CAPAC Members on Department of Commerce v. New York Supreme Court Decision

CAPAC Members on Department of Commerce v. New York Supreme Court Decision

Washington, DC —  Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Department of Commerce V. New York to block the inclusion of a citizenship question in the 2020 Census. Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released the following statements:

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair:

“Today’s Supreme Court Decision to temporarily strike down the Census Bureau’s attempt to include a racially motivated citizenship question in the 2020 Census was a victory for our democracy. The inclusion of a citizenship questioned would have jeopardized our ability to have an accurate census count and ensure adequate funding for vital programs like Community Development Block Grants, housing vouchers, Medicaid, highway planning construction, and new schools. For every person that is not counted, a city could lose $2000 per person. An undercount would also result in states with large immigrant and minority populations such as California, New York, and Texas losing representation in Congress.

“Those things are still at stake if the Census Bureau finds another way to justify the inclusion of the citizenship question before they print the 2020 Census, so we must continue to remain vigilant. The Trump Administration’s attempt to politicize the census has already had a chilling effect on traditionally hard to count communities, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. That’s why we must make every effort possible to ensure that communities of color are counted.

“In May, I met with representatives from nearly every city in my district to emphasize what is at stake. I urged every city to create a complete count committee that will take steps to ensure that every person is counted, because the stakes for our local communities are too high. I am planning on pushing forward with that effort and others leading up to April 2020 to ensure the 2020 Census count is accurate.”

Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), CAPAC First Vice Chair:

“I am pleased that the Supreme Court has blocked the Trump administration today from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Decennial Census and I am hopeful that in the end a citizenship question will not be included on the questionnaire. From the beginning, the citizenship question was grounded in racist and reckless intent. The administration has continuously lied about how and why they sought to add this question – including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross lying directly to my face during a House hearing last year. The evidence speaks for itself – and it most certainly does not pass the smell test. The discovery of documents showing that a Republican strategist communicated with a top census official about the issue, and President Trump invoking executive privilege on subpoenaed citizenship question-related materials, further illustrate the administration’s politicization of the census, and its attempt to skew it in favor of the GOP. This blatant weaponization of the census is unconscionable and shameful, and it has constantly undermined the process. Ultimately, the Supreme Court said the Secretary using the Voting Rights Act enforcement as rationale behind the question was ‘contrived.’ While we can celebrate today’s ruling by the Supreme Court, it is imperative that we do everything humanly possible to obtain a complete and accurate census count. We must communicate to all our fellow neighbors that responding to the census is of national importance. There must be as much outreach as possible, and it must be done as early as possible, to help ensure that everybody knows the importance of participating in the census. We must not allow an undercount to shortchange our neighborhoods and communities, and deny us the critical resources to fix our roads, fund our schools, support our elderly, or limit congressional representation. We will not be erased, we will not be underrepresented, and we must make every attempt to ensure that every person is counted. There are no do-overs with the census; a mistake is a 10-year mistake. The best response to the addition of this question is to get the fullest count possible.”

Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), CAPAC Second Vice Chair :

“Communities across America can breathe a temporary sigh of relief. While today’s Supreme Court decision brought us good news, we cannot ignore that efforts to undermine a fair and accurate 2020 Census count still persist. The Trump Administration is determined to intimidate immigrant communities and rig our democracy in favor of Republican rule, and we must prevent that from happening. It is our responsibility to ensure a successful 2020 Census count by devoting appropriate resources to the effort, raising awareness, and encouraging every single member of our community to participate and be counted. Our democracy is at stake.”

Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-33), CAPAC Whip:

“6 years ago, the Supreme Court delivered a significant blow to voting rights in Shelby County v. Holder by ruling that a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was unconstitutional. Since Shelby, nearly two-dozen states and several municipalities have implemented restrictive voter ID laws, closed or consolidated polling places, shortened early voting, and imposed other measures to restrict voting and lower turnout. These discriminatory policies are designed to systematically disenfranchise people of color, the elderly, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, and low-income households. We need to ensure that the most fundamental right in our democracy – the right to vote – is protected.”

Congressman Gil Cisneros (CA-39):

“I applaud the Supreme Court’s ruling to temporarily block the administration’s citizenship question on the 2020 Census. The Constitution mandates that a census be taken every 10 years, and it should be our goal to ensure that every individual in the United States is counted,” said Rep. Cisneros. “The citizenship question was nothing more than an attempt by the President to depress the number of individuals and families who would complete the census.  Rather than discouraging people, the President should be working to ensure the Census Bureau is completely funded, fully staffed, and has the resources needed for a strong marketing campaign to encourage participation. Our work does not stop here, I will continue to reach out to the communities in my district who have been undercounted and underserved so that they can receive the business investments and delivery of public services they need.”

Congressman TJ Cox (CA-21):

“Today’s SCOTUS decisions show us the fight isn’t over yet. Regardless of congressional district boundaries and citizenship questions, we can’t let this administration spoil the entire upcoming 2020 Census for partisan political purposes. An inaccurate Census would be devastating for my congressional district, jeopardizing everything from economic development, to health care, to the Central Valley’s representation in Congress.

“To protect our livelihood we need to make sure our communities are counted correctly in the 2020 Census. It’s up to us to ensure our immigrant and minority populations get the representation they deserve.”

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13):

“I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to effectively prevent the untested, unnecessary, and ill-timed citizenship question from being included in the 2020 Census today.

“The U.S. Census should make our nation more equal and representative, not less. By weaponizing the Census, this Administration tried to intimidate immigrants, worsen gerrymandering, and intentionally undercount communities of color.

“Now we must begin the work of ensuring that we fully count our communities, which is why I am dedicated to working with my congressional colleagues to make sure we make the proper investments to see that happen. 

“No one in our nation should go uncounted. Our democracy works best when we count everyone.” 

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40):

“The Supreme Court has turned back President Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census.  This ruling is a victory for an accurate, comprehensive, and complete Census count.  Trump is eager to silence the voices of vulnerable populations in our communities; that’s why he wanted a Census citizenship question that will dramatically undercount these populations.  An accurate and complete 2020 Census is essential to ensuring our communities receive the federal funds we need for countless critical programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, school lunches, highway funding, housing assistance, and more.  While the Court’s ruling is a victory for our nation, our House Democratic Majority will stay vigilant, and fight any further efforts to sabotage a fair and accurate 2020 Census.”

Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51):

“SCOTUS has issued a victory to immigrants and communities of color across the United States by blocking the citizenship question. However, the fight for justice is far from over. We will continue working to ensure our communities are counted and have a voice in our democracy.”

BCNC Pao Arts Center receives Boston Foundation Open Door grant

Boston – The Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) Pao Arts Center announced today that it has received a $50,000 grant from the Boston Foundation to support their Senior Arts Initiative, through the Foundation’s Open Door Grants program.

“The Open Door grant will allow the Pao Arts Center to work more closely with seniors who live in Chinatown to develop programming that meets their creative, health, and social needs,” said Pao Arts Center Director Cynthia Woo. “We have spent the last two years starting relationships with senior groups and are excited that funding will allow us to create a welcoming, friendly, and important space for seniors to engage with all members of our populations, from children and students to artists.”

Through arts, culture, and education, the Pao Arts Center brings together community members across generations to reclaim a critical piece of Chinatown history and to create healthy families and vibrant communities. In partnership with Bunker Hill Community College, BCNC opened the Pao Arts Center in 2017 to be Chinatown’s first community-based arts center and Boston’s newly dedicated Asian American and Asian immigrant cultural space.

The Senior Arts Initiative engages older constituents ages 65 and above at the Pao Arts Center in developing age-friendly programming. In Spring 2018, the Pao Arts Center was approached by a group of seniors from the Golden Age Center’s Hong Lok House to use space for activities including tai chi and dance. Building on the momentum from this cohort of elders, the Arts Center will actively engage seniors in its programs committee, increasing their social participation.

Open Door Grants are competitive, one-year grants designed for organizations whose proposal is focused on Greater Boston and whose values align with those of the Boston Foundation. Grants are awarded quarterly, and are selected by staff through an inclusive evaluation process. Funds for this grant come from the Boston Foundation’s Permanent Fund for Boston, Greater Boston’s only endowed fund focusing on the pressing needs of Greater Boston. The Permanent Fund has been made possible by more than a century of gifts from those who seek to support innovative solutions to the region’s most pressing problems since 1915. ( By BCNC)

MIT校長公開信 稱移民如氧氣

轉載

Letter to the MIT community: Immigration is a kind of oxygen

MIT News Office
June 25, 2019

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COMMENT

The following email was sent today to the MIT community by President L. Rafael Reif.

To the members of the MIT community,

MIT has flourished, like the United States itself, because it has been a magnet for the world’s finest talent, a global laboratory where people from every culture and background inspire each other and invent the future, together.

Today, I feel compelled to share my dismay about some circumstances painfully relevant to our fellow MIT community members of Chinese descent. And I believe that because we treasure them as friends and colleagues, their situation and its larger national context should concern us all.

The situation

As the US and China have struggled with rising tensions, the US government has raised serious concerns about incidents of alleged academic espionage conducted by individuals through what is widely understood as a systematic effort of the Chinese government to acquire high-tech IP.

As head of an institute that includes MIT Lincoln Laboratory, I could not take national security more seriously. I am well aware of the risks of academic espionage, and MIT has established prudent policies to protect against such breaches.

But in managing these risks, we must take great care not to create a toxic atmosphere of unfounded suspicion and fear. Looking at cases across the nation, small numbers of researchers of Chinese background may indeed have acted in bad faith, but they are the exception and very far from the rule. Yet faculty members, post-docs, research staff and students tell me that, in their dealings with government agencies, they now feel unfairly scrutinized, stigmatized and on edge – because of their Chinese ethnicity alone. 

Nothing could be further from – or more corrosive to ­– our community’s collaborative strength and open-hearted ideals. To hear such reports from Chinese and Chinese-American colleagues is heartbreaking. As scholars, teachers, mentors, inventors and entrepreneurs, they have been not only exemplary members of our community but exceptional contributors to American society. I am deeply troubled that they feel themselves repaid with generalized mistrust and disrespect.

The signal to the world

For those of us who know firsthand the immense value of MIT’s global community and of the free flow of scientific ideas, it is important to understand the distress of these colleagues as part of an increasingly loud signal the US is sending to the world.

Protracted visa delays. Harsh rhetoric against most immigrants and a range of other groups, because of religion, race, ethnicity or national origin. Together, such actions and policies have turned the volume all the way up on the message that the US is closing the door – that we no longer seek to be a magnet for the world’s most driven and creative individuals. I believe this message is not consistent with how America has succeeded. I am certain it is not how the Institute has succeeded. And we should expect it to have serious long-term costs for the nation and for MIT.

For the record, let me say with warmth and enthusiasm to every member of MIT’s intensely global community: We are glad, proud and fortunate to have you with us! To our alumni around the world: We remain one community, united by our shared values and ideals! And to all the rising talent out there: If you are passionate about making a better world, and if you dream of joining our community, we welcome your creativity, we welcome your unstoppable energy and aspiration – and we hope you can find a way to join us. 

* * *

In May, the world lost a brilliant creative force: architect I.M. Pei, MIT Class of 1940. Raised in Shanghai and Hong Kong, he came to the United States at 17 to seek an education. He left a legacy of iconic buildings from Boston to Paris and China to Washington, DC, as well on our own campus. By his own account, he consciously stayed alive to his Chinese roots all his life. Yet, when he died at the age of 102, the Boston Globe described him as “the most prominent American architect of his generation.”

Thanks to the inspired American system that also made room for me as an immigrant, all of those facts can be true at the same time.

As I have discovered through 40 years in academia, the hidden strength of a university is that every fall, it is refreshed by a new tide of students. I am equally convinced that part of the genius of America is that it is continually refreshed by immigration – by the passionate energy, audacity, ingenuity and drive of people hungry for a better life.

There is certainly room for a wide range of serious positions on the actions necessary to ensure our national security and to manage and improve our nation’s immigration system. But above the noise of the current moment, the signal I believe we should be sending, loud and clear, is that the story of American immigration is essential to understanding how the US became, and remains, optimistic, open-minded, innovative and prosperous – a story of never-ending renewal.

In a nation like ours, immigration is a kind of oxygen, each fresh wave reenergizing the body as a whole. As a society, when we offer immigrants the gift of opportunity, we receive in return vital fuel for our shared future. I trust that this wisdom will always guide us in the life and work of MIT. And I hope it can continue to guide our nation.

Sincerely,

L. Rafael Reif

豐川資本副總裁張劭聿闡述波士頓生命科學業生態

豐川資本副總裁張劭聿。(周菊子攝)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子整理報導)大波士頓的創投圈，華人一向屈指可數，來自台灣的更鳳毛麟角。其中豐川資本副總裁張劭聿，如今不但是"麻州挑戰"，”哈佛 i-實驗室”，”VentureWell”等地輔導者，圈粉之廣有如創投界新星。

             台灣大學醫學院畢業，有哈佛大學陳曾熙公衛學院公衛碩士學位，曾任杜克大學史丹福公共政策係全球健康及製藥政策研究學者，張劭聿在創投界已歷練多年，經驗豐富，經手投資了波士頓的Angiex， JURABio，瑞士的Cellestia，丹麥的Acesion，以色列的WhiteSwell等公司，還經常應邀為會議演講，包括芝加哥大學，KOTRA， RESI，波士頓本地的創投店生科鍊接(Venture Café BIO Connect)。

             6月24日，台灣財團法人生物技術開發中心率團訪問波士頓，也邀得張劭聿演講”大波士頓的生命科學生態:台灣生物科技的機會”。出席者對演講內容之豐富，都印象深刻，會後紛紛洽談往後合作事宜。

             在這場講談中，張劭聿以1978和2015年景觀做對比，指出劍橋市的翻天覆地變化，從空地處處變成全球大生物科技公司會聚一堂的聖地，著名研究機構或生物醫藥企業如今全都在這方圓二哩之內。

             根據他列舉的時間表，最早是百奧健(Biogen)於1978年在劍橋市落地，接著健贊(Genzyme)，Vertex，千禧年製藥(Millennium Pharma)，Alnylam製藥，Moderna療法陸續進駐，如今全世界20大製藥企業，已有18家在大波士頓/劍橋設有據點。

創投資金也跟著來。先是CF基金在1999年投資1億5000萬元進Vertex，旗艦基金(Flagship)於2000年創立，千禧年高管在2007年創辦第三石基金(The Third Rock Ventures)等。最令生物醫藥界激動的是2008年，麻州政府還通過生命科學法案，10年撥款10億元支持生技產業。

麻州醫藥界隨後掀起併購，新創，上市熱。Takeda在2008年收購了千禧年，賽諾菲(Sanofi)在2010年收購健贊，CF基金在2014年以33億元出售Vertex股權，Moderna療法在2019年4月，以打破生物科技公司價格記錄的6億美元上市。

張劭聿用麻州生物科技協會(Mass Bio)的2018年產業快照指出，在群聚效應下，除了波士頓，劍橋市，麻州內的495州際公路一帶的屋斯特(Worcester)，東北部，以及128公路一帶，也已經都形成了生醫業聚落。

波士頓及劍橋市一帶有500多家生物科技公司，50家頂級醫院，48所大專院校。屋斯特一帶有50多家生物科技公司，還是生物處理/製造聚落，有屋斯特理工學院(WPI)，麻州大學醫學院，以及16所大專院校。東北部一帶有50多家生物科技公司，麻州大學羅爾分校及11所大專院校，還有高羅士打海事基因學院(Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute)。128公路一帶有75多家生物科技公司，15家大專院校，很強的醫療設備聚落。

             如果從資金角度來看，美國國家衛生研究院(NIH)每年撥出的資助經費，以人均數額來算，排名第一，以總額來看，麻州27億1674萬餘元，排名全美第二，僅次於加州。NIH的2017年經費有10%都給了麻州。此外，NIH資助額度最高的6所醫院，有5所在麻州。

             根據JLL地產公司的2018美國生命科學展望報告，大波士頓在生命科學業聘用的人最多，高達90,566人，其次為舊金山的74,046，以及聖地牙哥的66,567。

             在創投資源上，無論是加速器，孵化器，共同工作空間/實驗室，天使資金獲創投資金，大製藥公司或策略夥伴，醫院，律師事務所，會議，人才，顧問等等，都很豐富。針對生命科學的加速器/孵化器就至少有飛利浦健康有用(Philips Healthworks)，JLABS，麻州挑戰的健康科技，IndieBio(SOSV)，麻州醫療設備發展中心(M2D2)等。在共同空間或實驗室上，有提供實驗室的Lab Central，無實際實驗場所的劍橋創新中心(CIC)，或是由學校支持設立的創投項目，例如麻州大學波士頓分校的創業發展中心，麻州大學羅爾分校的醫療設備發展中心，哈佛大學的Pagliuca生命實驗室，MIT引擎等。

             波士頓的天使投資團體有麻州醫療天使，波士頓海港天使，天空創投，MIT校友天使，投資者圈，Keiretsu論壇，櫻桃石集團等。企業自行辦理的創投資金有旗艦先鋒(Flagship Pioneering)，第三石創投，北極星創投，純科技。傳統的創投資金有MPM資本，5AM創投，啟明創投等。

             共同工作空間，也是新就參差並列，附實驗室的有LabCentral， Nest.Bio，智慧實驗室，分享實驗室(LabShares)，北岸創投，ABI實驗室。純空間的有劍橋創新中心，WeWork，哈佛創新實驗室，G-Tek實驗室等。

             當天演講後，財團法人生物技術開發中心邀張劭聿進一步洽談合作，新英格蘭大波士頓台灣商會也發出”A Pitch Day”的評審邀請。

台灣生技中心鳳凰計劃團隊訪波士頓 探國際市場、資金

前排右起，基因體先驅生物科技執行長吳瓊媛，新英格蘭大波士頓台灣商會會長李以蕙，波士頓經文處科技組組長謝水龍，豐川資本副總裁張劭聿，先驅生技策略長溫國蘭，第二排，承鋆生醫董事陳柏同，禹智生技創辦人賴癸太，先驅生技技術長官建村(第二排左一)，DCB資深經理陳志雄(第三排左一)等人合影。(DCB提供)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 財團法人生物技術開發中心(DCB)的南港生技育成中心(NBIC)，刻正帶3家鳳凰計劃初創企業在波士頓參訪，並於 23， 24兩日先後和波士頓華人投資俱樂部(BCIC)，新英格蘭大波士頓台灣商會(TCCNE)合辦活動，以連接海外市場，籌募資金。

DCB資深經理陳志雄。(周菊子攝)

             參訪團的3家企業，分別為入選數位健康國際加速器的禹智生物科技 (Zenith BioDesign Lab)，先驅生技(GenomeFrontier)，承鋆生醫(Medical TeK)，由DCB產業發展處的南港生技育成中心資深經理陳志雄，以及研究員陳思豪博士率隊到訪。

             陳志雄在活動中介紹DCB及鳳凰計劃，三家初創企業做簡報，豐川資本(FC Capital)副總裁張劭聿介紹”大波士頓的生命科學產業生態，以及台灣生物科技企業的機會”。

會場。(周菊子攝)

            駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典，科技組組長謝水龍，新英格蘭大波士頓台灣商會會長李以蕙，副會長黃千姬，前會長歐陽露都專程出席。

             禹智生物科技做的是免疫療法平台。該公司創辦人暨研發長賴癸太說明該公司減少藥物對腫瘤外細胞毒性的療法，可使治療更安全，精準，有效。他們預計18個月內可證明概念，2年內和大製藥公司合作發展，3年內轉讓專利等，希望今年內以20%股權籌天使輪的250萬美元，2020年底之前再募1500萬美元，然後2020年底上市。他以競爭者CytomX在2017年就已募得9230萬元為例，強調該公司潛力無窮。

波士頓經文處處長徐佑典(左)，科技組組長
謝水龍(右)。(周菊子攝)

             基因體先驅生技創辦人吳瓊媛說明該公司專注於基因控制及幹細胞平台，為CAR-T療法目前所面對的挑戰，包括引發病毒危機，14%的病人因CAR-T量不足，幹細胞品質不好，無法接受治療，20%病人因基因抗體流失，導致復發，對固體腫瘤無效等狀況，提供解決方案。在波士頓華人投資俱樂部的那場，則是由副總經理官建村做說明。他們希望在2019年底前籌得600萬美元天使輪資金，一旦上市，估值可達1000萬美元。

             承鋆生醫董事陳柏桐闡述該公司有專利的軟體，可把內視鏡的二維影像轉換為三維影像，進而改善手術品質及效率。該產品目前已在台灣秀傳醫院使用，希望在A輪前融資300萬美元。

             豐川資本副總裁張劭聿在會中以1978和2015年景觀做對比，指出劍橋市的翻天覆地變化，從空地處處變成全球大生物科技公司會聚一堂的聖地，著名研究機構或生物醫藥企業如今全都在這方圓二哩之內。

             他排了一份時間表，重點列出從百奧健(Biogen)1978年在劍橋市落地，到現在全世界20家大製藥公司，有18家都在大波士頓設立了營運中心的巨大轉變。

             NIH撥出的資助醫藥研發經費，MA僅次於加州，排名全美第二；2008年麻州通過10年10億美元支持生科產業法案；旗艦基金(Flagship)，千禧年高管創辦第三石基金(The Third Rock Ventures)，依序在2000年，2007年創立，麻州在哈佛，MIT之外有100多所大專院校，各式各樣的實驗室，共同工作空間等等，都是麻州得以成為全美生物重鎮第一名的原因。

             陳志雄在晤談會中匯報，財團法人生物技術開發中心(DCB)創辦於1984年，現有員工420人，其中包括300名研究員，90名企業發展人員，以及40名行政人員，是台灣最大的生物製藥企業發展團隊。該中心在早期資金及資金管道，人才，商業化，市場行銷，以及科技，產品，專利等方面，為新創企業提供協助。中心內南港生技育成中心，內有軟體園，生物科技園，金融園等，環境非常好。

該中心藉由鳳凰計劃加速器和孵化器兩種管道，為生科新創企業提供企業發展培訓，共同工作空間，諮詢輔導，國際培訓等等服務。目前整個園區內共有45家企業，60%是數位健康產業，40%是製藥業，其中24%是學校團隊。

2018年入選鳳凰計劃的團隊，有2家製藥公司，7家醫療器材公司，2家食品業公司，4家信息及通信技術(ICT)公司。這些團隊從3月入選起到11月，分參加比賽，撰寫企業計畫書課程，國際鍊接，拓展路演等四個階段，接受輔導。這趟到訪波士頓，屬於”國際鍊接”環節。

據悉，財團法人生物技術開發公司為推動台灣生醫初創公司在資金和市場上有更緊密的國際連接，近年已固定每年組團訪問波士頓兩次。這次來，除了舉辦兩場晤談活動外，還去參訪了合作夥伴”麻州挑戰(Mass Challenger)”，以及麻州醫療設備發展中心(M2D2)，波士頓兒童醫院，麻省總醫院等和數位醫療有關的機構。

波士頓華人投資俱樂部創辦人易敏(前右三)和會議主持人褚亮翬(第二排右三)及部分出席者。(周菊子攝)

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Acceleration Plan for MBTA Infrastructure Improvements

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Acceleration Plan for MBTA Infrastructure Improvements

Includes immediate actions to increase proactive inspections and maintenance, accelerate schedules for critical capital projects, schedule weekend shutdowns to expedite work, advance legislative changes for innovative project delivery, and request budget support for additional staffing to support capital project delivery and augment inspections and maintenance

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker announced a plan to accelerate the pace of MBTA capital construction projects with the goal of expediting the transformation of the MBTA into a modern, safe, reliable transit system. Through a five-part strategy, the acceleration plan builds on the T’s existing robust safety program and aggressive Capital Investment Program and is designed to facilitate an increase in construction and maintenance projects within shorter timeframes.

The MBTA is in the midst of executing a five-year, $8 billion Capital Investment Program that prioritizes core system investments into areas including new vehicles, track, signals, power systems, and maintenance facilities.

The MBTA is expanding its focus to include ways to increase the pace of all investments, and ensure system reliability by increasing maintenance and inspection intervals that properly reflect the age and condition of many MBTA assets. Additionally, the MBTA has worked to identify and resolve barriers that prevent increasing investment efforts.

This proposal includes five key initiatives:

1.     Explore scheduling more aggressive evening and weekend closures to expedite infrastructure improvements.

2.     Increasing the frequency of proactive inspections and preventive maintenance to find and fix potential issues before they impact service.

3.     Seek changes to law that remove impediments to force multipliers for capital investment, such as flexible procurement and project delivery approaches.

4.     Negotiating with industry partners to expedite manufacturing, accelerate contract milestones, and compress project schedules.

5.     Creating a new, flexible team of additional MBTA personnel and contracted resources to focus on expediting construction and infrastructure projects.  This team will consist of flaggers, motorpersons, bus operators, engineers, and track, signals, and power personnel. The team will have the flexibility to work on both operating and capital projects, which would not currently be possible if funded in the capital budget. This will require a one-time infusion of $50 million in operating budget funds for the additional MBTA employees and outside experts to support capital project delivery, proactive inspections, and enhanced maintenance.

“The MBTA has made tremendous gains since the winter of 2015 to control its operating costs, strengthen the pipeline to design and build capital projects, and take steps to improve service by focusing investments on core system infrastructure,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “In order to capitalize on that progress, this acceleration plan will allow the T to continue its investments at a faster pace, with greater focus on service improvements to provide a safe, reliable means of transportation that supports our economy, and gets people where they need to go.”

“This acceleration plan will help support and complement the $8 billion investment the MBTA will make over five years and the important work of the newly formed FMCB Safety Panel,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We greatly appreciate the patience of the MBTA’s riders and commuters as the plan is implemented and thank the MBTA personnel that continue to work around the clock on repair and recovery efforts.”

“Given the current landscape of MBTA repairs, we are confident these five initiatives will sharpen the MBTA’s focus on delivering construction projects and service improvements for riders,” said MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack. “While we understand executing on this plan will likely cause additional inconveniences for our customers now, these measures will allow us to get to the MBTA that they deserve sooner.”

“This acceleration plan will give us tools we need to be more aggressive in our capital investments, but more important, it allows us to treat this situation with the urgency our customers demand,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “While we acknowledge we can’t rebuild the system overnight, we can enhance our processes for inspections to ensure the MBTA remains safe for use while we execute on our capital program.”

Further details on the acceleration plan include:

·       Explore more aggressive evening and weekend closures to expedite infrastructure improvements.

·       Following a long-standing practice, the MBTA traditionally saved critical capital work for the hours overnight when the T was not in service. While this reduced the impacts on MBTA customers, the window within which work could take place limited progress and often prevented multiple activities from occurring simultaneously;

·       Expanding work windows – through a combination of shutting down service earlier in the evening and for consecutive days – will allow the T to increase its concentration of effort during a planned disruption in service, resulting in enhanced progress, and improved coordination with other related construction activities;

·       Furthermore, maximizing the work that can be done during these shutdowns by combining multiple projects in the same area makes each disruption more productive. For example, during the recent shutdown of the Green Line D Branch, capital construction contractors and MBTA maintenance forces were able to work on three projects concurrently (Green Line Track and Signals Upgrades, Fenway Portal Resiliency Improvements, and Green Line Grade Crossing Replacement);

·       The MBTA is actively exploring opportunities to maximize use of planned weekend and evening shutdowns to accelerate maintenance work and infrastructure improvements. This may lead to increases in the number or length of shutdowns this summer and through the end of the year.

·       Upcoming diversions include:

§  Green Line D Branch (select weekends between August and September): for track renewal and signal upgrades;

§  Green Line C Branch (weekends between June and August): for maintenance crews, and construction contractors to work on roadway grade crossings, tracks and switches;

§  Orange Line (weeknights ongoing through August): for capital maintenance and track renewal between Wellington and Oak Grove by contractors and MBTA forces;

§  Rockport Commuter Rail Line (bridge closure through June): to facilitate replacement of the Gloucester Drawbridge;

§  Green Line D Branch (weeknights through December): for track renewal and signal upgrades;

§  Orange Line (weekends during August and September): for capital maintenance and track renewal along the Southwest Corridor of the Orange Line;

§  Fitchburg and Lowell Commuter Rail Lines (weekends through September): in support of the Green Line Extension project;

§  Needham Commuter Rail Line (weekends during August and September): to support the Positive Train Control project.

·       Additionally, the T will begin to map out an even more aggressive schedule of shutdowns for the 2020 construction season by building expanded evening and weekend work windows into upcoming contracts.

·       Increasing the frequency of proactive inspections and preventive maintenance to find and fix potential issues before they impact service.

·       The MBTA currently conducts daily, weekly, monthly, and annual preventive maintenance inspections for vehicles, track, signals, power, and other infrastructure. These inspections meet or exceed all federal and state requirements and are critical elements of the T’s robust safety program;

·       The $50 million requested by Governor Baker would provide additional support of inspection and maintenance crews to increase the frequency of inspections, focusing on the oldest parts of the system to identify and address issues before they cause disruption;

·       The MBTA will increase the resources available for a suite of specialized mechanized inspections using ultrasonic, geometric, and optical technology that can detect infrastructure defects, which cannot be seen by the human eye. For example, the MBTA will increase the frequency of ultrasonic inspections of rails and axles.

·       Seeking changes to law that remove impediments to force multipliersfor infrastructure improvements, such as flexible procurement and project delivery approaches.

·       The 2019 Transportation Bond Bill will include a suite of proposals to expedite capital projects and allow the T to leverage innovative financing and project delivery approaches. 

·       Proposals include:

§  Allowing the MBTA to utilize an alternative project delivery method (Design/Build/Finance/Operate/Maintain) which involves a public entity contracting with a private entity for all aspects of a capital project;

§  Allowing the design/build project delivery method to be used on all construction and repair projects (not just those with budgets over $5 million);

§  Allowing the MBTA to use “A+B bidding”, a procurement method that considers both cost and schedule in contract bids, driving more schedule competition among bidders

§  Authorizing job order contracting for capital projects under a $500,000 threshold. This allows an on-call contractor to cost-effectively and efficiently address multiple, repetitive type projects such as repairs and maintenance of stations, platforms, and facilities.

·       Negotiating with industry partners to expedite manufacturing, accelerate contract milestones, and compress project schedules.

·       Given the scope and urgency of the current Capital Program, the MBTA will be reaching out to the contractor community to identify opportunities to expedite supply chain constraints and compress schedules;

·       Without compromising the T’s commitment to fiscal discipline and financial stewardship, this effort will focus on ways in which work can be re-sequenced, where gains can be made by altering work hours, and how financial incentives can play a role in achieving contract milestones earlier;

·       For example, MassDOT uses an incentive and disincentive contract tool to shorten construction periods, thereby reducing the length construction impacts have on the traveling public. A recent example was the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge Replacement Project in Boston during which the bridge deck was demolished and replaced in a few weeks, during the summers of 2017 and 2018.

·       Create a new flexible team of additional MBTA resources and outside experts to support inspections, maintenance, and capital projects.

·       This team will have the flexibility to work on both capital and operating projects in order to accelerate construction and maintenance projects. It will be funded by an immediate deficiency budget request of $50 million for additional MBTA employees and third party contractors and engineering consultants to support capital project delivery and augment existing inspection and maintenance activities.

·       Categories include:

§  Additional flaggers, motorpersons, and related employees to provide safe access to tracks so more construction and maintenance can occur during service and non-service hours;

§  Additional bus operators and related employees to provide alternative service during system shutdowns;

§  Additional inspection and maintenance crews for power, signals, and track infrastructure to proactively identify and address abnormal conditions before they impact service;

§  Rehired annuitants to bring their experience and expertise back to the MBTA during this period of accelerated investment;

§  Funds for expert consultants to train and mentor MBTA staff to develop and implement data-driven strategies and best practices for inspections and maintenance.