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Boston's Morning Newsletter
A two-part partial Red Line shutdown is coming for downtown Boston this week (and next)
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.
A flash flood warning is in effect for some areas south of the city as this heavy storm drops a few inches of rain on us this morning. So, be careful on that morning commute. Meanwhile, it's the evening commute that MBTA riders may want to be wary of...
Heads up: Part one of a two-part partial Red Line closure begins tonight. The MBTA is suspending all Red Line service through downtown Boston — between Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass — starting at 8:30 p.m. and continuing through the end of service Sunday, July 13 for maintenance and inspections. It will be followed by an identical diversion next week, starting at night on Thursday, July 17 through July 20. Here's how to navigate the dual closures (and maybe snag a free T ride):
- Shuttle buses: Free buses will stop at all the closed stations, except Park Street. But they will make bonus stops at Haymarket and State for those looking to connect to the Green, Orange or Blue lines. T officials suggest budgeting extra time if you're relying on those shuttles since there will be delays. For example, a rider traveling from one of the Red Line southern branches to Downtown Crossing should expect it to take an extra 30-45 minutes.
- Commuter rail: Trips will be free between Porter Square and North Station on the Fitchburg line, and between Braintree and South Station on the Fall River/New Bedford, Kingston and Greenbush lines. (Just pay if you plan to ride farther than that.)
- Bluebikes: Starting today, Blue Cross Blue Shield is offering a $20 credit for free Bluebikes rides during the Red Line diversion. To redeem it, enter the code "BLUECROSSMAMBTA2" in the rewards section of the Bluebikes app. Meanwhile, the city of Boston is also giving out codes to unlock five free rides during each of the closure. You can use MBTAREDJUL10 for the July 10-13 closure and code MBTAREDJUL17 for the July 17-20 closure. (Both offers state that the codes will be available "while supplies last.")
- Other MBTA lines: Whether or not you ride the Red Line, there'll be a lot of free subway rides available downtown during the two brief diversions. The T plans to leave fare gates open at JFK/UMass and Kendall/MIT, as well as Haymarket, State and South Station. It's a nice treat for Friday commuters and weekend riders (well, unless you're spending an extra 45 minutes on a shuttle bus).
The latest from the Moakley Courthouse: In an ongoing federal trial in Boston, the Trump administration admitted yesterday it used controversial anonymously-run websites to identify some pro-Palestinian activists they later moved to deport. It's how many suspected federal officials came to target Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk, whose only known form of public activism — a co-written student newspaper op-ed criticizing Israel's war in Gaza — was highlighted by doxing website Canary Mission.
- As WBUR's Todd Wallack reports, the disclosure was a result of a free speech lawsuit brought by groups representing professors. According to court filings, a Department of Homeland Security "tiger team" examined profiles of students and teachers in the U.S. on visas. Many of the names came from Canary Mission. The New York Times has more on the acknowledgment here.
Ride-sharing the wealth: Uber and Lyft drivers in Massachusetts should be getting restitution checks from last year's $175 million lawsuit settlement "very soon," according to Attorney General Andrea Campbell. During an interview yesterday on GBH, Campbell told a caller the payments — which were part of the deal her office negotiated with the two ride-hailing companies to sort out how drivers are legally classified and paid — had been delayed by working through the calculations on how much drivers were owed. But, she added, "checks will be going out soon."
- Who qualifies? According to an FAQ page posted by Campbell's office, drivers who "completed rides using the Uber or Lyft Driver app between July 14, 2020, and July 2, 2024." Campbell hasn't said how much they will get, but the amounts are at least partially based on "how long folks were driving," she said yesterday. "The Attorney General’s Office is still working out criteria for payments that are fair and meaningful," according to the FAQ page, which was most recently updated Monday.
Meals on wheels: It's the first day of the season for Somerville's mobile farmer's market. For the 15th year, the city-run van is bringing cheap local produce to areas like affordable housing developments, library branches and the Council on Aging. See the weekly schedule (and what food the truck is stocked with) on its website.
P.S.— Our "Set in Boston" movie series continues tomorrow night at CitySpace. We'll throw it back to the historical romance "The Bostonians," starring Christopher Reeve and Vanessa Redgrave. After the screening, WBUR film critic Sean Burns will moderate a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Megan Marshall.
