Category Archives: Boston

Mayor Menino’s battle with cancer ended today according to the Boston Globe. Mayor Tom Menino was Boston’s longest serving Mayor, first taking office back in 1993 and leaving office last year due to his illness.  Over that time he helped transform Boston into a more progressive and open city that welcomed everyone; including the LGBT community. He is missed.

More here on Boston.com.

While there doesn’t appear to be any shortage of real estate websites talking about the many residential projects underway in Boston, this chart by Jumpshell  makes me wonder if we are developing a city anyone will like in the future.  Part of any city’s appeal is its vibrancy and diversity.  If every building is “luxury apartments” then perhaps we should just decide to create a “luxury city” and kick out anyone who doesn’t fit the right socio-economic-status.

I don’t mean to infer that I’m opposed to these projects nor do I mean to infer that the city isn’t trying to make Boston a home for everyone.  My friend Julian just today Tweeted out an article in The Atlantic Why Middle-Class Americans Can’t Afford to Live in Liberal Cities; clearly Boston isn’t alone with this troubling trend.  For more detail about Boston’s skyrocketing rent explore Jumpshell’s infographic to see median rent prices for studios, 1-4 BR apartments as well as the average rent per person by linking here.

The city of Boston wants to hear about what you think of the city’s taxi service and popular ride sourcing services like Uber and Lyft. Last week Mayor Walsh announced he was creating a “Taxi Advisory Committee” that would comprise a group of  over twenty individuals who would be charged with analyzing, assessing, and adjusting the City of Boston’s current rules, regulations and policies related to transportation-for-hire services.

Tell the Mayor what you think:  Taxi Advisory Committee Survey

The Committee will seek suggestions from the taxi industry, stakeholder groups, and members of the public to develop a new policy on how the City operates with a diverse and innovative for-hire transportation economy.  Click on the link above to take the 2-minute survey and voice your opinions on taxi service in Boston and current ride sourcing alternatives like Uber and Lyft.

According to an article in this week’s BostInno the cost of an uberX ride in Boston is less than the national average.

Data in BostInno’s article shows that Boston uberX rides of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 miles will all cost less than the national average. The graph put together by Streetwise National Data Editor shows that users gradually save more the longer their trip – in terms of mileage or minutes traveled.

Source:  BostInno