The Longwood Happenings newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox each month, delivers informative, engaging, and helpful updates about all things LMA! From local events to commuter resources, we provide everything you need to know about the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. 

A Message from the President

Dear Longwood,

I am pleased to share our Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report, covering activity in Longwood from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This report celebrates the impact our organization has made in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area (LMA) on behalf of and in service to our member institutions.

At Longwood Collective, we take pride in our role as stewards of the LMA and the services we provide to support the world-renowned institutions that call Longwood home. Employing 73,000 workers, educating 24,000 students, and seeing 3.8 million patient visits annually, the work we do makes an impact far beyond the four corners of our district, improving the lives of the many people who come here to work, learn, or heal.

As you will see, over the past year we acted with confidence and precision to carry out our responsibilities and support our members. We continued to strengthen our core services — with a 5% growth in LMA Shuttle ridership, 13% increase in TMA engagement, and high levels of participation in collaborative initiatives like our Outside// placemaking program and Coordinated Emergency Response exercises. We improved internal efficiencies and diversified our revenue streams to ensure we stay resilient and responsive to the needs of our members. This has been achieved as we continue to plan for the future of the district — lending our voice to impactful development projects, finalizing an improved wayfinding system, and more — all with the intention of better preparing and planning for the next phase of growth in Longwood.  

I invite you to take a deep dive into the report and learn more about our key initiatives in FY25 that define our work as an organization. Thank you for your continued partnership and trust.

Sincerely,

David Sweeney

President and CEO

Taking a Look Inside

Improving Mobility In and Around Longwood

In FY25, we renewed our commitment to making mobility within and around the district safe, efficient, and accessible for employees, students, patients, and visitors. Through shuttle service, commuter programs, transportation analysis, and city partnerships, we help ensure the district remains well-connected and sustainable.

Following a successful transition between service providers, LMA Shuttle ridership grew 5% in FY25, reaching 1.93 million passenger trips. This marks a strong rebound from pandemic lows and underscores the shuttles' essential role in connecting the district. Service quality is always our top priority and has also remained high, with on-time performance averaging 92% since the start of 2025. By maintaining reliable, safe, and efficient service, the shuttles continue to be a trusted service for Longwood's employees and students.

In March, we launched our first-ever Shuttle Madness tournament to boost awareness of the LMA Shuttle system and engage our commuter community. Over four weeks, more than 500 votes were cast as riders championed their favorite routes. In the end, the Fenway route claimed victory — sparking a new spring tradition that celebrates the enthusiasm and connection of the Longwood community.

Demonstrating our Dedication to the District

Longwood Collective works year-round to strengthen the district's operations, infrastructure, and community, supporting the needs of member institutions while enhancing the broader Longwood Medical and Academic Area. Through policy engagement, sustainability initiatives, emergency preparedness, public infrastructure improvements, development review, and information-sharing, we help ensure the district remains safe, accessible, and resilient.

Leaders from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus visited Longwood Collective to learn about our organization and the district as they update their own master plan. Aurora, Colorado Mayor Mike Coffman highlighted Boston’s Longwood Medical and Academic Area and Kendall Square as models for development, seeking insights from our experience managing a district where leading academic, research, and care institutions coexist within a tightly integrated ecosystem.

In the spring, Longwood Collective’s Emergency Management and Security Manager hosted a districtwide exercise simulating a major hazardous materials incident. The exercise brought together over 70 participants from 46 different organizations, demonstrating the strength of Longwood’s partnerships and the district’s readiness to coordinate effectively with member institutions, agencies, and stakeholders in the event of an emergency.

In Case You Missed It

Passio Go LMA Shuttle Tracker

As a reminder to all LMA Shuttle users, we’re happy to share that as of January 2, we have transitioned our real-time shuttle tracking app from Transloc to Passio Go.

Passio Go is fast, reliable, and works seamlessly with other local buses, like Harvard’s Transit system and the MBTA. Be sure to download the new app to stay on top of shuttle tracking and updates! Click here to download it.

For detailed instructions on how to use the new platform, please visit our website.

Policy Pulse

BERDO Upcoming Deadlines & Resources for Building Owners

As Boston moves forward with implementing the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), the City of Boston and the Green Ribbon Commission (GRC) are launching a new, recurring BERDO Office Hours series over Zoom designed specifically for Boston building owners and operators.

The goal of these office hours is to create space for peer-to-peer learning, practical discussion, and candid conversation about what it takes to implement BERDO in Boston buildings. The first virtual session will be Monday, January 26 at 1 p.m. Register here.

In the Neighborhood 

Harvard School of Public Health: World Cancer Month

As part of World Cancer Month, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will be shedding light on cancer risks, misinformation, and prevention.

On Tuesday, February 10, you are invited to attend the HSPH panel Alcohol, Cancer Risk and Public Health. In this timely event, a panel of experts will explore and unpack potential links between alcohol and cancer risk specifically and health more generally. They will debunk myths, review policy considerations, and provide clear, evidence-based information. Join us in person or for the livestream. Register here.

Speakers: 

• Eric Rimm, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 
• David Jernigan, Professor, Health Law, Policy and Management, Boston University
• Anna Grummon, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Stanford Food Policy Lab (joining remotely)

Presented jointly by The Studio and the Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention at Harvard Chan School.

What's more, on Wednesday, February 4, a series of buildings throughout the Boston area will be lit up in the World Cancer Day colors of orange and blue. Keep an eye out for illuminations at the following buildings, and feel free to snap a photo and share to social media with the hashtag #WorldCancerDay to spread awareness:

• Museum of Science Tower  
• The Prudential Tower   
• Atlantic Wharf Spire 
• The Hub on Causeway  
• 100 Federal Street 

MBTA Focus Group

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), in conjunction with the MBTA, is seeking to better understand the needs of infrequent and potential riders of the MBTA’s bus system. They will be holding 75-minute virtual conversations with small groups of community members to discuss local transportation options and rider preferences.   

Selected participants will receive an electronic $100 Visa gift card within two weeks upon completion of the focus group. If you are interested in participating, please fill out the form here.

Getting Around

MBTA Updates Near the District

Blue Line

• There will be no train service between Bowdoin and Airport the weekend of January 24 - 25 for maintenance work. Shuttle buses will replace service between Airport and Downtown. Riders downtown can board Airport shuttles at Haymarket. Free and accessible shuttle buses will make stops at Airport, Maverick, and Haymarket on the Green and Orange lines.

Red Line

• Shuttle buses will replace service between Broadway and North Quincy and Broadway and Ashmont the weekend of January 31 - February 1, for track work. This is to allow for upgrading and testing of the signal system.

Better Bus Update: Longwood Medical Area Bus Circulation Study Engagement 

The Better Bus Project Team at the MBTA has completed the first round of engagement for the Longwood Medical Area (LMA) Bus Circulation Study. During initial engagement, the MBTA held focus groups with EMT and bus operators, held pop ups in the LMA, hosted a workshop with community-based organizations and municipal staff, connected with developers and other stakeholders, and held a public meeting.

We are proud to be a trusted voice on matters of transportation in and around the district and will continue to provide our data and expertise as the study continues to develop. Check out our Transportation Framework to learn more about our vision for multi-modal connectivity in Longwood.

Read the full LMA existing conditions report. 

Longwood in the News

Boston Children's Hospital in Needham is Now Open

The Needham Observer

In 2019, Boston Children’s Hospital selected Needham for its next satellite location. On January 21, opened its doors to patients. The new building is the hospital’s network. It houses a number of medical specialties and departments as well as an extensive outpatient surgical unit which will begin with six state-of-the-art operating rooms. The facilities include an interventional radiology unit, which is rare in outpatient facilities, an extensive rehab area for orthopedic patients — sports injuries are common childhood challenges — and an ophthalmology department. Reflecting the scale of investment in the facility, it even has a teaching kitchen for families whose children have chronic gastroenterological illnesses, food allergies and sensitivities. 

BIDMC Investigators Lead Inaugural Report on State of US Cardiovascular Health

The American College of Cardiology

After decades of progress, cardiovascular health in the United States has been sliding backward, and younger adults are bearing the brunt. A new national effort now aims to provide a clear picture of where the country stands and where action is most urgently needed to reverse course. The inaugural JACC Cardiovascular Statistics report, published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and co-led by investigator Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) offers a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of cardiovascular risk factors, disease burden, quality of care and outcomes in the United States.

Wentworth Institute of Technology Named Among 15 Top Colleges for Launching Career

Forbes

Now celebrating the 50th anniversary of its co-op program, Wentworth requires all undergraduate students to complete two co-ops before graduating. By working full-time for two semesters and taking classes for two summers, students are still able to graduate in four years. The real-life work experience helps with post-graduation employment: 73% of students are employed within six months of graduation. Students with entrepreneurial ambitions can fulfill their co-op requirements by working on their own startup with some help from the school, which provides up to $9,000 to replace the wages they would otherwise earn and up to $2,500 in materials for the semester-long program.

Emergency Physician Goralnick Named Veterans Services Secretary

State House News Service

As she fills the position of veterans services secretary for the second time, Gov. Maura Healey has again turned to an emergency physician and military servicemember. Eric Goralnick will take over at the Executive Office of Veterans Services in February, the latest step in what the administration said has been a two-decade career "as an emergency physician, United States Navy Veteran, health system leader and nationally recognized expert in health care operations, military-civilian health care partnerships and care for service members, veterans and underserved communities." In his current role, Goralnick bridges military and civilian health care at Mass. General Brigham and works as an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.