Obama Plan Will Bring Internet to Low-Income Households, Including in Boston
President Obama today announced a new initiative, ConnectHome, that aims to bring high-speed broadband Internet to low-income households via a 27-city pilot, which includes Boston. The expansion of Internet access will be done through a partnership between the local communities, the federal government and the private sector, the White House said. Via the announcement: “Mayors from Boston to Durham, and from Washington, DC to Seattle, have committed to reallocate local funds, leverage local programming, and use regulatory tools to support this initiative and the expansion of broadband access in low-income communities.” One other Massachusetts city, Springfield, is also among the communities taking part in the pilot. — Kyle Alspach
Red Line Service to be Suspended for Winter Resiliency Upgrades
Beginning on Saturday, July 25, and continuing on selected weekends through the month of August, Red Line service between JFK/Umass and North Quincy stations will be temporarily suspended to allow workers to make the subway more resilient to harsh winter weather conditions.
On weekends when workers will be replacing third rail and switch heaters, Red Line service between JFK/Umass and North Quincy will be suspended in both directions from start to end of service. Shuttle bus service will be provided, serving JFK/Umass and North Quincy stations. Service will be impacted on the following weekends – MassDOT
Design Biennial Boston to Open on the Greenway Tomorrow
On Thursday, July 16, the Rose Kennedy Greenway will play host to the fourth Design Biennial Boston public art exhibit. According to the City of Boston the Biennial "foregrounds emerging architects, landscape architects, and designers who have created inspiring and innovative practices in Massachusetts." Further, "following an open call for entries, four firms-Cristina Parreńo Architecture, GLD, Landing Studio, and MASS Design Group-were selected in March by a jury of distinguished professionals and academics." – Nick DeLuca
Why Boston's Food Trucks are Better Than New York's
Boston now has 101 food trucks permitted, according to City Hall. That's a sliver of the 3,000 year-round food trucks permitted in New York City. But the number of Boston food trucks has quadrupled in four years. The number of New York food trucks has stayed the same. >>> Read More on BostInno – Galen Moore
Scratch Raises $3.6 million In Seed Funding
Boston startup Scratch has raised $3.6M in funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners and including NextView Ventures, Red Swan Ventures and Matt Salzberg, CEO of Blue Apron. Scratch connects consumers with a network of shopping experts who help them find things like gifts, home decor and clothing. Users send a message describing what they're looking for through the Scratch app or website, and within 24 hours, get a response with personalized recommendations for each request. Scratch also announced the launch of its free, invite-only service today. >>> Read More on BostInno – Rebecca Strong
With the Snow Officially Gone, Here Are Some Final Boston Winter Stats
The once 75-foot-tall snow pile is now just a pile of trash and debris. As the city finishes cleaning up the snow farm, the ultimate costs of the brutal winter can finally be added up.
"Fiscal year '15 had a $18.5M budget," said Mike Dennehy, the interim commissioner of the Boston Public Works Department. "I believe we spent, collectively, $40-45M this year." >>> Read More on BostInno – Sam Henken
