BOSTON RANKED #1 CITY FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

BOSTON RANKED #1 CITY FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY Boston retained its first-place ranking for energy efficiency, according to the ACEEE's 2019 City Clean Energy Scorecard, the most comprehensive national report that tracks city progress toward climate goals.

BOSTON - Thursday, July 25, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced Boston has been ranked the top U.S. city for energy efficiency, according to the 2019 City Clean Energy Scorecard, shared today by the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Boston earned the highest score amongst cities for its building policies and a perfect score for its energy efficiency outreach and programs. No other city except Boston has ever held the top spot in the ACEEE city scorecard.  "I'm proud of Boston for leading the rankings once again and am inspired by other cities for their bold action," said Mayor Walsh. "Through our work here in Boston, we've already surpassed our municipal climate goals and reduced emissions by 37 percent. If we're to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, we have to accelerate our actions and lead by example--and that's what we'll keep doing here in Boston." The city scorecard tracks policy efforts to advance energy efficiency and, for the first time, renewable energy because both are needed to build a clean energy future and address climate change, according to ACEEE. Boston's scoring recognized its efforts to increase renewable energy in the grid mix through programs such as its municipal energy initiative and its progress with community choice energy.  Boston's municipal energy initiative, known as Renew Boston Trust, identifies energy-saving projects in City-owned buildings. The projects are self-funded through guaranteed energy and cost savings, meaning that they pay for themselves over time. Projects are already underway at 14 municipal buildings across Boston, including libraries, community centers, and police and fire stations. These projects range from lighting upgrades, water conservation measures, and solar panel installations. The City is also moving ahead with municipal aggregation, also known as community choice energy. The aggregation will give Boston electricity customers more control over the kind of energy they use in their homes, and the price of that energy. The City is currently seeking approval from the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to proceed with its program. In addition to bringing cleaner energy to Boston homes and businesses, the City continues its partnership with utilities to reduce the amount of energy used in Boston through statewide energy efficiency programs.  Boston was also recognized for its long-standing work on energy benchmarking. The Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) reached 90 percent compliance in 2018, the most recent reporting year. 2019 now marks the first year of Energy Action and Assessment, which asks that large buildings demonstrate that they have taken steps to assess energy saving opportunities or reduce their energy use. City staff have supported building owners and operators with resources and technical assistance to help continuously improve the performance of Boston's buildings over time. "Cities are making impressive clean energy gains-taking big steps to waste less energy and encourage more renewable power. But they have more to do," said ACEEE senior research manager David Ribeiro, the lead report author. "Cities must continue their push for innovative buildings policies, take greater steps to tackle transportation emissions, and better track progress to know which investments have the greatest impact. With their innovation, ingenuity, and resolve, they can build prosperous and equitable low-carbon communities."  According to ACEEE, the scorecard is the most comprehensive national report that tracks city progress toward climate goals. Boston is committed to being carbon neutral by 2050. Boston measures its progress through an annual community-wide greenhouse gas emissions inventory. In 2017, the Boston community emitted 6.1 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, which represents a 21 percent decrease for 2005 emissions.  The City of Boston is currently updating its Climate Action Plan, which will lay out strategies for achieving its carbon neutral goal. As a leading city on climate action, the City was named a winner of the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge and received a support package, valued at up to $2.5 million, to increase low-carbon mobility choices and improve energy performance of Boston's building sector.

一個月內3到6宗 昆市亞裔耆英連續遇騙遭搶 警籲小心

(Boston Orange 編譯)昆士市愛國者報(Patriot Ledger)7月24日報導，警方正在追查一名以變戲法方式，似乎專找亞裔老人偷項鍊的竊賊。

本月以來，已一連發生三宗案件。受害者都是在一名婦女走近，試圖把一條金項鍊圍在他們脖子上時，被偷走了他們原本穿戴在身上的珠寶。這婦女是在一輛暗灰色或黑色廂型車內，或走出車外時變戲法。

警察表示，這名婦女於7月6日時在綠木道(Greenwood Avenue)出手，然後7月10日在Holbrook路，第二次出手，在受害者未察覺中得手。受害者直到稍後才發覺。警察表示，竊賊週二(7月23日)在Holmes街上再度出手，但受害者試圖阻止，她索性把項鍊從受害者的脖子上拉斷，搶走。

週二時，另一名婦女告訴警察，在Billings路上，有一名婦女把珠寶放進她手中，然後擁抱她，之後她就發現手鐲不見了。

昆士市警察表示，7月11日，他們經由鄰門(Nextdoor)網頁獲悉兩宗案件，都是老年亞裔受害者在別人接近他們後，珠寶被偷。

根據形容，竊賊是一名體型頗重的白人或西語裔中年婦女，年紀在30到50歲之間。警方說，她大概5尺6吋高，黑色頭髮及肩。人們形容廂型車駕駛是一名西語裔男子，高不到6尺，中等身材，短黑髮。

在兩宗案件中，受害者告訴警察，車內有小孩。警察表示，受害者形容車輛為黑色和灰色的廂型車，意味著竊賊可能換過車輛。

昆士市警探在查看這些竊案和摩頓市警察舉報的類似案件是否有關連。

昆士市警察呼籲任何有資訊者致電617-479-1212，協助警方調查。若有監視相機可能拍到了嫌犯車輛者，可聯絡警探Jimmy Chen， jjchen@quincyma.gov，或 617-745-5766。

波士頓環球報的報導，描述昆士市本月已發生6宗同類珠寶竊案，但未指稱犯案者以亞裔耆英為目標對象。

昆士市市長助理邱潔芳已在臉書上張貼警方報告，籲請市內居民小心防範。

昆市一華男偷拍裙底風光 被抓送審

        (Boston Orange 編譯)一名昆士市男子因為拍攝受害者裙底視頻，依麻州2014年裙底法，被控罪。

                 王堯(譯音，Yao Wong)，27歲，7月24日週三，在南波士頓區的波士頓市政法院，因為一宗裙底拍視頻案被提審。他付了200元的保釋金後獲釋，預定9月18日再回法庭。

       交通警察表示，週二晚上大約7點45分時，因為一名男子偷拍受害者的裙底風光，他們被叫到波士頓市的百老匯(Broadway)地鐵車站。一名目擊證人告訴警察，王堯上電梯，為在受害者身後，站於更好位置來拍攝受害者兩腿之間視頻時，撞到了他。目擊者跟蹤王堯走出車站到多徹斯特大道上，然後阻止王堯離開，直到警察抵達為止。

波士頓僑教中心感謝志工 歡迎海外搭橋青年抵埠

志工與嘉賓合影。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

志工與嘉賓合影。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

(Boston Orange)波士頓華僑文教服務中心7月23日舉辦108年度志工培訓會議及年中感謝餐會，僑教中心志工、僑務榮譽職人員及僑團負責人計40餘人出席。

駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典及僑教中心主任歐宏偉在會中感謝志工團隊協助辦理各項活動，包括從年初以來的元旦升旗典禮、新春揮毫、牛頓臺灣日及牛頓高地社區日等等，讓臺灣德已被更好地介紹給主流社會及僑社。他倆期許更多僑胞鄉親能加入志工行列，為台灣和主流社會搭橋。

波士頓經文處長徐佑典致詞。(波士頓僑教中心提供)

徐佑典處長特地感謝付出時間、精力，擔任接待家庭的僑胞，指出是他們的無私奉獻，在生活等各方面照顧來自臺灣的青年，才讓搭僑計畫能順利舉辦。他希望活動結束後，接待家庭和搭橋青年會保持聯繫，珍惜這段寶貴經歷。他說，讓臺灣青年來海外和僑胞直接交流，不僅是經驗傳承，更促進了不同世代之間的認識，拉近彼此距離。

波士頓地區僑界關懷救助協會創會會長王志維及僑務志工團團長鄭玉春在會中發表感言，回顧工作成果，報告了建置完善的緊急通聯網絡，以及舉辦專題演講、提升專業能力等的教育訓練工作概況。

波士頓僑務委員蔣宗壬，僑務促進委員馮文鸞等人也應邀出席，分享他們的助人經驗及心路歷程。

108年臺灣青年海外搭僑計畫學員郭人豪等8人，當天也參加活動，以增廣見聞，並更加瞭解僑胞鄉親對推動僑務工作的貢獻。

Baker-Polito Administration Files $18 Billion Transportation Bond Bill

Baker-Polito Administration Files $18 Billion Transportation Bond Bill

Legislation will support a series of initiatives to address congestion, a new statewide pavement improvement program, a new municipal pavement program, a new bridge improvement program, and innovative financing and construction methods to support MassDOT and MBTA capital programs

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today filed a transportation bond bill seeking $18 billion in additional capital authorization to invest in building and modernizing a transportation system that meets the needs of residents, businesses and cities and towns statewide. The authorization would be used to fund existing programs as well as several new initiatives designed to lessen impacts from roadway congestion and ensure reliable travel throughout the Commonwealth.

Titled An Act Authorizing and Accelerating Transportation Investment, the proposal includes a series of initiatives from the administration to combat congestion on the Commonwealth’s roadways including establishing a tax credit to encourage telecommuting and remote working, expanding the use of designated bus lanes and transit signal priority, as well as creating a program designed to reduce bottlenecks on local roadways.

It includes nearly $5.7 billion to continue modernizing the MBTA, $150 million to improve the pavement condition on state roads, $20 million to ensure municipalities have resources needed to continue efforts to build ‘Complete Streets’ infrastructure to encourage the public to travel more on foot and by bicycle and $70 million for the Municipal Small Bridge Program. 

The bill filed today makes available an innovative, ongoing source of future support by authorizing up to half of the revenue generated by regional market-based compliance programs in the transportation sector, including the Transportation and Climate Initiative (which is currently under development with other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia), to be used to support public transit capital investments that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. The implementation of this initiative will lead to additional future revenues for investments in transportation infrastructure beyond those included in the bill.

The bill reauthorizes and expands the special revenue bond Rail Enhancement Program to support $2.7 billion for MBTA investments over the next 10 years beyond those funded in the five-year capital plan. This will help fund planning studies and pilots to support the reinvention of both the bus and commuter rail systems, make rail service improvements throughout the Commonwealth and invest in infrastructure power and resiliency.

It also authorizes $1.25 billion in Grant Anticipation Notes to support an expanded bridge program, the Next Generation Bridge Financing Program, ensuring that a total of approximately $4 billion will be available over the next eight years to invest in bridge preservation and reconstruction. This funding exceeds the size of the recently-completed Accelerated Bridge Program.

With the passage of this bill, MassDOT would be provided with the tools and resources to advance its goals of having 70% of non-interstate pavement in good or excellent condition. MassDOT would also be empowered to continue moving towards the goal of less than 10% of the bridge deck area of National Highway System bridges in poor condition.

“This bond bill reflects our ongoing commitment to increasing the capability of MassDOT and the MBTA to carry out construction projects to ensure that residents throughout the Commonwealth have access to safe and reliable travel options,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Millions of people rely on Massachusetts’s roadways and transit systems to get to work every day, and we look forward to working with our colleagues in the Legislature to pass this transportation bond bill into law.”

“Our administration is continuing to collaborate with local cities and towns to make investments in transportation infrastructure that increase resiliency and connectivity,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “This $18 billion transportation bond bill would enable the creation of several new programs focused on strengthening the MBTA system, improving highways and bridges, supporting municipal roadway projects, and addressing climate change and congestion across Massachusetts.”

Tackling the twin challenges of vehicular congestion and carbon emissions is at the heart of this bill. In addition to new funding for the MBTA, the bill authorizes $330 million for capital support to the 15 Regional Transit Authorities to invest in fleets and facilities, including bus electrification. A new $50 million Transit Infrastructure Partnership Program will provide grants enabling transit authorities and municipalities to work together to provide bus lanes, transit signal priority and other infrastructure to keep buses moving. Other authorizations support investments in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and water transportation and address the need to make transportation infrastructure more resilient in the face of a changing climate.

Provisions of this bill would accelerate the pace of construction projects and improve capital delivery. They would allow investments to be made using methods and procedures that appropriately balance safety, efficiency, and reliability. For example, the bill would enable the MBTA to partner with developers willing to build or improve transit infrastructure to expedite the distribution of public benefits, and use well-established procurement methods such as Job Order contracting for smaller projects. MassDOT and the MBTA would be authorized to follow a streamlined process for entering into public-private partnerships and use Design-Build project delivery for all projects, including those with budgets under $5 million.

In anticipation of a report on congestion currently being completed by MassDOT, legislation also includes two innovative new congestion reduction programs. The bill provides incentives to encourage employers to keep workers off the road during peak congestion times, providing a tax credit for companies that support employees who work from home or remote locations.

A new $50 million Local Bottleneck Reduction Program will fund proven, relatively low-cost investments to address local congestion hotspots. These would include smart signaling, improved traffic signage, new roadway striping, and minor configuration and access changes.

“Over the past four years, the Baker-Polito Administration has more than tripled the amount of money being invested to repair, upgrade, and modernize the MTBA system while steadily increasing investments in our highway and bridge networks,” said Transportation Secretary and MassDOT CEO Stephanie Pollack. “Our vision is to continue to strengthen the Commonwealth’s transportation systems and increase the MBTA’s capital delivery capacity by another 50%. This bill offers the tools to allow that to happen.”

“The Baker-Polito Administration’s approach to financing long-term capital investments balances the need to maintain and upgrade the Commonwealth’s infrastructure with a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael J. Heffernan. “We look forward to working with the Legislature on a bond authorization that will pave the way for these important transportation investments.”

The bill responds to the needs of municipal partners by reauthorizing or creating five funding partnerships to supplement and complement the Chapter 90 program, and reauthorizes the popular Municipal Small Bridge Program and Complete Streets Program. In addition to the transit infrastructure partnerships and local bottleneck reduction programs already mentioned, a third municipal funding initiative would improve the condition of roadways by authorizing $100 million for a municipal pavement partnership program to help cities and towns care for state-numbered routes that are locally-owned.

The Baker-Polito Administration recently finalized its five-year $18.3 billion transportation Capital Investment Plan for Fiscal Years 2020-2024. The authorizations in this bond bill would support investments and initiatives in the next annual update to the transportation Capital Investment Plan, which will include capital spending between Fiscal Years 2021-2025.

Highlights of the transportation bond bill include:

•                 $10.1 billion for MassDOT Highway Division construction projects. This includes:

·                 $5.6 billion for federal aid highway construction projects

·                 $3.1 billion for non-federal aid highway construction projects such as $350 million for the Cape Cod Bridges Improvement program

·                 $1.25 billion for a new Next Generation Bridge Financing Program

·                 $150 million for investments in non-interstate pavement throughout the Commonwealth

•                 $5.695 billion for MBTA improvements. This includes:

·                 $3.4 billion for wide variety of improvements such as the continued implementation of the Better Bus Project, the purchase of low- and zero-emission vehicles, and climate adaptation

·                 $825 million for the South Coast Rail Project

·                 $595 million for the Green Line Extension Project

·                 $400 million for improvements to the Commuter Rail system, including early-action implementation of recommendations from the ongoing Rail Vision planning process

·                 $300 million for a direct capital transfer to the MBTA

·                 $175 million for rail service improvements

•                 $490 million for municipal funding programs. This includes:

·                 $200 million for the Chapter 90 Program

·                 $100 million for a new Municipal Pavement Program

·                 $70 million for the Municipal Small Bridge Program

·                 $20 million for the Complete Streets Funding Program

•                 A series of initiatives to combat congestion on the Commonwealth’s roadways. This includes:

·                 A $2,000 per-employee tax credit to encourage telecommuting and remote working

·                 $50 million for the Transit Infrastructure Partnership which would expand the use of designated bus lanes and transit signal priority

·                 $50 million for the new Local Bottleneck Reduction Program

•                 $725 million for Planning and Multimodal Transportation Implementation. This includes:

·                 $250 million for Allston Multimodal Project funding

·                 $100 million for investments that would support maintenance, improvements and growth in bicycle and pedestrian networks to address safety, equity, accessibility and critical gaps in connectivity

·                 $25 million for a program to providing matching grants to municipalities for water ferry terminal construction and improvement projects in the greater Boston area that leverage public and private investments

•                 Updates to existing statutes to allow the MBTA to expedite its capital delivery process. This includes:

·                 Allowing the MBTA to utilize an alternative project delivery method (Design/Build/Finance/Operate/Maintain)

·                 Authorizing the MBTA and MassDOT to enter into real estate deals that include mitigation, public transit and transportation-related facilities

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

·                 Optimizing the Public-Private-Partnership process

•                 $790 million for MassDOT Rail and Transit Division investments. This includes:

·                 $385 million for the Rail Improvement Program

·                 $330 million for Regional Transit Authorities

·                 $15 million for the Industrial Rail Access program

·                 $60 million for the Mobility Assistance Program

麻州民主黨索要汽車監理處失職資料

Massachusetts Democratic Party Demands Records Related to Systemic Failures at Baker Administration’s RMV

Public Records Request filed by MassDems also seeks records associated with Baker Administration’s decision to skip legislative oversight hearing

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Democratic Party has filed a public records request with MassDOT and the Registry of Motor Vehicles in an effort to uncover information on the impact of the RMV failures, and the adequacy and transparency of the Baker administration's response to its own mismanagement of the RMV.

"The chaos at the RMV demands scrutiny and transparency,” said Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman Gus Bickford. “The legislature should be commended for its efforts to provide oversight of the RMV earlier this week, and Charlie Baker should be embarrassed by his administration's stonewalling and refusal to provide answers to the many questions raised in recent since last month's tragedy. Our public records request seeks to shed light on the Baker administration's failures that allowed thousands of people to keep their licenses when they should have been taken off the road."

The request, filed under the authority of the Massachusetts Public Records law, seeks to identify motor vehicle accidents involving individuals whose license should have been suspended by the RMV.  The request also seeks communications among Baker administration officials following the discovery of the catastrophic operational and management failures at the RMV. Finally, the request seeks information on the Baker administration’s decision to stonewall the legislature by refusing to make available top officials with critical information on the issue.

The Public Records Request is available here.