Wu can't do anything, the T control board answers to the governor (which is a whole issue of its own). Baker created the control board to manage the T’s finances, management, and operations to ultimately "fix" the T. This idealism was thrown out of the window in 2021 when he appointed the current board, so we're left with a powerful board that does jack. Healey would need to directly intervene and appoint a new board or even create some form of new governance, which she seems totally uninterested in doing as of now.

The previous board was highly regarded and actually ran the T very well. They got capital projects such as the GLX and SCR back on track and even planned for commuter rail electrification. Any progress the previous board made was pulled back when the Baker-appointed board was put in charge in 2021.

Precisely- the 2021 control board was set for failure by Baker himself. He ordered the current board to be as hands-off and passive as possible to lower capital costs, and he got exactly that. Unfortunately, our current governor does not recognize this issue and has made no indication of appointing a new board.

Breeze would definitely be a win for RI if it works out

Especially when considering the current MBTA control board is as effective as damp cardboard

The real issue with the T is the Baker-appointed control board which has failed the agency on every possible level since it was formed in 2021. Unfortunately, our governor does not recognize this, so even if the new manager is competent and transparent nothing will happen with the current board in charge. Imo appointing a new competent and proactive board is far more of a priority than a new gm

Austerity is not viable when nobody trusts a failing agency. Governance and management need to be restructured, and transparency needs to be restored with the public. A new manager is not going to solve anything if there are no other changes to T management. Only then will we might see the T get back on track, or at least to the point of it operating beyond the bare minimum

Precisely. Even if this guy is a transit wizard the state won't allow him to do jack.

Beyond funding, the MBTA needs way more than a new manager to fix its woes; it needs an entire governance restructuring that relieves the current hands-off Baker-appointed control board that has been more than a failure for operating the T as of recently. If the governor wants the T to be more transparent, it needs to appoint a proactive board of transit experts instead of the wet towels that currently occupy the board.

The Pawtucket/Central Falls station is already incredibly popular. I believe this is due in part because the MBTA is dragging its feet on reconstructing the closed South Attleboro station which has led to many Attleboro/Seekonk-area commuters to use either downtown Attleboro or P/CF stations. The T really needs to fund the South Attleboro station rebuild to relieve future crowding and congestion at P/CF

These smaller-scale airlines always pop up in Rhode Island and immediately leave a year later. Remember when you could take a flight from TF Green to Iceland? That lasted for a whole year or two...

Many towns here in MA have outright banned nips while other towns have emplaced sin taxes. Bottle deposits may be a decent first step but it's a band-aid policy; if the issue is pollution only a ban would make a visible difference

I’m really curious if anyone has encountered Frank Hassle, though it seems he has moved on from this area of the country

Gansett (that being their standard old-school brew) is actually brewed in Rochester NY, so it's pretty popular in the Empire state. In recent years they have been brewing specialty beers at their brewery location in Providence as well as the Guild co-op in Pawtucket, such as their Fresh Catch and Dels shanty.

Yea, the prices were a bit high, especially considering it’s in a rather barren/industrial location. Sides were excellent but I actually preferred the Nashville hot bao appetizer to my main entree

I agree, the drumsticks were tough, and the sides and thigh pieces were definitely the highlight

There’s a similar phenomena up in Maine. Long story short it’s a byproduct of quarrying and local geological conditions.

The 195 commission has got to be the most delusional entity in the entire state; the commission is absolutely clueless and does not understand the immediate needs or priorities for new Providence developments. Going purely "commercial" is exceedingly misguided and ignores the immediate need for more equitable housing and mixed-use developments that the parcels should have been designated for ten years ago. And yes, you CAN have service industries in mix-use neighborhoods... just look at Boston or any other city...

What really needs to be done is regional rail, or at the very least more frequent trains on key corridors. While full electrification is required for true regional services, regional rails pilot could be implemented in the interim with more frequent diesel services on key corridors until electrification happens (I believe the previous MBTA control board considered this plan in 2021). A new off-board fare system is crucial to regional rail and really should be considered moving forward

Providence is one of the more car-centric cities in New England, the downtown is littered with poor land uses such as surface-level parking lots and stroads. That being said, there must be a better path for implementing pedestrian infrastructure. From what it looks like, the urban trail plan is very vague and non-committal; it will likely result in a loop of needless bureaucracy and dreaded "feasibility studies". It will take a lot more than painted bike shoulders to make the city a better environment for pedestrians

It's definitely worth it, its now my go-to aquarium store even though its a 35 min drive for me

https://aquascapinglove.com/learn-aquascaping/what-is-aquascaping/

Its the art of utilizing natural materials to create living works of aquatic art, it was conceived in Japan and is popular in Europe.