Wu softens North End outdoor dining fee

Also: Was omicron more deadly than it needed to be in Mass? Markey asks feds to keep transit mask mandate [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 29, 2022 ☀️ Sunny, with a high near 39. Good Morning Boston, Let's try not to [hit any additional cold records]( today, if possible (I mean, yesterday's weather had [Montana looking pretty nice](. Now, here's the latest on the chilly fight over outdoor dining in Boston's North End, as well as other news this morning: - Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is offering some North End restaurants a workaround to her administration's controversial outdoor dining fee for eateries in the closely knit neighborhood. - During [her monthly appearance Monday on Radio Boston]( Wu said for the first time that certain restaurants could apply for a "hardship waiver" to address some of the concerns. Restaurants can apply if they don't have a liquor license, have limited space for patio seating or aren't located on a popular street like Hanover or Salem. Wu's office told me she will have more to say on this during a press conference at City Hall this afternoon. - Wu also told Radio Boston that restaurants don't necessarily have to pay [the $7,500 fee]( upfront next month, but could instead pay in $1,500 monthly installments. - Her comments come as dozens of North End eateries [threaten to sue the city]( over the $7,500 fee for using public sidewalks and street space for patio seating. There's also $450-500 monthly fee for each parking spot a restaurant uses. No other neighborhood is being subjected to such fees, but Wu says it's a compromise between North End restaurants and residents, some of whom oppose the return of outdoor dining due to its impacts on traffic, trash cleanup and noise. - Wu also reiterated Monday that she's willing to cancel outdoor dining for the North End if a "critical mass" of restaurants don't feel the fees are "workable." - Listen to the full interview — during which Wu also spoke about the Government Center parking garage accident, the search for a new superintendent and the state's open container law — [here](. - Not so fast? Sen. Ed Markey is against President Biden's administration lifting the mask requirement for public transportation, arguing that "COVID remains a serious, ongoing danger," especially for seniors and the immunocompromised. - The mandate — perhaps the most sweeping mask requirement still in place — is currently slated to expire on April 18. [In a letter to the CDC and TSA]( Markey wants it extended beyond that (though his office declined to say how long). - Gas prices may have dropped a bit from their peak over the last few weeks, but don't expect them to fall much further anytime soon. The average price per gallon in Massachusetts [has leveled off around $4.24]( and AAA says "elevated prices will likely be the norm as we approach peak demand later this spring." - Heads up, night owls and early-bird commuters: MassDOT will be closing the I-90 westbound lane of the Ted Williams Tunnel for paving next Monday through Friday from midnight to 5 a.m. Drivers will be detoured through the Sumner Tunnel. - Speaking of tunnels, the [downtown suspensions of Green Line and Orange Line subway service]( will continue through Wednesday at a minimum, as MBTA crews work to inspect the infrastructure below the partially collapsed Government Center parking garage. But it could be longer. MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak told WBUR's Dave Faneuf that there's no timeline for the completion of the checks. - Shout out to the Boston Pride, who came back to [beat the Connecticut Whale last night]( and repeat as league champions of the Premier Hockey Federation (formerly known as the National Women's Hockey League). In addition to the Isobel Cup, the team also won [some very cool bucket hats](. I'm a bit jealous. P.S.— The first full-scale springtime Boston Marathon since before the COVID-19 pandemic is less than a month away. We’re wondering if some people are running the race this April in honor of loved ones lost to virus. If this is you — or someone you know — please get in touch by replying to this email. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Was omicron more deadly than it needed to be in Mass.? Some experts say yes]( The numbers suggest Massachusetts fared better than many other states during the omicron wave, but also could have done better. Some experts question whether enough was done to get boosters to those who need them the most. [Read more.]( [Was omicron more deadly than it needed to be in Mass.? Some experts say yes]( The numbers suggest Massachusetts fared better than many other states during the omicron wave, but also could have done better. Some experts question whether enough was done to get boosters to those who need them the most. [Read more.]( [Free COVID tests and treatments no longer free for uninsured, as funding runs out]( The Biden administration has asked Congress to allocate $22.5 billion more for pandemic relief. But the funding is stalled and the effects are already being felt. 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Last Seen's [new episode looks at forces that punished Willis for daring to live the American dream](. What We're Reading 📚 - Why Teachers Are Afraid to Teach History ([The New Republic]( - Scientists object to inclusion in Globe’s Philip Morris ads ([CommonWealth Magazine]( - Chris Wallace Says Life at Fox News Became ‘Unsustainable’ ([The New York Times)]( PSA [Tired of paying too many digital subscriptions? Here are some free and cheap alternatives]( Here & Now spoke to Washington Post technology reporter Heather Kelly about some ways to cut back if your subscriptions are piling up. [Read more.]( [Tired of paying too many digital subscriptions? Here are some free and cheap alternatives]( Here & Now spoke to Washington Post technology reporter Heather Kelly about some ways to cut back if your subscriptions are piling up. [Read more.]( Before you go: [Just another Monday on the MBTA](. 😎 Forward to a friend. 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