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Boston's Morning Newsletter
The last Red Line closure of the year has begun. Here's how to get around it
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.
Here’s a reason to look forward to 2025: The U.S. Postal Service is going to release a new set of stamps featuring everyone’s favorite golden girl. (Now, I’ve just got to figure out what to mail.)
Now, let’s get to the news:
While you were sleeping: The final Red Line shutdown of 2024 began last night. Service will be suspended from today through Friday, Nov. 23 between Harvard and Broadway stations, and between Harvard and JFK/UMass on Saturday, Nov. 24. The MBTA hopes to remove the four remaining speed restrictions along the line to give commuters a speedier ride, just like the Orange Line.
- What to know: Free shuttles will replace service between Harvard and Broadway, making additional stops at State and Haymarket stations so commuters can catch the Orange and Green lines if needed. There will also be direct shuttle bus service from Harvard to South Station on weekdays during the closure from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Tired of shuttles? The commuter rail’s Fitchburg and Kingston lines will also be free during this time between Porter Square and North and South stations and Braintree, respectively. You will have to pay the normal fare if you plan to go beyond Porter or Braintree, though.
- Any more closures this year? There are a few more service suspensions scheduled for December on the Green Line, as the T continues chugging toward its track repair goals for the year.
On the picket line: School’s still out for students in three North Shore communities, as last week’s teachers strikes carry on. Today marks the sixth day of canceled classes for students in Beverly and Gloucester, and the fifth for students in Marblehead. Negotiations with administrators are expected to continue in all three districts, WBUR’s Amy Sokolow reports, as teachers push for higher pay, more sick time and other benefits.
- Negotiations status report: The Beverly teachers’ union says it’s come to an agreement with administration on class sizes, but not any other key issues. The Beverly Teachers’ Association has an additional demonstration involving students planned for today that they hope will push negotiations further. While the Gloucester school committee says they’ve reached agreements on training for paraprofessionals and prep time for teachers, negotiations have been tense, to say the least. In Marblehead, the teachers’ union says it’s reached a tentative agreement regarding the establishment of a school safety committee.
- Zoom out: Teacher strikes are illegal in Massachusetts. All three unions are getting hit with costly court fines each day the strikes continue.
Gearing up for the campaign trail: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu confirmed Sunday she plans to run for a second term as mayor. Wu, who is pregnant and due to give birth in January, told WCVB’s On The Record she plans to make her official announcement shortly after her baby is born — and she is not currently planning to take maternity leave. “There’s still a lot of work to do, even before the baby comes, to make sure that we are getting all of our city services said and continuing to move things forward,” Wu said.
- An interesting tidbit: Did you know no incumbent elected mayor of Boston has lost a reelection bid since the 1940s?
Banner time: There will soon be a new addition to the “Celebration of Champions” collection of banners at Terminal C in Boston’s Logan Airport. The Celtics’ 18th championship banner will grace the terminal’s security checkpoint following an unveiling ceremony today at 10 a.m. (Located at departures level, maybe the banners are really letting visitors know, “You can leave us, but you can’t beat us!”)
P.S.— You can still snag tickets for a scrumptious, Southern-style installment of Curated Cuisine at CitySpace tonight. Cook’s Country editors Toni Tipton-Martin and Morgan Bolling will discuss their new cookbook, and you’ll get to sample some of the recipes, including sweet potato cornbread with ginger honey butter, chicken and shrimp jambalaya, bourbon butterscotch pudding and Texas chocolate sheet cake. (Need I say more? Here’s the link.)
