News briefs:
Be a Local: A Guide to Getting Involved
Local government and community organizing offer plenty of opportunities for ordinary people to make a big difference.
2026 World Cup Puts Foxboro Station Upgrades on the Fast Track
Most MBTA station renovations take years to complete, but the World Cup is coming to Foxborough in just 55 weeks.
Plunging Tesla Sales Undermine State’s EV-Focused Climate Strategy
The state's climate plan relies heavily on getting residents to buy new electric cars, but year-over-year Tesla sales in Massachusetts plunged by 29 percent in the first four months of 2025.
Photos: Bike to Work Day 2025
Hundreds of commuters – and quite a few people who joined the ride just for fun – joined convoys from all around the region to converge at City Hall Plaza before the workday began Friday morning.
Editor's picks
Massachusetts Gasoline Consumption Continued to Increase in 2024
Gasoline consumption and air travel in Massachusetts produced about 27 million metric tons of greenhouse pollutants in 2024, making it unlikely that the Healey administration will meet targets that Governor Baker set in the state's official climate plan.
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Chamber of Commerce Lobbies Mass. Senate to Fund the MBTA
"Even the significant resources proposed by the Governor are below the MBTA’s actual need," says Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce president James Rooney.
Western Mass. Amtrak Expansions Are Flush With Funding, But New Routes Won’t Debut ‘Til 2030s
Years of work remain before new Amtrak routes start rolling through Springfield to connect Boston, Albany, and New Haven.
SUV Driver Kills Priest on Route 138 in Milton
A 2018 study warned of "poor safety conditions" on the state roadway where a driver killed Father James B. Doran last week.
MassDOT Makes More Space for Bikes and Pedestrians In Revised Designs for Medford Main Street
"It really did feel like they really did listen and change a lot of stuff,” says Ellery Klein, a Medford road safety advocate.
Mass. Senate Budget Revives Threat of MBTA Layoffs and Service Cuts
If it were enacted as the state's new budget law, the Senate proposal would force the T's budget writers to fill a budget shortfall of roughly $200 million this year, with virtually no reserve funding available to cushion the blow.
MassDOT Road Project Will Shut Down Half of the Orange Line for 9 Days, Starting Friday
The silver lining: the new bridges that MassDOT is building will create wider sidewalks, protected bike paths, and more dedicated bus lanes to improve connections between East Somerville and Sullivan Square.
Region Seeks New Operating Contract for Expanding Bluebikes System
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, on behalf of the municipal owners of the Bluebikes system, has issued a 'request for proposals' for private-sector operators who can manage the system for the next five years.
U.S. House Moves to Rescind $3.1B for Reconnecting Communities Divided by Highways
The legislation could cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in grant funding for Massachusetts projects, including a $335 million pledge for the reconstruction of I-90 in Boston's Allston neighborhood.
