The following was posted in our New Bedford group:

“The majority of drivers in New Bedford all seem to agree that the roadways in the city are in a terrible state of disrepair. Those of us that own cars pay an excise tax of $25 per thousand dollars of the cars value every year on our cars as does anyone in every city or town in Massachusetts. That tax is meant to be used to repair the roads in the cities and towns from which the taxes are collected.

Tonight I drove through the back roads of Dartmouth and Westport and 90 percent of the roads I drove on have been paved recently! Same is true for Fairhaven. Many roads are repaved and Alden Road is being repaved and I can remember when they did it the last time. Both towns repave some of their roads every single year – why can’t we? What I don’t understand is why is New Bedford not putting our excise tax dollars back onto our roads? Just about every major road in New Bedford needs repaving and the majority of side streets need it as well. These horrible looking and patched up roads do nothing to make the city beautiful and attractive to tourists and business.” – Pauline St.Don

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board of Directors and MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board today voted to approve the five-year $18.3 billion MassDOT and MBTA Capital Investment Plan (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2020-2024, an increase of approximately $1 billion over the last five-year CIP. The CIP includes all MassDOT road and bridge projects, public use airports, rail and transit, including the MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities as well as the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

The CIP includes investments that vary significantly in scale and in purpose—from small-scale maintenance projects to large-scale multimodal modernization projects. The CIP identifies and includes long-term investments and funding obligations to maintain, modernize, and expand the Commonwealth’s transportation system. The CIP is a rolling five-year plan that is updated annually.

“We are continuing to invest historic levels of funding into the MBTA and strengthen our roadway and bridge networks in order to provide a more reliable transportation system across Massachusetts,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This latest update to the MassDOT and MBTA Capital Investment Plan includes projects that will serve residents throughout the Commonwealth including delivering South Coast Rail and supporting the ongoing transformation of the Red and Orange Lines.”

“Over the next five years, our Administration will continue carrying out capital projects that improve transportation infrastructure throughout local communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “The Capital Investment Plan is a thoughtful roadmap that reflects our focus on investments that increase safety and resiliency in the Commonwealth’s statewide, multimodal transportation system.”

Approximately 45 percent of the $18.3 billion in total investments (both MassDOT and MBTA) identified for the next five years will be focused on the reliability and resiliency of the core transportation system. Another 28 percent is devoted to modernizing the system in order to better accommodate current or anticipated growth and respond to new needs, such as increased accessibility and safety requirements that may not have existed when these assets were initially planned and constructed. 16 percent of investments will help expand diverse transportation options for communities throughout the Commonwealth.

“We are proud to continue investing in our roads, bridges, railways, airports, and multimodal pathways, and providing improved services for our customers,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “We have appreciated the input of members of the public and stakeholders throughout the CIP process and we thank the MassDOT and MBTA staff members who have worked for months to create this comprehensive planning document.”

The Baker-Polito Administration has increased the total level of investment in the transportation system in recent years from $15.1 billion in the FY2017-2021 transportation plan to $17.3 billion in the FY2019-2023 plan and now $18.3 billion in this FY2020-2024 plan. The priorities for the plan are to continue improving the condition of roads and bridges, building capacity to support projects across the MassDOT and MBTA systems, and helping address the needs of municipally owned transportation assets.

Highlights of the Capital Investment Plan include:

$1.58 billion for Red Line/Orange Line improvements. This program includes all investments related to replacing and expanding the Red Line and Orange Line fleets and upgrading the facilities and infrastructure needed to support the new vehicles. When fully implemented, these investments are expected to allow three minute headways on the Red Line and four and a half minute headways on the Orange Line. The total cost of these improvements is $2.8 billion. Investments in this CIP include:

– $753.7 million for 252 new Red and 152 new Orange Line vehicles, a complete replacement of both fleets
– $591.5 million for maintenance facilities and infrastructure to accommodate the new vehicles
– $253 million to upgrade all signals to a modern digital system, which will allow for increased reliability and more frequent service

$875 million for additional capital investments in the Red Line. This includes funding for the following major projects:

– $114.9 million for rehabilitating Longfellow Approach, including $109.5 million of new funding in this year’s CIP. This project will rehabilitate the viaduct carrying the Red Line from the Beacon Hill portal to Charles/MGH station, the platforms at Charles/MGH station, and the first span of the Longfellow Bridge
– $118 million in new funding for the Mattapan High Speed Line Transformation, for initial investments for bridges, stations, track, and other infrastructure to modernize the Mattapan Line
– $640.6 million for other improvements to the Red Line, including bridges, track, signals, stations, accessibility improvements, and wayfinding

$1.36 billion for the Green Line Extension Project. This project consists of constructing a 4.7-mile light rail line, which will extend the current Green Line service from a relocated Lechmere Station in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, to a terminus at College Avenue in Medford, Massachusetts and a spur to Union Square in Somerville, Massachusetts. The total cost of this project is $2.3 billion and is funded with federal and state support of $1.99 billion along with pledged contributions for the project totaling approximately $296 million from the cities of Cambridge and Somerville ($75 million), the Boston MPO ($157 million) and MassDOT ($64.3 million through Special Obligation Bonds). Investments in this CIP include:

– $1.1 billion for tracks, railroad bridges, signals, stations, and other infrastructure work
– $86.7 million for 24 accessible vehicles to address new demand from the Green Line Extension
– $29.4 million for mitigation including buses

$1 billion for the South Coast Rail Project. This project will provide rail service to accommodate the existing and future demand for public transportation between Fall River/New Bedford and Boston, enhance regional mobility and support smart growth planning and development strategies in Southeastern Massachusetts. The 2020–2024 CIP includes full funding for Phase 1 construction and service via the Middleborough route. The scope of work includes:

– 37.1 miles of track and Right of Way upgrades
– 6 new Commuter Rail stations
– 2 new overnight layover facilities
– Reconstruction of 28 grade crossings, 14 bridges, and 63 culverts

$913 million for the Green Line Transformation. This a portfolio of over 90 projects aimed at holistically revitalizing the Green Line. It unifies all existing projects and new initiatives to form a cohesive investment strategy and unified Green Line capital program. To meet the needs of today and the future, the MBTA is making significant investments to improve safety and reliability, modernize the system, increase capacity, enhance accessibility, and procure the next generation of Green Line trolleys. Investments in this CIP include:

– $296 million in track and signal improvements, including significant efforts on the D branch and within the Central Tunnel that will reduce delays and eliminate speed restrictions
– $214 million to begin procuring the Type 10 Green Line light rail vehicles, which will be fully accessible and larger than the existing fleet to address rider demand. This CIP includes the initial down payment for a complete fleet replacement estimated at over $1 billion
– $83 million for the Green Line Train Protection System
– $55 million for rehabilitation of the Lechmere Viaduct in order to accommodate the heavier Type 10 vehicles

$538.6 million for the Commuter Rail Safety and Resiliency Program. This includes investments to improve the safety and resiliency of the Commuter Rail system, including the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) and Automatic Train Control (ATC). The total cost of this program including investments in past years is $930.8 million. The investments in this CIP include:

– $171.9 million to complete implementation of Positive Train Control across all Commuter Rail lines
– $313.8 million to upgrade signal systems to Automatic Train Control on the North Side Commuter Rail Lines

$146.5 million for the Hopkinton-Westborough I-495/I-90 Interchange Improvement Project. This major project will improve safety and operational efficiency at the system interchange of these two nationally and regionally significant interstate highways. This project will increase safety for all movements within the project area and improve traffic conditions for the movement of people and goods. The total cost for this project including investments in future years is approximately $300 million. This project is currently in the design and environmental review phases

Over $2.3 billion in funding for municipalities. The CIP includes several different programs that provide state and federal funds either through direct grants or reimbursements to cities and towns, and/or by leveraging private investment in support economic development. This includes:

– $1 billion for the Chapter 90 Program
– $1.2 billion in federal funds programed for municipal projects through the MPO process
– $56.2 million for the Municipal Small Bridge Program
– $50.2 million for the Mobility Assistance Program
– $40.5 million for the Complete Streets Funding Program
– $15 million for the Industrial Rail Access Program

Public feedback went into preparation of the final CIP: MassDOT held 13 public meetings in addition to briefings for stakeholders, and received 934 comments providing input on proposed plans.

In the coming weeks, the Baker-Polito Administration also plans to file a transportation bond bill, which will include authorization to support several items in the FY2020-2024 CIP, as well as future investments in the Commonwealth’s transportation system.

The City of New Bedford has retained the Boston-based municipal law firm of KP Law, P.C. (formerly known as Kopelman & Paige) to oppose the proposal of Parallel Products to establish a glass/solid waste/biosolids processing facility on Duchaine Boulevard in the New Bedford Business Park.

In the coming months, the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Office (MEPA) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will review the Parallel Products proposal. KP Law has significant experience in working with these agencies on similar matters, leading the City to retain them for the Parallel Products project.

The City has submitted comments to MEPA regarding the project, initially in March and again in May. Concerns about potential odor, noise, and traffic impacts have been raised among neighbors and City departments, and Mayor Jon Mitchell has written to MEPA to formally oppose the project.

In his May 10 letter to MEPA, Mayor Mitchell wrote that MEPA should consider Parallel’s request in the full context of the development proposed at the site, and not provide any waivers for certain aspects of the expansion that would allow the facility to be approved piecemeal by the state. He also requested that MEPA mandate a full Environmental Impact Report before any decisions are made at the state level regarding development of the site.

KP Law will represent the City of New Bedford in vigorously opposing the proposal at the state level, where it will be subject to multiple reviews and approvals before it can move forward.

Mayor Jon Mitchell and City officials announced significant upgrades to the Elm Street Garage, officially reopening the garage after renovations began in 2017.

The new renovation includes improvements to structural performance, security, lighting, and cosmetic changes to the lobby, stairs and elevator areas. New signage including electronic wayfinding signs have also been added to the garage.

“These major upgrades to the Elm Street Garage have significantly improved its security, image and ease of use for both residents and visitors to New Bedford,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell. “As more businesses and restaurants are opening and drawing more visitors to the downtown, the need for improved options for parking has also grown, and the renovated Elm Street Garage will provide an accessible option for downtown parking.”

In Fiscal Year 2015, the City established the Downtown Parking Enterprise Fund to finance improvements and renovations to transportation facilities downtown. Aging parking meters were replaced in 2014, and the city began its planning for renovation of the Elm Street Garage, with preliminary engineering completed in 2015.

The renovation included structural stabilization, enhancements to the appearance and curb appeal of the garage’s façade, redesign and installation of new LED lighting and security for interior spaces throughout the garage, and a redesigned entrance lobby. The stairways were also renovated, and auto-pay units for self-service were installed in the Elm Street Garage as well as the Zeiterion Garage on Purchase Street. Inside the garage, renovations and structural rehabilitation included resurfacing the concrete parking deck, replacement of parking stops and a fire protection system.

In addition to financing through the Downtown Parking Enterprise Fund, the City obtained a $511,254 award from the National Park Service’s Federal Land Access Program (FLAP) toward the project. In January 2017, the City Council unanimously approved a bond for $5,039,280 to finance the project. The Downtown Parking Enterprise Fund will fully support the debt service on the project.

Despite being out on bail in connection to an ongoing homicide case when he was arrested earlier this month for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend and punching a police officer in the face, a New Bedford District Court judge refused to revoke the defendant’s bail, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Glenn Westgate, 41, of New Bedford, was arrested June 2nd in New Bedford after police were called to his home for reports of a domestic assault. A witness told police that he was doing yard work on his property when he observed the defendant and the victim arguing outside their home on Oliver Street. The witness told police he saw the defendant grab his girlfriend, place his hands around her head and put her into a headlock. He further observed the victim break free from the defendant and run inside the home. The defendant ran into the home after her, at which point the witness called police.

When police arrived at the home, they reported hearing the victim yelling, “get away from me.” Officers knocked on the door several times as the yelling from inside continued. After several minutes passed, the female victim opened the door. At that point, police report that the defendant came running down the stairs yelling at the police to get off his property, and threatened that he will “fu** them up.” While the officers attempted to place the defendant under arrest, he allegedly pushed back and punched one officer in the face with a closed fist, causing minor injuries. The defendant and the officer fell backwards onto the floor, at which point police report the defendant continued to flail his arms and kick his legs in an attempt to get away.

At the time of this incident, the defendant was out on bail for a pending Superior Court case where he was indicted for misleading police in a homicide investigation. He was arrested by State Police in May 2018 on that charge as part of the ongoing investigation into the homicide of Marcus Roberts in New Bedford. When a Superior Court judge set bail in that case, he was also given a bail warning that stated if he was arrested again during the pendency of his case, he could have his bail revoked and be held without bail for 60 days.

During his arraignment on June 3rd in New Bedford District Court in regards to his new arrest, prosecutors from the Bristol County District Attorney office requested that a dangerousness hearing be held. The hearing was held last week and after taking the matter under advisement, Judge James McGovern ruled that the defendant is not a danger and could be freed on $1,000 cash bail as long as he stays away from the victim and resides with his parents. At that point, a prosecutor from this office requested that the defendant’s superior court bail be revoked, meaning he would be held without bail for 60 days. Judge McGovern, however, declined to revoke the defendant’s bail despite the fact that he violated the term of his pre-trial release in the superior court case.

“This defendant was on release for misleading police in a murder investigation. He is now charged with putting his girlfriend in a headlock and punching a police officer in the face. Based on these facts, it is astounding to me that the defendant’s bail was not revoked on the superior court case,” District Attorney Quinn said. “This is another example of how bail warnings given by the court are often meaningless and not enforced. The new bail conditions on the current case imposed by the court are precisely what he should have been complying with when he allegedly committed this new crime. This defendant belongs off the street; not living with his parents.”

Glenn Westgate did make some posts related to the case before and after (on our Facebook page) this article was published.

Mayor Mitchell has submitted a loan order to the New Bedford City Council to appropriate $3,975,000 “for the purpose of making critically-needed repairs to City-owned buildings including, but not limited to, projects for the repair and renovation of public safety facilities, general office space, and roads and infrastructure and all costs incidental and related thereto.”

The City Council will take up the loan order at this Thursday’s official session.

06.13.2019_LOAN_ORDER_-_CAPITAL_IMPROVEMENT_PROJECT__$3_975_000.00

Mayor Jon Mitchell presented the annual “Mayor’s List Award” to the top ten academically ranked seniors in the New Bedford High School graduating Class of 2019.

This year marks the seventh annual Mayor’s List Awards in celebration of the outstanding academic achievements of the top ten graduating seniors at New Bedford High School. The ceremony was also an opportunity to learn more about the graduates’ career goals, their chosen fields of study, and where they plan to pursue their post-secondary education.

The 2019 Mayor’s List Award recipients in order of class rank (with their chosen colleges noted) are:

1. Rachel Pereira (Wellesley College)
2. Meiling Zhao (Georgia Tech)
3. Liang Xu (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
4. Anna Lin (Boston University)
5. Tyler Rose (Duke University)
6. Joshua Correia (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
7. Taryn Padilla (Western New England University)
8. Bridget Rose Carroll (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
9. TaShawn Arabian (Brown University)
10. Sofia Bibars (Providence College)

Alma del Mar’s Executive Director Will Gardner released the following statement. You can read the New Bedford Educators Association’s response here.

“We are disappointed by the news that we will be unable to move forward with a local compromise deal that would have given 450 children the opportunity to access a high-quality public school in their neighborhood.

We have spent the last few months getting to know the kids and families zoned into what would have been the new Alma campus in the Kempton neighborhood. We listened as families shared their hopes and dreams for their incoming Kindergartners, and we’ve been grateful to see those families commit to enroll their children at Alma.

This week’s news is difficult for our community. To the families that decided to entrust us with their children under this new compromise model: we are sorry, and we commit to continuing to support you in partnership with New Bedford Public Schools to ease this period of transition. We will continue to do everything that we can to ensure that all New Bedford children have access to high-quality public schools.

We also remain committed to the hundreds of children on Alma’s waiting list. We will begin contacting those families soon to begin the enrollment process, as the next school year begins in August.

We want to thank Commissioner Jeff Riley, who chose to take a courageous risk in facilitating this local compromise. We are also grateful to the special attention that our local legislators gave this matter.

We deeply appreciate Mayor Jon Mitchell, Superintendent Thomas Anderson and our colleagues at the district who made every effort to make this vision a reality for the kids and families of New Bedford. We look forward to maintaining the spirit of collaboration of our agreement and to working with them to improve educational outcomes for all kids in New Bedford.”

The following statement was published on the New Bedford Educators Association’s Facebook page. You can read Alma del Mar’s response here.

The Alma del Mar charter school expansion scheme in New Bedford, which would have required legislative approval to bypass state law, has rightfully been abandoned.

“Any deal cut behind closed doors without community involvement is not something that is being done in the community’s best interest,” said Ricardo Rosa, co-chair of the New Bedford Coalition to Save Our Schools.

Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley, Alma Del Mar CEO Will Gardner, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and Schools Superintendent Thomas Anderson engineered a deal under which the city agreed to give the privately run charter school a public building and land at no cost, construct a new “neighborhood zone” from which students would automatically be enrolled in the charter school, and allow payment for all of the charter school seats even if they were not filled, in exchange for a slightly smaller expansion than the state was willing to approve.

The property transfer and automatic enrollment in place of a citywide lottery that charter schools are required to use required approval by the state Legislature.

After state legislators delayed action on the controversial bill, Riley said today that he will no longer pursue that plan and that instead he will grant Alma del Mar a 594-seat expansion.

“This whole plan is based on coercion, which is no way to implement education policy,” Rosa said. “The coalition will continue to oppose any expansion of charter seats because our district public schools remain drastically underfunded.”

He continued, “I believe this is an opportunity for advocates for strong public schools in New Bedford to work together to secure the funding all of our students deserve. We have the 2020 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year at our high school. We have one of the top-performing elementary schools in the state. We also have our challenges, but if given the proper resources and community involvement, we can overcome them.”

The Massachusetts Teachers Association and New Bedford Educators Association are members of the coalition.

“The MTA joined the coalition because of the broader implications raised in this deal,” said Merrie Najimy, president of the MTA. “This was an attempted end run around the will of voters, who in 2016 rejected charter school expansions.”

She continued, “The way students were being chosen for Alma del Mar II raised many questions, as research of the new zone indicated a pattern that excluded higher proportions of black and Hispanic residents, as well as leaving out residents from larger multi-unit housing. “

MTA Vice President Max Page said that if the Alma del Mar deal had been approved, poorer districts across the state would be targets of similar proposals that transfer public funds and property to private charter operators, who get to determine which students they enroll.

“This plan embodied some of the harshest aspects of education privatization that we have seen in Massachusetts,” he said.

Mayor Mitchell will hold neighborhood office hours for the month of May on Thursday, May 30 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Brigham Corner Seafood and Pizza, 1 Brigham Street.

Mayor Mitchell announced he would set aside time each month to hold office hours in city neighborhoods so that residents could meet with him outside of normal business hours and in their own neighborhood.

In his State of the City last year, the Mayor announced that a new format of office hours would be established, inviting residents to join him at local restaurants in different neighborhoods of the city. Food will be available at the office hours.

City residents are invited to attend the neighborhood office hours to meet with Mayor Mitchell directly and share their concerns and ideas, as well as a bite to eat. The sessions are open to all New Bedford residents, no advance appointments are required and meetings with the Mayor will be done on a first come, first served basis.