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Boston's Morning Newsletter
How to get around the 9-day partial Orange Line closure north of Boston
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TGIF! Mother's Day is this weekend. There's still time to surprise her with a delivery of flowers (and support your favorite public radio station) if you order here.
We have more below on what local Catholics think of the first-ever American pope. But first, construction season is bearing down on us, and two major bridge projects this spring could make things hairy for MBTA riders and weekend travelers alike:
Somewhat north of Boston: A nine-day diversion begins on the northern half of the Orange Line tonight. MBTA officials are replacing train service with shuttle buses between North Station and Oak Grove from 8:30 p.m. through next Sunday, May 18 — and they're warning the diversion could add up to an hour of travel time to certain commutes. Here's a look at the best alternative options:
- For Malden riders: The T "strongly" encourages the Haverhill commuter rail line. It only takes 20 minutes from Oak Grove to North Station, and trips will be free between those stations during the diversion, with a stop at Malden Center along the way. The only drawback is commuter rail trains only run every 45 minutes or so. (Here's a link to the schedule.) The T is also offering express shuttles that will run directly between Oak Grove, Malden Center and North Station via I-93. While the express shuttles will be more frequent than the commuter rail, the T says they'll be significantly slower due to traffic.
- For Medford/Somerville/Charlestown riders: Your best option might be the local shuttles. They're free, stop at every closed station and run every few minutes on weekdays (and every three to six minutes on weekends). But they don't compare to the commuter rail's speed. The T's trip planner estimates it will take 40 to 50 minutes between Wellington and North Station during rush hour.
- The big picture: T officials say the diversion is necessary to support work to replace deteriorating parts of two old bridges near Sullivan Square, as well as install new bus and bike lanes. Read more about the project here. (StreetsblogMASS also has a good breakdown of the bus/bike upgrades.)
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Ten miles west of Boston: Meanwhile, MassDOT is warning about another bridge project that could be a big headache for drivers west of Boston later this spring. During the weekends of May 31-June 1 and June 21-22, the Mass. Pike will be narrowed to one lane in each direction between exit 123 and 125 in Newton and Weston by the I-95 interchange. Expect major backups on those two weekends.
- How bad? Massachusetts Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said the delays at times could be up to "two to three hours" (!), if everyone who usually drives on the Pike on the weekend shows up. "We're really asking people to look for alternate routes altogether," he told WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez.
- And no, the commuter rail won't save you. The Framingham-Worcester Line is getting shut down on those two weekends because of the project. Amtrak service between Boston and Albany will also be suspended.
- Gulliver's advice: " If you have to come in from west of the city, consider places like Route 2 as an alternate route," he said. "But absolutely check your mapping apps. Give yourself a lot of extra time. It's going to be difficult."
It's official: Boston won't be holding a special election to replace City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson this summer. Fernandes Anderson has said she plans to resign after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges, but wants to wait until after the budget process. If she had stepped down by yesterday, the city charter would have triggered a special election for her District 7 seat (or at least some debate over it).
- Meanwhile: Former Boston City Councilor Frank Baker — known for being the body's pugilistic moderate — is looking to make a comeback. After stepping down in 2023 following 12 years representing District 3, Baker announced yesterday that he will run for one of the Council's four at-large seats.
The show goes on: This summer's Lowell Folk Fest will go on as planned, despite the loss of a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Still, organizers called the unexpected loss of funds "a serious wake-up call" about the fragility of the free festival, which draws 150,000 attendees a year and costs $1.5 million to produce.
- Go deeper: WBUR's Cristela Guerra has more on how some Massachusetts arts organizations have been upended by the NEA clawing back promised funds.
P.S.— Do you know why Boston recently joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of this week's stories.
