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Boston's Morning Newsletter
A look at the MBTA's dwindling slow zones and diversions
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.
It’s Veterans Day. That means schools and government offices are closed, and there’s a one in five chance you have the day off work. (Here’s a full roundup of what’s open and closed for Veterans Day.)
Parades to honor those in Massachusetts who have served are planned across the state — including in Quincy, New Bedford and Worcester — and Gov. Maura Healey’s administration will mark the holiday with a week of events.
But first, the news:
T time: There’s good news and bad news for Orange Line riders. The good news is the line now is free of slow zones for the first time in nearly 15 years. The bad news? “You can’t blame the T anymore for being late to work if you take the Orange Line,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll quipped.(Editor’s note: There’s still time for us Green Line riders.) As WBUR’s Sydney Ko reports, service isn’t just faster, it’s also more frequent and reliable. MBTA General Manager Phil Eng reminded reporters Friday there’s improvements throughout the transit system. Here’s a look the dwindling slow zones:
- Zoom out: A year ago, the T had 190 slow zones, covering nearly a quarter of the system. Across more than 30 miles, trains were limited to speeds between 25 mph and a molasses-like 5 mph due to aging and defective tracks. But as of this morning, the overall number of slow zones is down to single digits — and less than a mile. The Blue Line has also been slow-zone free since May. And there should be just two slow zones left on the Red Line in Cambridge, after its most recent diversion wrapped up last night.
- What’s next: MBTA officials are planning to lift the final Red Line slow zones after a weeklong closure between Harvard and Broadway that begins next Monday. And then the final item on the to-do list is the cluster of Green Line slow zones downtown. “We’ll have the entire system free of slow zones before Christmas,” T spokeswoman Lisa Battiston said in an email.
- Heads up: A weeklong diversion on the Green Line from Lechmere to Union Square starts today. The closure only affects one stop for now, but it will expand to between Park Street and East Somerville this weekend. (Click here for more details.)
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On the picket line: Schools may be closed for the holiday, but teachers in three North Shore communities remain on strike. Teachers in Beverly, Gloucester and now Marblehead are expected to be on the picket line today, demanding new contracts.
- The strikes in Beverly and Gloucester began on Friday, and Marblehead’s teachers union voted later that afternoon to follow suit. Marblehead’s school superintendent has preemptively canceled classes and all extracurricular activities Tuesday.
Wasting no time: Less than a week after voters overwhelmingly approved Question 1, state Auditor Diana DiZoglio is renewing her recent attempt to audit the Legislature. In a letter to Beacon Hill leaders, DiZoglio said the audit will start with “high-risk areas” like state contracting and procurement procedures, the use of taxpayer-funded nondisclosure agreements and certain financial documents.
- The latest: DiZoglio was asked during an appearance on WCVB’s “On The Record” yesterday about the possibility the Legislature could pass a law to amend or repeal Question 1. “They are not fighting with the office of the state auditor anymore,” she said. “They are fighting with you, the taxpayer.”
PSA: Attorney General Andrea Campbell is urging residents to contact the state’s civil rights hotline (1-800-994-3228) if they receive racist spam texts. WBUR’s Emily Piper-Vallillo reports that several students at Stoughton Public Schools and Curry College in Milton reported getting the anonymous text messages last week, which appear to be targeting Black students across the country.
- Go deeper: NPR has more here on federal officials’ effort to track the text campaign’s digital footprints.
P.S.— Saturday Night Live’s first post-election episode, hosted by Massachusetts native Bill Burr, featured no shortage of Boston-themed sketches, including a spoof on “Good Will Hunting” and a satire of “real Patriots fans.” (Did anyone else notice the latter featured a familiar face from the famous “mayor of Dunkin” skit?)
