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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Boston's 3 fare-free buses keep rolling for another 2 years
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
While you rethink your Super Bowl guac, let’s get to the news:
Put that CharlieCard away! Boston’s three fare-free buses will continue to be free to ride for at least another two years. The original two-year pilot program was set to expire at the end of this month. However, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced yesterday that the city will continue paying the MBTA to keep the 23, 28 and 29 routes — which run through lower-income parts of Dorchester, Mattapan and Roxbury — free through March 2026.
- At what cost? Wu’s office says the city will pay $350,000 a month to continue the pilot, using American Rescue Plan Act funds (the city has to use that money before the end of 2026). That’s a tad more than the $8 million Boston paid for the pilot’s first two years.
- But think of the savings! During the pilot, Wu’s office says more than 12 million trips were taken on the three free routes, which saw above-average rebounds in ridership. While half the riders didn’t actually save money since they had a MBTA pass or paid a fare elsewhere, the pilot did save a total of $6 million for the other half of riders — an average of $35 a month per rider.
- FYI: Wu’s office had been talking with Cambridge officials last year about working together to make the MBTA’s 1 bus free, too. However, those talks appear to have fizzled. Cambridge spokesman Jeremy Warnick said their understanding is the “pilot is not moving forward at this time,” as the T focuses on repairing the system and developing a broader low-income fare program.
On Beacon Hill: State House lawmakers will hold their first hearing today on Gov. Maura Healey’s proposed $58 billion budget. The plan includes millions to continue free school meals and community college for adults over 25, launch a new expansion of low-cost preschool and child care subsidies, and get much-needed assistance for the MBTA. But as WBUR’s Walter Wuthmann reports, those priorities are likely to face increasing scrutiny from legislators amid a cloudy fiscal backdrop.
- Why? This week, state officials reported January tax revenue lagged expectations for a seventh straight month — by nearly 7%. And Healey has already slashed hundreds of millions in spending from the current budget to account for the ongoing shortfalls.
- What’s next: Even amid the revenue slide, Healey has contended her budget is “balanced, responsible and forward-looking.” She’ll make that case in person to legislators during the hearing today.
- In related news: The State House is on the verge of getting a new member. The Telegram & Gazette reports that Dudley Selectman John Marsi won yesterday’s Republican primary in the special election to replace GOP former state representative-turned-state Sen. Peter Durant. (Marsi will be the only one on the March 5 general election ballot, since no Democrats filed.)
New year, same rules: Boston’s outdoor dining season will begin on May 1 — and, once again, the North End will mostly be excluded. Wu’s office announced yesterday that they’re keeping the same policy as last year. That means restaurants in most parts of Boston will be able to apply to set up patios on public property like sidewalks and parking spaces, as long as they pay a monthly fee.
- The rules are much tighter in the North End, where patios will only be allowed on private property or sidewalks where there’s still at least five feet of room for pedestrians. City Councilor Gabriela Coletta, who represents the North End, explained the neighborhood is “uniquely dense,” with over 100 restaurants and many narrow sidewalks in one square mile. “At the end of the day, it comes down to our infrastructure,” Coletta told WBUR’s Fausto Menard. “So, next steps have to include long-term infrastructure fixes and creative alternatives for business owners.”
And then there were three: Medford has become the latest city in Massachusetts to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, following nearby Somerville and Cambridge. Medford’s City Council passed the ceasefire resolution last night. The resolution also pushes for the return of all hostages, and condemns xenophobic violence.
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