Back Bay's most controversial mile

Also: Boston's plan to stem summer violence; Harvard to decide if disciplined student protesters can graduate on time [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 22, 2024 😎 Sunny, with a high near 88. Good Morning Boston, If the Celtics didn't [have you sweating last night]( today will do the trick. Temperatures [may reach 90]( in some parts of Massachusetts, and there's [an air quality alert]( for much of the state starting at 11 a.m. But first, the news: - Back Bay brouhaha: Boston is slated to begin work this month on a contentious redesign of a mile-long stretch of Boylston Street that runs through Back Bay. [The changes]( include a one-way, separated bike lane from Mass. Ave. to Boston Common, plus a half-mile bus-only lane starting at the Boston Public Library. City officials say the redesign will make the corridor safer for cyclists and faster for bus riders. But the plan also has a fair share of critics raising fears about the redesign's impact on traffic and businesses. - Zoom in: With the addition of the bike and bus lanes, general traffic lanes on the one-way street will go from three down to two. And along a 800-foot stretch by the library, a 4-to-7 p.m. weekday bus lane will use one of those two lanes. The redesign will also ultimately remove 88 of the existing 324 on-street parking spots. You can [see a rendering of the layout here](. - The case for change: Right now, the roughly 500 cyclists a day that ride down Boylston must pedal with general traffic on the [crash-prone]( commercial street — which is busy with double parking and sees thousands of cars a day. "It is rather dangerous and confusing," Stacy Thompson, the head of the LivableStreets Alliance, told WBUR's Sharon Brody. "It's really the only direct connection from coming off of Mass. Ave. ... to the Common. So, it is a very, very important missing link." The city also says the bus-only lanes will make travel more reliable for 13,000 people who take MBTA or Logan airport buses on a typical weekday. - The pushback: Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn yesterday [called for a pause on the installation plans]( arguing the changes "will delay response time for our first responders." Back Bay's business association has also expressed concern that the loss of parking could drive customers elsewhere, [WCVB reports](. - What does the city say to that? Wu's office said first responders will be able to use the new Boylston bus lanes. Officials also noted hundreds of on-street parking spots remain on cross streets and surrounding neighborhood streets. The city also plans to add new 15-minute pick-up and drop-off zones for businesses. - Zoom out: The Boylston Street makeover is just a part of Boston's plans to add 10 miles of bike lanes over the next few months. You can [explore some of the other big projects on the city's website.]( - Meanwhile: Cambridge's City Council voted last month to postpone kicking off an ambitious bike lane plan for three major city streets. [Radio Boston recently spoke to two city councilors about the debate]( over the project and what's next. - On campus: Harvard's two governing boards — the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers — are set to decide today whether 13 students disciplined over protesting in Harvard Yard against the war in Gaza will be allowed to receive their degrees on time this weekend. [As WBUR's Carrie Jung reports]( the meeting comes at the urging of Harvard faculty, after the the university's Administrative Board opted to punish the undergraduate seniors with suspension or probation for their participation in the multi-week pro-Palestinian encampment. - Harvard's interim president, Alan Gerber, encouraged administrators to "expeditiously" evaluate disciplinary cases as part of the school's deal with protesters to take down the camp. - The votes are in: Ipswich residents voted yesterday in favor of [removing the historic Ipswich Mills Dam]( (57% to 41%). The non-binding referendum now shifts the focus to the town's select board, which has final say on the matter. - ICYMI: Massachusetts officials reported this week the state's new "millionaires tax" has collected $1.8 billion through the first nine months of the fiscal year — on pace to double initial projections. That money will go into a reserve fund for transportation and education. State House News Service has [more here on how it could be spent](. P.S.— Need some help cultivating your green thumb? Join us tonight at CitySpace for [a special "plant night" edition of our free Field Trip series](. You'll get a 101 lesson in plant care from Quontay Turner, the owner of Norwood's Emerald City Plant Shop, along with tips about watering, repotting, propagating and more. [Reserve your spot](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  The Rundown [Mayor Wu kicks off city's plan to mitigate community violence this summer]( The city of Boston is starting weekend programming for youth, as well as adding additional mental health resources, more youth-focused activities and youth workforce programs, in the hopes of mitigating community violence this summer. [Read more.]( [Mayor Wu kicks off city's plan to mitigate community violence this summer]( The city of Boston is starting weekend programming for youth, as well as adding additional mental health resources, more youth-focused activities and youth workforce programs, in the hopes of mitigating community violence this summer. [Read more.]( [Norway, Ireland and Spain say they will recognize a Palestinian state]( Norway, Ireland and Spain recognized a Palestinian state on Wednesday in a historic move that drew immediate condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. [Read more.]( [Norway, Ireland and Spain say they will recognize a Palestinian state]( Norway, Ireland and Spain recognized a Palestinian state on Wednesday in a historic move that drew immediate condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. [Read more.]( [State reports decline in chronically absent students]( After skyrocketing during the pandemic, the number of students considered "chronically absent" from school is finally starting to drop, though still well above pre-COVID levels. [Read more.]( [State reports decline in chronically absent students]( After skyrocketing during the pandemic, the number of students considered "chronically absent" from school is finally starting to drop, though still well above pre-COVID levels. [Read more.]( [A big survey asked Americans about their finances. Here are some trouble spots]( A new report from the Fed shows little change in family finances over the last year, but rising prices remain a big worry. And parents of children under the age of 18 feel worse off than a year ago. [Read more.]( [A big survey asked Americans about their finances. Here are some trouble spots]( A new report from the Fed shows little change in family finances over the last year, but rising prices remain a big worry. And parents of children under the age of 18 feel worse off than a year ago. [Read more.]( [UMass Amherst faculty, librarians vote no-confidence in chancellor over handling of protest encampment]( UMass Amherst faculty and librarians voted no confidence in Chancellor Javier Reyes on Monday. They said he "created an unsafe environment by summoning a militarized police force" to campus on May 7. More than 130 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested. [Read more.]( [UMass Amherst faculty, librarians vote no-confidence in chancellor over handling of protest encampment]( UMass Amherst faculty and librarians voted no confidence in Chancellor Javier Reyes on Monday. They said he "created an unsafe environment by summoning a militarized police force" to campus on May 7. More than 130 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Ethan Hawke will be at the Coolidge Corner Theatre this week to promote the film "Wildcat," which he directed and stars his daughter, Maya Hawke. WBUR critic Sean Burns [spoke to the actor]( about how he's moved between studio pictures and personal projects throughout his career.  - In the 1950s, Toni Stone became the first woman to join a professional men’s baseball team. Now, [a New England premiere at the Huntington Theatre is shining a light on this forgotten figure’s story](. - The Huntington was also one of the big winners at this week's Elliot Norton Awards, which honors those in the local theatre scene. Jacquinn Sinclar has [a full recap of the winners](.  - This past April saw the [largest year-over-year increase in home sales in Massachusetts]( since June 2021. Real estate experts say it's "a positive sign for both buyers and sellers." Does that mean home prices are falling? Well, not exactly.  - Abbigail Shirk [makes the case for small, inexpensive weddings in this essay for Cognoscenti]( — despite incurring other, non-financial costs. What We're Reading 📚 - Could Martha’s Vineyard run out of weed? ([The Boston Globe]( - How PWHL Boston’s ‘small but mighty’ goalie is fueling their surprising playoff run ([The Athletic]( - OpenAI Just Gave Away the Entire Game ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [Boston honor roll students play first-ever kickball game at Fenway Park]( Students from Dorchester, Roxbury and Charlestown visited Fenway Park for the first-ever kickball game with Massachusetts State Reps. Christopher Worrell and Dan Ryan. [Read more.]( [Boston honor roll students play first-ever kickball game at Fenway Park]( Students from Dorchester, Roxbury and Charlestown visited Fenway Park for the first-ever kickball game with Massachusetts State Reps. Christopher Worrell and Dan Ryan. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [talks with Boston Globe reporter Samantha Gross]( about what she learned on her trip to Italy covering Gov. Maura Healey and Wu. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Add this to the Market Basket store playlist.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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