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How to get around another partial T shutdown (Orange Line edition)
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Happy summer solstice, aka the longest day of the year. Fun fact: the first day of astronomical summer actually officially begins at 10:42 p.m.
Before you call in sick to celebrate summer (and the fact that we're snapping our 13-week trend of rainy Saturdays), let's get to the news:
Heads up, Orange Line riders: There is a nine-day partial shutdown arriving tomorrow. Train service will be suspended and replaced with shuttle buses along the south end of the line, from Forest Hills to as far as North Station, beginning June 21 through June 29. The stations losing service varies by the day of the week, so let's break down the differences:
- During the work week, shuttle buses will replace service between Back Bay and Forest Hills. This means Orange Line riders coming from the north can still reach North Station, State, Downtown Crossing, Chinatown and Tufts Medical Center during the week. But for this weekend and next, service will be suspended between North Station and Forest Hills.
- The good news: The commuter rail will be free to ride between Forest Hills, Ruggles, Back Bay and South Station. The 39 bus will be free and running extra service, too. And as of now, this is the Orange Line's last weekday shutdown of 2025, according to the T's planned shutdown calendar.
- Why is this happening, again? The change is meant to accommodate signal upgrade work on the Orange Line, according to the MBTA.
- Thinking of taking ya cah instead? Just know for this weekend, the Mass Pike will close a few of its lanes between exits 123 and 125 starting tonight at 9 p.m. through Monday at 5 a.m. Commuter rail service on the Worcester/Framingham line will also be paused and replaced with shuttle buses. State highway administrator Jonathan Gulliver is asking the public to "reroute themselves" to avoid long backups.
Just keep swimming: After yesterday's heat warning, I'm dreaming of floating in a refreshing pool. Lucky for all of us, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation plans to open all 26 of its swimming pools tomorrow. "We know that on hot days, these pools can be very busy. They really do serve as cooling spots for our communities," Shawn DeRosa, the director of pool and waterfront safety for the state agency, told WBUR'S Todd Wallack. "So, we encourage people to come early and come prepared to have a great day at the pool or beach." (State beaches are already open.)
- The forecast: There's no heat advisory, but it will be in the mid-80s all weekend so lather up that sunscreen and get splashing.
Bridging the gaps: State transportation officials plan to chip in more than $1 billion for the reconstruction of Cape Cod's Sagamore and Bourne bridges. MassDOT's Board of Directors approved its five-year capital investment plan yesterday, which the funding was part of.
- Both bridges opened 90 years ago and urgently need to be replaced, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. However, those replacements come with a hefty price tag: around $4.5 billion. The state has already secured $2 billion in funding to replace the Sagamore Bridge, meaning the latest funding promise brings the project about two-thirds of the way to its final goal.
- When's it starting? The Healey administration has previously said it's eyeing 2027 to begin work on the Sagamore Bridge.
Calling folks with latitude and attitude: Map enthusiasts and open-data experts will find their way to Boston starting today for the 13th annual conference for the non-profit OpenStreet Map U.S.
- What is this? A gathering of people from around the world who map everything from bike trails to hospitals to breweries. OpenStreet Map executive director Maggie Cawley told WBUR's Dan Guzman this year's conference will focus on the intersection of transit, biking and pedestrian accessibility.
- The conference comes at a time when crowdsourcing information is more important than ever, according to Cawley. "Moving forward I think as our data in the world might come under attack or be a little bit more fragile," she said, "Open Street Map is going to play an even more crucial role in the future of our nation's data."
P.S. — Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" debuted in theaters 50 years ago today. Production teams swallowed up Martha's Vineyard to create "Amity Island," using real locations to bring the fictional island to life. Follow along as WBUR's Andrea Shea tours some of the iconic "Jaws" spots on Amity — ahem, Martha's Vineyard — in honor of the anniversary.
