James Aloisi

Boston, Palm Springs, Portland

Former MA Secretary of Transportation. I write, teach, advocate for Sustainable Mobility. Posting more on https://t.co/gm5K55KPJJ

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Articles

Bus and bike lane brouhaha part of bigger transportation battle

1 month ago | commonwealthbeacon.org | James Aloisi

AN IDEOLOGICAL WAR has come to the transportation sector, and it’s playing out at the national and local levels. President Trump’s attempt to pull the rug out from under New York City’s congestion pricing initiative found him claiming, in a press release and in public remarks, that he was protecting low-income workers and “working class Americans,” even though generous discounts are available for low-income drivers.
Transportation funding plan falls short

Jan 16, 2025 | commonwealthbeacon.org | James Aloisi

I’VE BEEN THINKING this week about Groundhog Day, but not because its observance will soon be upon us. My thoughts have revolved around the movie of the same name, which explores how a person might experience being trapped in an endless time loop, unable to achieve meaningful resolution of anything. That is how one feels when reviewing the Healey administration’s new task force report on transportation funding for the Commonwealth.
3 critical transportation issues we must tackle in 2025

Jan 14, 2025 | commonwealthbeacon.org | James Aloisi

AS WE BEGIN a new year filled with policy challenges facing Massachusetts, transportation looms as the big issue that we most desperately need to address and get right. At the state level, 2025 presents a generational opportunity to reverse the failed policies of the past that have left us with the unacceptable status quo of chronic traffic congestion, substandard sustainable access to key regional destinations, degraded air quality, and poor land use.
The Allston I-90 project: once again off the rails

Dec 3, 2024 | commonwealthbeacon.org | Stacy Thompson |James Aloisi

EARLIER THIS YEAR, Massachusetts won a $335 million federal grant from the Reconnecting Communities fund established in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill. The grant was submitted on behalf of the so-called Allston Landing/I-90 project, a project that is meant to replace an elevated portion of the Massachusetts Turnpike with a safer at-grade highway while making significant improvements to rail transport along the east-west rail corridor.
Bruce Mohl made CommonWealth must-reading -- and brought me back into civic life

Nov 13, 2024 | commonwealthbeacon.org | James Aloisi

CommonWealth Beacon editor Bruce Mohl retired last week after 16 years. Longtime opinion contribtor Jim Aloisi offered this tribute and reflection on the mark he made. I’VE BEEN A somewhat regular contributor to Commonwealth Beacon since 2013. Like many opportunities in my life, this role was not one I had contemplated or sought out. My writing for CommonWealth began because its editor, Bruce Mohl, reached out and challenged me to move out of my comfort zone.
My roadmap for funding the state’s transportation system

Oct 21, 2024 | commonwealthbeacon.org | James Aloisi

YOU MAY REMEMBER that earlier this year I wrote a series of articles focused on how to fund our state’s transportation needs. You can read them here, here, and here. My thoughts and advice in those articles may be worth re-reading as the year slowly begins to wind down, and we approach the release of reports from the governor’s Transportation Revenue Task Force and the advocacy coalition Transit Is Essential.
Flap over zoning appointee really about old Boston vs. new

Sep 23, 2024 | commonwealthbeacon.org | James Aloisi

I’M NOT EASILY provoked to write about topics that aren’t focused on my work and passion, the transportation sector. But the recent public writhing of Boston’s fading old guard in response to Mayor Michelle Wu’s decision to appoint a new chair for Boston’s Zoning Commission is worth reflecting on. I fear, as we approach a mayoral election year, that a plethora of manufactured issues will wend their way into what ought to be a debate about the city’s future.
Bike lane brouhaha a test of Boston's resolve

Aug 5, 2024 | commonwealthbeacon.org | James Aloisi

THE GREAT FLORENTINE observer of human nature, Nicolo Machiavelli, famously wrote, “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.”Most people say, or think, that they like change.
Biden’s candidacy has to end

Jul 3, 2024 | commonwealthbeacon.org | James Aloisi

This article was written as an open letter to the Massachusetts congressional delegation. Dear friends:I’M WRITING as a lifelong Democrat, firm in my unwavering support for the Democratic Party and what it stands for. I’m writing as a lifelong Democrat whose family has labored for the state and national party for decades. I’m writing as a former cabinet official in a state Democratic administration.
Senate needs to get in line with House, Healey on transit funding

Apr 10, 2024 | commonwealthbeacon.org | James Aloisi

THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS transit budget for FY25, previewed earlier this week, is an important step forward as Massachusetts grapples with the realities of transport sector funding in the post-pandemic 21st Century. I recently wrote a three-part series (see one, two, and three here) on the topic of state transportation funding, and did not expect to write another article so soon, but the proposed House transit budget is important enough to warrant special attention and support.