My hard work as state senator has delivered results in the areas below. See About Will for more about my personal background, Issues in Depth for my top priorities looking forward, or this 2026 update of accomplishments for the whole Senate.
For a print version of this document to share, download this PDF.
Many links below will take you to other websites, including my senate office site.
Public Transportation
- We improved transparency and accountability at the T by creating the MBTA board and lifting riders’ voices. (Originally constituted in 2015 as Fiscal Management and Control Board, and revised in 2021)
- Faster Red Line and Green Line service reflects better funding and a long term vision for transformative change that I helped drive, as well as better management. (See threads on vision and advocacy for the Red Line and vision and advocacy for the Green Line)
- Fast bus lanes for the 71 and the 73 bus lines in Watertown and Belmont reflect a decade of my advocacy for this major road redesign. (See this explanation of how the project got started.)
- 57 bus riders in Brighton also benefit from new bus lanes and the MBTA’s “Better Bus” project will improve service all across my district —these are responses to needs that I have helped give voice to. (The 57 lanes are primarily a city initiative, and the Better Bus project is a broad MBTA initiative; my relation to these two initiatives has been input and support as opposed to leadership.)
Parks and Paths
This type of project often does not involve specific legislation, but rather continued and persistent advocacy in formal and informal meetings.
- On the Watertown-Cambridge side of the Charles my work has helped make riverside paths safer and more beautiful for walkers, runners, and cyclists. (Projects include Memorial Drive Phase III, in progress; Greenough Greenway, completed; Watertown Riverfront Park, completed.)
- On the Boston side of the Charles, we are working to redesign the most difficult river road intersections, making them safer and more efficient for all road users — IHOP rotary and the Western Ave/Arsenal Street bridge where multiple jurisdictions overlap.
- In Fenway at the Charlesgate Park, we are restoring park spaces blighted by highway overpasses — my persistent advocacy has yielded two great highway redesign projects; one in progress, the other still in design.
- In Brighton, we are revitalizing the celebrated Leo J. Birmingham Park, which had fallen into disuse.
- In Allston, my conversations with residents led to the formation of Allston I-90 Multimodal Transportation Project Task Force, which has helped assure that this mega-project respects neighborhood concerns.
- In Belmont, the new Community Path will add one more link to the Mass Central Rail Trail connecting Boston to Northampton. I have repeatedly intervened to cut red tape and keep this challenging project on track.
- In Cambridge, as a new senator, I joined and strengthened ongoing advocacy for the Fresh-Pond-to-Watertown rail trail connection, which is now complete.
Road Safety for All Users
- Reducing the pedestrian and cyclist fatalities that occur all too frequently when large trucks are operating on busy streets — now require sideguards and visibility improvements (legislation passed in 2022, implemented now); similar new rules for duck boats (2016 legislation passed)
- Stopping people from running red lights by using automatic camera enforcement (continuing advocacy priority; legislation filed in several sessions ) — already protecting children getting off school buses and clearing bus lanes with camera enforcement
- Reducing crashes from distracted driving through the ban on hand held cell phone use (2020 legislation)
- Protecting pedestrians from high speed scooters on sidewalks (created commission that will make recommendations soon)
- Protecting highway workers, pedestrians, and cyclists by requiring safe passing distances for vulnerable road users (2022 legislation)
- Helping to reduce number and severity of crashes through speed limit reductions in dense areas (2022 legislation)
Liberty and Justice for All
- Led in passage of the PROTECT act with particular focus on the Universal 1983 provision which strengthens civil rights protections broadly.
- Providing immigrants targeted by ICE access to civil legal representation, increasing funding for dedicated immigration representation and also supporting general legal aid that serves immigrants (FY 2026 Budget, line item 4003-0124)
- Cut prison populations by 30 to 50% and helped people returning from prison to get on their feet — led broad criminal justice reforms. Work continues with Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration.
- Giving people a place to turn when police misbehave and restoring the pride of good officers; created one of the strongest police oversight agencies in the country
- Protected women’s rights and LGBTQ rights — freedom to choose, access to health care, privacy of health care, freedom to marry, trans rights to public accommodation, anti-bullying legislation, repeal of archaic laws
- Expanded ability of survivors of child sexual abuse to recover from their abusers
- Allowed employees to change jobs more easily by limiting the use of non-compete contracts (10 years of advocacy leading to final legislation).
Public Education
- Keeping class sizes down and giving children what they need to learn by increasing state aid education aid (ongoing priority)
- Helping schools to meet the needs of all children by increasing special education supports (ongoing priority)
- Assured that Watertown gets it fair share of education funding by engineering funding formula modifications
- Protecting funding for Boston public schools by helping to increase charter school reimbursement (ongoing priority)
Decarbonization and Climate Resilience
- As a new legislator, I persuaded 3/4 of my colleagues in the House to sign a support letter for the Global Warming Solutions Act, which now frames all of our Massachusetts climate programs.
- As a pioneer in decarbonization, I analyzed the results of the deep retrofit of my home and shared the benefits and challenges of different approaches with constituents and with state program administrators.
- I have led local and regional efforts to protect homes from flooding driven by climate change — identified local risks and improved local infrastructure to handle more water; driving statewide efforts to identify risks. See this thread.
Transparency
- Opened up and created standards for contract procurement by the legislature
- Put spending records online so that anyone can see how every penny of state money is spent
- Opened the books of the MBTA pension fund to assure better financial management
- Opened the governance process of the MBTA so that people can participate in the MBTA’s major planning and management decisions
- Improved legislative rules so that all legislative votes are public
Voting Rights
- Led redistricting of the Massachusetts Senate with careful attention to the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act
- Successfully avoided the litigation and confusion that plagues redistricting in other states
- Created two new majority-minority seats yielding one new Black senator and one new Hispanic senator
Affordability
The Senate will continue to work to make Massachusetts affordable for all. I personally negotiated our recent major housing affordability package.
Health Care
- Protecting the MassHealth program which covers care for 2 million of Massachusetts 7 million people (critical priority in this session)
- Holding down health insurance costs, especially for low income people without employer-based coverage (ongoing senate priority)
- Improving access to mental health and behavioral health care without excessive bureaucracy (ongoing senate priority)
Higher Education
- Made community college free in Massachusetts
- Expanded financial aid for students at Massachusetts public institutions
Housing
- Eliminated rental brokerage fees
- Protecting tenants — limited condominium conversions, limited disclosure of eviction records, working to expand enforcement against price fixing by landlord groups
- Raised investment levels in public housing and affordable housing (see housing policy summary)
- Streamlined zoning and permitting to allow more housing development — more streamlining to come (see housing policy summary)
- Expanded rental support programs for households in greatest need (ongoing budget priorities)
Transportation
- Maintain deep state subsidy for all MBTA riders — state pays 2/3 of the cost of every ride through dedicated sales tax and contract support.
- Provide reduced fares for income-eligible MBTA riders
- Provide free fares for Regional Transit Authorities
Personal Responses
The core of my work is helping constituents, and I’m proud to have a highly motivated team that shares the same goal. We help everyone who contacts us, and treat every person with care and respect.