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today, to the news:
Stay in your lane: Phil Eng wasn’t kidding when he told us last month he planned to crack down on drivers illegally blocking buses. This week, the MBTA’s Board of Directors voted to begin using cameras mounted on buses to catch and fine cars who park or idle in bus-only lanes. The system will also be used to penalize drivers who block bus stops. “ It’s about safety, accessibility, and ensuring our bus program really delivers a level of service that the public deserves and expects,” Eng said Wednesday.
- Why it matters: Nearly 40% of the T’s daily riders take the bus — and the majority of those riders are low-income. However, buses notoriously struggle with reliability due to traffic. And while the T has been expanding its network of bus-only lanes in an effort to improve service, cities like Boston have admitted they don’t have the resources to consistently police the rules, meaning drivers regularly ignore them with no consequences. (A 2022 study found 1,000 drivers a week obstructed the bus lanes on Boston’s Huntington Avenue.)
- The backstory: Back in January, Gov. Maura Healey signed a law officially making it illegal statewide to park in a bus-only lane. The law also allows the MBTA and other regional transit authorities to use bus-mounted cameras to enforce it.
- How it works: According to the T’s website, the automated cameras will capture the license plate of cars blocking bus lanes and bus stops. Then, the photos will be checked by a human for accuracy. If determined to be in the wrong, the owner of the car will get a ticket in the mail. (For passenger vehicles, tickets range from $25 for a first offense up to $125 for repeat offenders; the system also includes exceptions for emergencies and will issue warnings if a bus lane is new.) There will be an appeals process, but that part is still in the works.
- What’s next: The DSLR-based fines will first launch in early 2026 on the Silver Line’s SL4 and SL5 routes, which use the Washington Street bus lanes through the South End. It will expand to other bus routes later in 2026.
Just in: Boston Public School officials want to again change how students get into the city’s three competitive exam schools. WBUR’s Suevon Lee reports the move comes after a recent analysis of the current admissions system, which awards seats to leading-scoring students across neighborhoods grouped into four socioeconomic tiers. (Some get bonus points if they attend majority low-income schools.) The analysis found that while racial and socioeconomic diversity have increased under the current system, many highly-qualified kids get squeezed out.
- What would change? Under the new proposal, 20% of seats would be reserved for the leading-scoring students citywide, regardless of where they live. It would also reduce the roll of bonus points. Boston School Committee Chair Jeri Robinson expressed support for the change during a meeting last night, calling it a “decent compromise.” The school committee is slated to vote in November. If approved, the change would take effect next school year.
Show time: Mayor Michelle Wu announced the season’s first slate of shows under the city’s Boston Family Days program, which provides free tickets to Boston’s school-aged kids and their families. (The program began in 2024 offering free admission to certain museums on Sundays, and expanded to seven performance arts venues this past spring.) The fall lineup includes 2,500 free tickets for pre-K-12 Boston students and up to two guests for shows like the Boston Pops, “Annie” the musical and Cirque du Soleil.
- How to get tickets? According to the city’s website, families enrolled in Boston Family Days will get emails on a rolling basis when tickets for each show become available. (They’re exclusive, so you’ll want to act quick.)
Two years later: Shannon O’Brien is officially back on the job as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission, a full two years after she was first suspended over misconduct allegations. As a result, the CCC is pushing back the planned finalization of its long-awaited social consumption rules another three weeks to late October. State House News Service reports the delay is intended to give O’Brien some time to catch up.
P.S.— Which former football coach was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame alongside Julian Edelman? Take our Boston News Quiz and see how well you know this week’s stories compared to other WBUR readers.
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