WBUR TODAY: The T's traffic problem

 

❤️ Donate Friday, November 21, 2025 🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high near 48. Good Morning Boston, Happy Friday. Today's the recommended deadline if you're buying a frozen turkey for Thanksgiving next week. But first, let's get to the news: WHAT HAPPENED TO SLOW ZONE SHORTSLEEVE? DIDN'T HE SOLVE ALL MBTA PROBLEMS? SLOW ZONE SHORTSLEEVE & THE WHITE TOOTHED GOVERNOR LEFT DISASTERS AT THE MBTA FOR GOV. MAURA HEALEY & MBTA PHIL ENG TO ADDRESS...WHICH THEY ARE SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESSING! Too fast too furious: Anyone who rides the Orange Line has felt the dramatic improvement over the past couple of years. Slow zones have been erased from the map. Trains are going as fast as 55 mph for the first time in recorded history. And this fall, the MBTA ran 422 scheduled trips a day — up from just 282 a year and a half ago. But in a slightly ironic twist, the Orange Line has a new problem: congestion. As T officials explained at a meeting yesterday, the line is running trains so frequently and so fast that they are often encountering a bit of a logjam at each end of the line. In an interview, Deirdre Habershaw, the T's deputy chief operating officer, described the situation as "sort of an unintended consequence" of all the improvements. The problem: The issue began last spring and intensified in August when they started running Orange Line trains up to 55 mph north of Boston, Habershaw said. During peak hours, trains arriving at Oak Grove and Forest Hills were coming in so hot on the heels of the previous trains that neither side of the platform was free. So they had to stop and wait, often erasing the gains of all the improvements. According to Habershaw, one in every 10 trains arriving into Oak Grove saw about an eight-minute delay as a result. "Anyone who's heard that we're standing by for a schedule adjustment, that is because there isn't another location for the entering train to arrive," she said. The solution: While the T was able to ease the issue a little this fall via schedule tweaks, they began testing out other ideas. Enter "the dropback." Typically, when an Orange Line train reaches the end of the line, the driver has to walk to the other end of the train to drive back out in the other direction. To speed up the turnaround, the dropback adds another driver into the rotation. Now, when a train reaches its terminus, there's another driver waiting to hop on and drive it out, while the current driver gets out and "drops back" to the next train. (If you, like some MBTA board members, find it confusing, just watch this animation.) Now what? Habershaw said the dropbacks will be implemented at Oak Grove when the new winter schedule takes effect on Dec. 15. She estimates it will save an additional two minutes. "It seems small ... but if you think about the folks that are on that train, that means making a bus connection or not," she said. "It can be precious minutes." Habershaw said there's an added benefit of giving train drivers an informal break  to stretch their legs, use the restroom or simply reset before getting back in the train cab. "Not everything that we do needs to be a big, expensive capital [project], like new trains and all that stuff," Habershaw said. "We can tweak these operational things and have some really good payoff." In related news: T officials said yesterday they expect the final two new Orange Line cars of its 152-car order to arrive next month, following delays due to federal reviews of the Chinese-manufactured train shells. But there's still a long way to go before we get the full 252-car fleet of new Red Line trains. The fallout continues: Former Harvard president Larry Summers and his wife briefly visited convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's private island during their honeymoon in 2005. The Harvard Crimson broke the news yesterday, less than a day after Summers announced he would go on leave from his teaching position at Harvard in the wake of newly released emails showing he maintained a friendly relationship with Epstein years after he was convicted for sex crimes. (Summers has not been charged or implicated in any criminal activity related to Epstein.) On campus: WBUR's Suevon Lee reports that Harvard faculty members are praising the university's decision to launch a new investigation into the connections between Epstein and school members like Summers. Meanwhile: The recently released emails also show that Epstein had a tight friendship with MIT professor Noam Chomsky. As WBUR's Christine Willmsen reports, the two chatted about politics, music and vacation. PSA: If you've been thinking about adopting a dog, now is the time. Following two large police seizures of neglected dogs, the MSPCA says its shelters are at capacity. So the organization is offering prospective dog parents a discount with a "pay what you can" adoption event today and tomorrow. (Usually, adoption fees are up to $500.) MSPCA facilities in Boston, Salem, Methuen and Centerville are all taking part. P.S. — The EPA recently finalized its plan to clean up a local body of water. Do you know which one? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of the stories we covered this week. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Senior Editor, Newsletters The Rundown Mass. officials rebuke ‘dangerous’ vaccine misinformation added to CDC website Massachusetts health officials are scrubbing links to federal health data from their web pages after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week promoted the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. Read more. How could Trump interfere in the midterms? Here's what voting officials are watching Less than a year from the midterm elections, state and local voting officials from both major political parties are actively preparing for the possibility of interference by the Trump administration. Read more. More than half of the Allston Car Wash workers arrested by ICE freed by immigration judge Six of the nine Allston Car Wash workers recently detained by ICE have been granted bail, as a Chelmsford immigration judge ordered three more workers to be freed on Thursday. Read more. Super PAC illegally coordinated with Diehl campaign in 2022 election, regulators say State campaign finance regulators found that former Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl and a super PAC that backed his campaign illegally coordinated during the 2022 election by hiring the same media consultant — with no firewall in place to prevent sharing of information. Read more. More women can join lawsuit against John Hancock over hidden camera, judge rules The women blame John Hancock for how the company handled the discovery and investigation of a hidden camera after it was found in 2019 in the women's locker room at the company's then-headquarters in the Seaport. Read more. Anything Else? The White House is walking back President Trump's social media post calling a video by some Democratic lawmakers "seditious behavior, punishable by DEATH!" The video posted by seven members of Congress, including one from New Hampshire, urged members to the military to "refuse illegal orders." excerpt:       BLEACH BLOND BRAIN DEAD KAROLINE          LEAVITT - EVEN MORE STUPID THAN HER          PREDECESSORS!         White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said                 Thursday President Trump does not actually want to              see members of  Congress executed despite his social           media post earlier in the day,  calling a video by some           members "seditious behavior, punishable by DEATH!"         Members of the military do swear an oath to the                      Constitution and are trained that "following orders" is           not a defense for illegal acts.         The lawmakers issued a joint statement to Trump's                 response, saying in part, "We are veterans and national          security professionals who love this country and swore          an oath to protect  and defend the Constitution of the             United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend          to keep it. No threat, intimidation, or call for violence             will deter us from that sacred obligation."            "Every American must unite and condemn the                           President's calls for our murder and political violence.           This is a time for moral  clarity," they said. FROM MEIDAS TOUCH NETWORK RON FILIPKOWSKI:  (IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED ELSEWHERE THAT NAZI STEPHEN MILLER WAS THE SOURCE FOR THESE LIES & ATTACKS - MILLER HAS NO LEGAL EDUCATION & CONTINUES TO SPEW LIES & DISINFORMATION.)  … Mark Kelly: “I’ve had a missile blow up next to my airplane, been shot at dozens of time by anti-aircraft fire, and launched into orbit - all for my country. I never thought I’d see a president call for my execution.” … Fox legal analyst and National Review editor Andy McCarthy: “There is no insurrection or sedition without the use of force. Disobeying a lawful order is insubordination, not insurrection or sedition. Disobeying an unlawful order is required. That is all.” … Gavin Newsom: “The President of the United States of America just called for the death of Democratic lawmakers. This man is sick in the head.” … Sen. Chuck Schumer: “When Trump uses the language of execution and treason, some of his supporters may very well listen. He is lighting a match in a country soaked with political gasoline.” … Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA): “The President of the United States calling for Democratic members of Congress to be hanged helps explain why members of the military may need to disobey unlawful orders at some point.” … Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT): “It is especially important for members of Trump’s own party to denounce this kind of violent rhetoric. Rep. Greene, I appreciated your interview with Dana Bash where you spoke about turning down the temperature. This is a great opportunity for you to call on the president to do so.” … Democratic congressional candidate and veteran Fred Wellman: “It is the duty of our service members to disobey illegal orders. The leadership that fired all of the Judge Advocates General the first day Hegseth took charge knows that. The only reason you fire the lawyers is to cover your illegal acts.” … The lawmakers who made the video responded to Trump with this joint statement: “We are veterans and national security professionals who love this country and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.” … “What’s most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law. Our service members should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders. It is not only the right thing to do, but also our duty.” … “But this isn’t about any one of us. This isn’t about politics. This is about who we are as Americans. Every American must unite and condemn the President’s calls for our murder and political violence. This is a time for moral clarity. In these moments, fear is contagious, but so is courage. We will continue to lead and will not be intimidated. Don’t Give Up the Ship!” … Stephen Miller was also losing his mind about it on Fox: “It is insurrection, plainly, directly without question! These lawmakers should honestly resign in disgrace, and never return to public office again, for even daring to think, let alone to say these words and to say them proudly.” … Jason Crow responded to Miller: “Oh no, we triggered Snowflake Stephen! The President is trampling on the Constitution. Stop politicizing our troops. Stop illegal military strikes. Stop pitting our servicemembers against the American people.” … Slotkin did also: “This is the law. Passed down from our Founding Fathers, to ensure our military upholds its oath to the Constitution - not a king. Given you’re directing much of a military policy, you should buff up on the Uniformed Code of Military Justice.” … Kelly (D-AZ): “I got shot at serving our country in combat, and I was there when your boss sent a violent mob to attack the Capitol. I know the difference between defending our Constitution and an insurrection, even if you don’t.” … NBC: “The senior military lawyer for the combatant command overseeing lethal strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats near Venezuela disagreed with the Trump admin’s position that the operations are lawful — and his views were sidelined, according to 6 sources. Marine Col. Paul Meagher, who serves as the senior JAG at US Southern Command, raised his legal concerns in Aug before the strikes began.” … “The opinion of the top lawyer for the command overseeing a military operation is typically critical to whether or not the operation moves forward. While higher officials can overrule such lawyers, it is rare for operations to move forward without incorporating their advice.” … Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Chris Cuomo’s podcast: “There is no resistance on the Republican side. They are afraid, they are frightened to cross him. He’s become more involved in primaries than any president has. They are just afraid. Even the ones who have a correct instinct are afraid to say anything.” … Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) on CNN: “Congress doesn’t work the way it used to. It used to be that you could negotiate with Senate Republicans and they would stick to the agreement they made. Today all that matters is what Trump believes, so you really can’t negotiate with Senate or House Republicans because they are just waiting for Trump to tell them what to do.” MUST READ! ICE GESTAPO ABUSE - AIMING A TASER AT A PROTESTER? After ICE agents mistakenly detained a high school intern outside a Providence courthouse yesterday, Rhode Island's highest-ranking judge said the legal system will look into making virtual hearings more accessible. excerpt: Diego Castillo, an organizer with the Rhode Island Deportation Defense Network, spoke at Thursday’s rally. (Ben Berke/Ocean State Media) As federal ICE agents continue to make arrests outside local courthouses, Rhode Island’s highest-ranking judge issued a rare press release on Thursday announcing that the state court system needs to “focus on ways to enhance access to virtual hearings and to educate the public as to how to request such hearings. The statement arrived at the end of a chaotic Thursday, during which court officials said ICE agents mistakenly detained a high school intern working in the Providence County Superior Court. Those agents wound up face to face with protesters, who had gathered for a pre-scheduled rally to call on court officials to expand virtual hearing access. During the confrontation, a masked ICE agent stepped out of an unmarked vehicle to aim a taser at protesters before driving away.  “ICE is coming to court houses to pick people up because they know they have to come to court, right?” Providence City Council President Rachel Miller, who spoke at the rally, said in an interview. “And so by letting people engage the legal system in a virtual way, it eliminates that danger.”  Maya Lehrer, an organizer with the recently formed Rhode Island Deportation Defense Network, which hosted the rally, said the group began stationing volunteers outside local courthouses in September, and documenting frequent instances where ICE detained people on their way in or out. A former Boston City Hall staffer who claims she was wrongfully terminated after an alleged violent argument that centered around one of the mayor’s top cabinet members is urging a court to unseal police body camera footage from her arrest last spring. As WBUR's Eve Zuckoff reports, Marwa Khudaynazar argues the footage will prove she did not strike a police officer. Katie Kurtzman’s 40th birthday featured flannel, Dr. Martens and a ’90s cover band. Since then, as Kurtzman writes in this Cognoscenti commentary, she's been chasing the high of that night by buying tickets for every ’90s band performing within driving distance. What We're Reading 📚 Lexington man exposes school district for intentionally overestimating costs of public records (The Boston Globe) Reporter bots come to western Mass (The Shoestring) How to Fix a Typewriter and Your Life (The New York Times) Tell Me Something Good Meet the Drake Maye Account Taking Over Patriots Social Media (Sports Illustrated) What started as a joke Instagram page has blossomed into 155,000 followers on the platform, including 29,000 more over on X. According to person behind the page, it wasn't meant to be this way. Read more. Play: WBUR's daily mini crossword. Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: One more contender for your Most Boston photo. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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