To say the Big Dig has a bad reputation would be an understatement. Inside and outside of Massachusetts, the massive public-works project is best known for taking an incredibly long time to complete and costing a whole lot more than it was supposed to. (Read a story about the project online, and the term "boondoggle" will almost certainly be used.) But in a new podcast for GBH News, producer Ian Coss argues that the benefits of the Big Dig were substantial and that the lessons it offers for posterity are quite valuable. He joins Adam Reilly to discuss.

Ever since she ran for governor, Maura Healey has identified the prohibitively high cost of housing as a huge problem for Massachusetts. And this week, she laid out her vision for tackling it. In a sweeping, $4 billion-plus bond bill, Healey proposed spending $1.6 billion to improve public housing, creating a new tax on higher-end home sales to fund affordable housing, and making it far easier for property owners to build so-called accessory dwelling units.

The Healey Administration says the proposals could ultimately lead to the creation of 40,000 new homes, most of which would be for lower- and middle-income residents. But how likely is it that her plan will get the buy-in from the state Legislature it needs to become reality? Adam Reilly discusses with GBH News State House reporter Katie Lannan, Jesse Kanson-Benanav of Abundant Housing Massachusetts, and Dr. Charles Homer of the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization.

Watch The Big Dig Podcast here:    • The Big Dig: The story of America's m...  

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