Transit Needs $13B Investment Over Next Decade

The board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan, which outlines the state’s budgetary needs over the course of the next 10 years and beyond.

With infrastructure in need of repairs and the major city transit system steeped in billions of dollars of debt, the state may need to increase revenue from car registrations, license renewals, taxes and tolls. The Board of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation released its 21st Century Transportation Plan on Monday, which calls for a $13 billion overall investment in state transportations systems over the next decade. The breakdown is as follows, according to a statement associated with the plan released by Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey: To raise the necessary funds these recommendations will include an increase in the gas tax, payroll tax, sales tax or income tax; a new green fee on vehicle registrations; a …

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There's a Good Chance Your Baby Will Meet William

Your baby will probably meet Sophia, too.

 Are you more of a traditional or eccentric when it comes to baby names? The Social Security Administration recently released the most popular baby names in Massachusetts, showing that the class of 2029 will have a fair number of Williams and Sophias. The following table shows the 10 most frequent given names followed by the number of occurrences in the data. The source is a 100% sample based on Social Security card application data.   Popularity for top 100 names in Massachusetts for births in 2011 Rank Male name Number of males Female name Number of females 1 William 468 Sophia 554 2 Benjamin 458 Olivia 452 3 Jacob 449 Isabella 437 4 Michael 445 Emma 430 5 Ryan 431 Ava 401 6 Mason 410 Abigail 299 7 John 373 Ella 299 8 Anthony 351 Emily…

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Governor Declares State of Emergency

National Guard activates 1,000 troops.

Following an afternoon and evening of severe weather across the state, Gov. Deval Patrick declared a State of Emergency at 7:10 p.m.  The declaration was made "in response to the impacts of the tornadic activity and severe weather that has produced high winds, property damage and widespread power outages in communities across the Commonwealth," according to a press statement. The National Guard has called up 1,000 troops to assist in rescue and response efforts. Westborough Fire Department dispatched a crew to the Springfield area this evening.  

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Daily Patchcast

VIDEO: Drug Deal Gone Bad, Neighborhood Dog Fight and the Shrewsbury Road Race

Here are some highlights from the region's Patches.

Follow the links below for more on today's featured PatchCast stories. Shrewsbury Road Race Northborough Residents Complain About "Vicious" Dogs New Shop Opens in Westborough  Natick Farmer's Market's Got Wine Now Drug Deal Gone Awry in Marlborough

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First Full Day for Beaton as State Rep

Westborough Precincts 1 and 4 are now represented by Matt Beaton (R-Shrewsbury).

Westborough Precincts 1 and 4, covering northern and western Westborough, now have a new Massachusetts State Representative. Republican Matt Beaton was sworn in at the State House yesterday as the new representative of the 11th Worcester District. In addition to the Westborough precincts, Beaton represents all of his native Shrewsbury. Beaton replaces Republican Karyn Polito, who stepped down from the position in an unsuccessful bid for State Treasurer in the November 2010 election. “I have one of the biggest challenges ahead of me because she had such a big job,” he said in a December meeting before the Westborough Board of Selectmen. He noted that one of the big issues he faces in 2011 is redistricting. Westborough is currently divided …

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