In Other News

Alan Earls Editor

Grove St. Traffic Impacts During Week

Monday (4/14) through Friday (4/18): The Contractor will be excavating on Grove Street for the next round of jack and bore trenchless installation work. During this time, Grove St. will be closed at the MBTA train tracks between the hours of 7 AM--4PM. Traffic turning onto Grove St from Rt. 140 will be detoured over to Beaver Street via Rt. 140. Please follow posted detour signs for directions. In addition, there will continue to be a construction crew conducting the jack and bore trenchless installation of the new sewer under Rte. 140. The work will be occurring off the road at 38 Pond St. and within the Franklin Village Mall area. No traffic impacts are expected. At the Franklin Recreation Center, the construction of the new Beaver Street Interceptor Pump Station will continue with concrete work around the top of the new pump station and within the launching chamber. In addition, civil work within the site, and mechanical work within the pump room will be occurring.

MBTA Ferry-Naming Contest

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is hosting a ferry naming contest to help the agency name three ferries which will serve the heavily-subsidized Quincy, Winthrop and Lynn ferry routes starting this summer. But don't get too excited. The contest is open to students in grades K–8 from Boston, Quincy, Winthrop, and Lynn, including public and private schools, as well as homeschooled students.

MassFiscal Asks for Common Sense EV Policy in Mass.

Following reports from Maryland that the state will delay enforcement of penalties tied to electric vehicle (EV) sales mandates, the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance issued the following statement, calling the move a welcome dose of realism in the face of market and infrastructure challenges. The organization urged Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to take a similar approach by reconsidering her administration’s aggressive EV timelines—particularly in light of her recent decision to delay the state’s diesel truck ban. “Maryland deserves credit for recognizing what too many ideologues in government refuse to admit—EV mandates are outpacing both the market demand and infrastructure. In so many cases, people and businesses are being mandated to buy vehicles that don’t make sense for their needs, powered by infrastructure that doesn’t exist. Maryland’s decision is a sign of policy rooted in reality. Governor Healey should follow suit before even more damage is done to the working families and small businesses of Massachusetts,” said Paul Diego Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

As part of its wholesale adoption of California’s vehicle emissions regulations, Massachusetts has committed to mandating that all vehicles sold in state are electric by the year 2035. That effort hit a wall several months ago when the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection was quietly forced to admit their policy—specifically regarding diesel trucks—needed to be delayed.