu announced the release of A Place to Thrive, the City’s first ever Anti-Displacement Action Plan, during her State of the City address on Wednesday. A Place to Thrive lays out a two-year plan for City departments to help stabilize residents, small businesses, and cultural organizations that may face either direct or economic displacement, ensuring all Bostonians can thrive and flourish. 

“To be a home for everyone, we must keep our residents, small businesses and cultural spaces rooted in our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Our city’s growth must help stabilize communities and deepen roots. I’m grateful for every resident and community member whose feedback has informed this plan and whose love for Boston makes us who we are.”

Boston residents have shared with the City that they are concerned about displacement and that the housing shortage and rising cost of living are exacerbating their concerns. In December, the Planning Advisory Council, an internal coordinating body composed of nine City cabinets that shape Boston’s built environment, released two foundational reports on the City’s anti-displacement work. The first was an in-depth analysis of concerns, priorities and feedback constituents have shared with the City related to displacement, spanning two years. The second report analyzed tools the City already uses to stabilize residents, small businesses, and cultural operators. The City provides a range of stabilizing resources across departments, but has never analyzed these tools, considered how they fit together, or shared a comprehensive set of resources with residents seeking help. 

The Anti-Displacement Action Plan builds on these foundational reports, laying out a coordinated approach to strengthen Boston’s existing anti-displacement tools and address specific gaps in response to community priorities. New or improved initiatives detailed in the plan include:

• The Co-Purchasing Homebuyer Program, which will provide financial assistance and support to help multiple low and moderate income households pool their resources to purchase a two- or three-family home.
• Proposed expansion of the City’s Condominium Conversion Ordinance from buildings with four or more units to buildings with two or more units, so that the majority of tenants facing displacement due to conversions are given reasonable notice, freedom from disruption, relocation assistance, and the opportunity to purchase.
• Expansion of the City’s successful Office to Residential Conversion program to include student and employer-sponsored workforce housing.
• A new Direct Displacement Disclosure through the Article 80 development review process, which would require developers to disclose any potential direct displacement of commercial, cultural, or residential tenants and work with them on a relocation plan if so.
• New site finding assistance to attract businesses and help match them to vacant storefronts throughout the City, including in our neighborhood commercial districts.
• Creation of a Commercial Acquisition Assistance Program to stabilize neighborhood commercial districts and support property ownership for small business owners with an expanded suite of financial tools.
• Launch of the City’s first comprehensive Civic and Cultural Infrastructure Planning Framework to develop a strategy for delivering more cultural space in Boston. 

The City’s anti-displacement efforts are organized around four main tenets: Protect, Preserve, Produce, and Prosper, comprising tools in each of those categories to advance residential, cultural, and commercial stability. The Plan focuses on: protecting renters and lower-income homeowners from displacement, as well as small businesses and cultural community anchors; preserving affordable housing and community spaces; producing more housing and commercial/cultural space; and ultimately creating an environment for Bostonians to build wealth and prosper through homeownership, workforce development, business-ownership, etc.

As part of the Plan, the City has also released its first-ever interactive Residential Displacement Risk Map. The map measures current residential displacement pressures and community-level displacement risk across Boston. The Displacement Risk map provides a data-driven understanding of displacement risk, and will help to inform planning, policy, and outreach. It is meant to be used by the City, residents, community organizations, academics, housing advocates, and more.

“I’m excited to see the City of Boston and Mayor Wu leading the way with a comprehensive anti-displacement action plan,” said Marc Draisen, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. “At a time when rising housing costs are displacing current residents and preventing newcomers from choosing the Boston region to raise their families, we must create more housing and stabilize the existing housing market. This plan includes innovative tools to do both.”

“The City is really elevating the importance of housing stability with the new Anti-Displacement Plan,” said Karen Chen, executive director of the Chinese Progressive Association. “We’re pleased to see it includes new tools that tenants across the city have been asking for, including resident protections and tools to help Bostonians prosper here, as well as new ways to preserve and produce housing.” 

“Reclaim Roxbury has advocated for an anti-displacement action plan for 10 years and we’re so excited to see the City sharing this goal,” said Armani White, executive director of Reclaim Roxbury. “We look forward to working together to make sure the plan meets the community’s vision and needs so that everyone in Boston can benefit from development without displacement.”

“We are glad the City is taking on the important work of developing new strategies to increase housing stability for all Bostonians,” said Josh Zakim, executive director of Housing Forward.  “Everyone knows we have a housing shortage in Boston that is leading to high housing costs and displacement. We’re pleased the plan recognizes that production is part of preventing displacement, and look forward to working with leadership to increase the overall housing supply—that’s the best long-term solution to our housing shortage and resulting risks of displacement.” 

“I look forward to the implementation of Boston’s new anti-displacement action plan, especially the homeownership tools it includes. This is such a vital pathway to building wealth and well-being for Boston’s BIPOC communities,” said Tony Richards, chair of the Affordable Housing and Pathways to Homeownership Executive Committee for the Commission on Black Men & Boys. “The new Co-Purchasing Homebuyer Program and increased funding for market-rate homeownership development will support the major effort to close the racial wealth gap here in Boston.” 

“Housing and displacement remains one of the biggest challenges to justice and equity facing our city,” said Noemi Mimi Ramos, executive director of the New England Community Project. “We appreciate that Mayor Wu and her Administration recognized this, and have drafted a plan to stabilize Boston residents, small businesses, and communities. We look forward to working with the City to finalize this important strategy, so renters, BIPOC, and low-income Bostonians can continue to call Boston home.”

“Boston’s new Anti-Displacement Action Plan provides thoughtful recommendations to tackle Boston’s housing crisis,” said Micheal Kane, HUD Tenant Alliance. “Measures such as expanding condo conversion protections to 70% more units, developing model Eviction Prevention Plans tied to Right to Counsel legislation, and targeting Boston funds for development and preservation of mixed-income housing will build on Boston’s proven leadership in affordable housing nationwide.”

“I'm very happy that the City of Boston is implementing a plan that will keep people and small businesses from being displaced in this rising market,” said Baron Langston, co-owner of the historic Vertullo Building in Hyde Park. “Some people just don't have the backup or resources to compete with buyers who have long pockets and connections to secure funding. I was so grateful when the City was able to step in and help my family purchase the building, saving five local small businesses and allowing us to keep rents affordable, ensuring that we will not have to leave the place we have grown to love and call home.”

“As both community focused developers and longtime supporters of Boston’s Main Streets program, we have seen the direct positive impacts that small and local businesses can have on a neighborhood,” said Steve Samuels, chairman of Samuels & Associates. “We appreciate that the mayor's action plan takes this important segment into consideration and develops new tools and strategies to support business at a hyper local level.”

The City is committed to making this an ongoing, collaborative effort where residents and small business owners have a direct role in shaping solutions. The release of this plan launches a 45-day comment period, now through May 3. Constituents can review the full plan at boston.gov/anti-displacement, and can share their feedback via an online comment form, by emailing antidisplacementplan@boston.gov, by attending a citywide presentation, and through workshops tailored to community needs. 

紐英崙至德三德慶新春 吳弭市長獲「波城之光」表揚

紐英崙至德三德公所主席曹品慈(左一)請宗親陪同吳弭市長(左七)從
中華公所主席雷國輝(右五)手中接過「波城之光」獎牌。(至德三德宮所提共)

                (Boston Orange) 紐英崙至德三德公所3月16日在帝苑大酒樓慶祝蛇年新春，300多人齊聚一堂，欣賞歌舞，享用美食，見證宗親波士頓市長吳弭獲中華公所贈予「波城之光」獎牌，送利市給百歲人瑞及中文學校，整晚歡聲笑語的熱鬧非常。

               至德三德公所是由吳、周、蔡、翁、曹等五個姓氏組成的宗親會，每一姓氏各派一人擔任主席，目前的5名主席分別為吳皓、周樹昂、翁宇才、曹品慈等人。

紐英崙至德三德公所請吳弭市長送利市給阮陳金鳳(左一)、吳紹營(左三)。

               身為吳姓宗親的波士頓市長吳弭，早在還是波士頓市議員時期，就已接受邀約，不但加入了至德三德公所，還擔任榮譽顧問，如今貴為美國歷史名城波士頓的市長，更讓公所的宗親們感到與有榮焉。

紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝(右三)和財政余寶愛(左二)、
核數張青梅(左一)，一起頒發「波城之光」獎牌給無米市長(左三)。

               吳弭市長在3月初赴華府，出席聯邦聽證會，為波士頓堅持做為庇護城市辯護，發言銳利，廣獲好評，被稱為4名應邀出席發言市長中最亮眼者。紐英崙中華公所為此特地借用至德三德公所春宴場合，頒給吳弭市長一塊獎牌。中華公所主席雷國輝借獎牌稱許她「庇護人倫，捍衛市譽，竭心為民，波城之光」。

               在丈夫Conor Pewarski，以及2名兒子，以及妹妹陪同中，吳弭市長抱著剛出生2個月的女兒Mira，全家出席，全程在座，藉以彰顯她支持姓氏宗親會重視家族的理念。

紐英崙養生舞協會大合唱迎春畫。 黃周麗桃提供))

吳弭市長(中)抱著女兒Mira和紐英崙養生舞協會合影。

               這晚的慶祝會由公所主席周樹昂，以及公所元老黃周麗桃的女兒，也是波士頓市消防局副局長的黃瑞瑜擔任司儀，出席嘉賓在波士頓市長吳弭一家人外，還有波士頓市議員愛德華費林 (Ed Flynn)，Erin Murphy，駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長廖朝宏、組長黃耀良，波士頓僑教中心主任高家富、紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝，波士頓警察局社區參與總監，也是紐英崙至孝篤親公所主席的陳孔恩。

               至德三德公所的三藩市總行元老周達昌、顧問周天民，這天也遠程趕到祝賀。紐約的至德三德公所宗親則因次日的聖派翠克日遊行，不克前來。

世界旗袍會表演舞蹈。

               大會由公所主席之一的吳皓醫師唱美國國歌揭開序幕，胡清白鶴派的祥獅踩桔獻瑞的舞獅後，嘉賓致詞。

               吳弭市長表示，能夠一家人同來出席宗親會的年度慶祝新春活動，延續傳統，很感榮幸，感謝波士頓警察當天為維持聖派翠克日遊行忙了一天，晚上仍趕來出席社區聚會。

紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝接著致詞，稱許吳弭市長華府一行凱旋歸來，還送她一塊「波城之光」獎牌，讓吳弭市長意外、驚喜，臉上綻放光采四射笑容。

               當晚的表演節目由紐英崙養生舞協會、世界旗袍協會，廣州聯誼會表演舞蹈，走秀。其中宗親周美桃創辦的養生舞協會表演了打鼓，以及雙扇、迎春花大合唱、福滿權坤等舞蹈。公所主席曹品慈之妻所創辦的世界旗袍協會波士頓分會，也表演了好幾支舞蹈，還獲得宗親周柏堅現場捐款資助。

嘉賓和瑞獅合影。(圖片來源:伍振中臉書)

                              至德三德公所是一個在美國已有140餘年歷史的姓氏僑團，紐英崙的至德三德公所其實成立很早，但在1970、80年代一度中斷，1990年代中期，才由元老，也是現任主席之一的翁宇才復會，在他的辦公室闢地供奉祖先，並從波士頓市遷往昆士市的迄今如此經營。 (更新版)

中華公所送給吳弭市長的獎牌。(雷國輝提供)