We don’t need a study to tell us traffic is bad out there. But what if there’s a silver lining to the worst rush-hour congestion in the country? Perhaps all this conversation around addressing this crisis can help foster an industry.
Just look at how efforts to create a local “mobility innovation hub” are coming together. The initiative received a big boost last week when Governor Charlie Baker included $250,000 for it in his proposed state budget. Assuming the Legislature agrees, it will be up to the Cambridge Innovation Center and the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership to raise a matching amount from the private sector. Jay Ash, the former top Baker aide who now heads the partnership, would like to see at least $1.5 million raised in public and private dollars for a three-year period.
Read Complete Article