Transportation

After the excitement and fanfare that JetBlue generated when it announced it would begin service between Central Massachusetts and Florida, airline industry experts said it will be tough for any carrier to make service more conducive for business travelers in the Worcester area.

Signaling the potential for a compromise on transportation financing, Gov. Deval Patrick on Thursday did not dismiss a Senate proposal teed up for debate on Saturday the way he rejected the "pretend fix" House plan, opening the door to a middle path that could avoid his veto.

After hearing Gov. Deval Patrick threaten to veto what he called a "pretend fix" to the state's transportation system deficiencies, House Speaker Robert DeLeo defended the Democratic legislative leadership's proposal to raise $500 million in new taxes as a plan that, unlike the governor's, spares the middle class from a major tax hike.

As the House quickly advanced a $500 million tax package on Wednesday, Gov. Deval Patrick said he was skeptical that the proposal put forth by Democratic House and Senate leaders would be sufficient to meet the needs he has identified in both transportation and education.

Many of us know transportation is about access to jobs and housing, about economic competitiveness, convenience, quality...

Should Massachusetts follow some other states in allowing private firms to design, build, operate and maintain bridges, roads and other transportation assets? We're still far off from the Chicago Skyway, which was leased to a private operator in 2006 for $1.8 billion for 99 years, or New York City, which has done similar deals with some of its bridges. But with a deeply indebted transportation system, Massachusetts is looking at different ways to meet its infrastructure needs. And a policy expert from MetroWest will be playing a role.

The Democratic House leadership has yet to publicly settle on a means of generating new revenue for transportation financing needs, but Gov. Deval Patrick on the radio Thursday said he knows Speaker Robert DeLeo is being “urged" to pay for it with the gas tax.

Gov. Deval Patrick on Wednesday proposed a plan to spend $19 billion over the next 10 years on transportation projects. It's a bill that mirrors priorities he has been discussing for months and relies on higher taxes for nearly half of the investments that would long outlive his tenure as governor.

Proponents of Gov. Deval Patrick's plan to raise taxes for education and transportation put a brave face on Thursday after House Speaker Robert DeLeo indicated he would pursue a smaller investment package focused mainly on transportation.

Unemployment in the Bay State remained unchanged in January, holding at 6.7 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Meanwhile, the state added 16,100 jobs during the month.