What's driving Boston's school bus problems

Also: Boston Common's new "awe-inspiring" MLK memorial; DPU's dangerously distant approach to the T [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 12, 2023 🌨️ A chance of snow this morning, then rain, with a high of 39. Good Morning Boston, Go catch [a couple snowflakes]( if you still can before the rain [moves in today](. (I wish I could say the forecast was at least good news for the ski slopes, but it looks like most of New England is in for a wet and balmy Friday.) Click [here]( and [here]( for a rough visualization of when and where the snow changes over to rain across the region. Now, to the news: - Boston's school bus system isn't just [notoriously unreliable](. It's also really expensive. And a new report compiled by an outside nonprofit group hired to help fix the district's school bus problem [spells out the "frustrating tangle of causes"]( for both problems. While [a lack of drivers and competition in the industry]( has fueled recent concerns, WBUR's Max Larkin reports that some challenges are baked into the nature of Boston Public Schools. Let's break it down: - BPS's bus fleet serves 21,500 students and over 200 public, charter, parochial and private schools. Because of the city's school choice system, many students attend schools far from their homes — meaning more buses driving more miles each day. The report didn't take issue with the school choice policy, but noted that it's not exactly a recipe for efficiency. - Making matters worse: The report found that buses have to deal with dozens of different school start times: 24 different morning bell times, 20 midday bell times and 29 afternoon bell times. - For starters: The report recommended streamlining BPS school start times and coordinating them with local private schools. However, a previous effort in 2017 to implement district-wide start times [stalled amid backlash from some parents](. - Progress? As part of the state's systemic improvement plan with BPS, the district has set a goal of a 95% on-time arrival rate for school buses. According to Superintendent Mary Skipper, they're at 91% since the holiday break and had a 93% on-time rate in December. Still, Skipper noted they have "a long way to go” to address the core issues identified by the report. - Boston health officials have [published their first city-specific COVID wastewater report]( as part of their new wastewater surveillance program that uses samples from 11 manholes across the city. The program gives officials a closer look at local COVID trends than the MWRA's regional monitoring system, as well as detailed neighborhood data. (The new report shows wastewater data through Jan. 4.) - Zoom out a bit: The MWRA's [more recent wastewater]( (based on samples submitted through Jan. 10) is showing a big drop in infections across the Boston area since the post-holiday spike. - The city of Cambridge is holding a community meeting tonight to discuss [last week's fatal police shooting of 20-year-old Sayed Faisal](. Police say Faisal charged at them with a machete-style knife, despite attempts to deescalate the situation. However, [several hundred protesters gathered Monday outside Cambridge City Hall]( to express frustration with the response. They say Faisal — who was remembered as friendly and nonviolent — was having a mental health crisis. - Tonight's public meeting will run 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School on Putnam Avenue. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and several Cambridge officials will be there to discuss the shooting and answer questions. - Eight years after Eversource first proposed a controversial electrical substation on the banks of the Chelsea Creek in East Boston, construction has [officially began on the $103 million project](. WBUR's Miriam Wasser reports that a few workers have arrived on the long-empty site, which will soon be filled with crews and vehicles. - Eversource says construction will take two years, but isn't expected to cause any electrical service disruptions for local residents. - [Click here]( for a rendering of what the substation will look like, as well as background on why the project has fueled such vehement opposition among East Boston residents and activists. P.S.— The situation at Logan airport has mostly cleared up after [yesterday's FAA outage affected over 400 flights coming in or out of Boston](. Still, if you're flying today, MassPort suggests checking in with your airline before heading to the airport — just to be safe. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown ['A representation of vulnerability and security': Memorial honoring the Kings opens on Boston Common]( The monument, designed by Hank Willis Thomas, is two stories high, and the plaza’s width is about double that. Imari Paris Jeffries, executive director of Embrace, said the “scale and magnitude is one of the thing that makes this monument awe-inspiring when you see it.” [Read more.]( ['A representation of vulnerability and security': Memorial honoring the Kings opens on Boston Common]( The monument, designed by Hank Willis Thomas, is two stories high, and the plaza’s width is about double that. Imari Paris Jeffries, executive director of Embrace, said the “scale and magnitude is one of the thing that makes this monument awe-inspiring when you see it.” [Read more.]( [As the T missed safety investigation deadlines, state regulators failed to act]( Federal officials say the DPU must use its enforcement power to keep the T safe. Public records show the DPU has routinely allowed the T to miss deadlines, and has at times neglected its responsibility to conduct independent reviews of safety investigations. [Read more.]( [As the T missed safety investigation deadlines, state regulators failed to act]( Federal officials say the DPU must use its enforcement power to keep the T safe. Public records show the DPU has routinely allowed the T to miss deadlines, and has at times neglected its responsibility to conduct independent reviews of safety investigations. [Read more.]( [Here's the latest on the NOTAM outage that caused flight delays and cancellations]( The Federal Aviation Administration said late Wednesday that early work traced the blackout to a "damaged database file." [Read more.]( [Here's the latest on the NOTAM outage that caused flight delays and cancellations]( The Federal Aviation Administration said late Wednesday that early work traced the blackout to a "damaged database file." [Read more.]( [The FDA no longer requires all drugs to be tested on animals before human trials]( In a victory for animal rights advocates, drugmakers can take their products to human clinical trials using alternative testing methods that don't involve animals. [Read more.]( [The FDA no longer requires all drugs to be tested on animals before human trials]( In a victory for animal rights advocates, drugmakers can take their products to human clinical trials using alternative testing methods that don't involve animals. [Read more.]( [Study taps pharmacies as addiction treatment option during opioid crisis]( Few patients who might benefit from medications to treat an addiction to opioids receive them. Treatment programs may be inconvenient or may not have openings. One possible remedy is having pharmacists help out. A pilot program finds pharmacy-based treatment can be effective and safe. [Read more.]( [Study taps pharmacies as addiction treatment option during opioid crisis]( Few patients who might benefit from medications to treat an addiction to opioids receive them. Treatment programs may be inconvenient or may not have openings. One possible remedy is having pharmacists help out. A pilot program finds pharmacy-based treatment can be effective and safe. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - It's already another holiday weekend, and our arts and culture team has some ideas for how to fill your (hopefully) three days off. You can reflect on MLK’s legacy at an open house at the Museum of Fine Arts or experience a recreation of Coretta Scott King’s concerts in Cambridge. Read the [full list of things to do here](. - The bleakness of winter calls for some compelling music to fill the void. The good news is [our winter music guide has you covered]( with new releases from DIY indie masterminds, Southern Gothic hip-hoppers, local bluegrass favorites and a few Boston expats. - Also in our winter arts guide: [seven local film festivals to get excited about this season](. The list includes a monthlong run of romances at Coolidge Corner Theatre, a sci-fi fest at Somerville Theatre and a rich showcase of Iranian filmmaking at the MFA. - NASA's James Webb telescope [has discovered its first exoplanet]( — or, in other words, a planet outside our solar system. In fact, the planet, named LHS 475 b, is almost the exact same size as Earth, except several hundred degrees hotter.  What We're Reading 📚 - As one of the earliest local COVID cases, he was hospitalized for 100 days. Now, he’s devoted to helping others ([The Boston Globe]( - A Secret Society Tied to the Underground Railroad Fights to Save Its Home ([The New York Times]( - To Save Birds From Invading Americans, One Man in Poland Built Floating Forts ([Atlas Obscura](  Tell Me Something Good [A Connecticut family found a hibernating bear under their deck. Now Marty is "part of the family." (The Boston Globe)]( The black bear was spotted sleeping under the deck of a Connecticut home at the end of December. A video of the animal on TikTok has since racked up more than 15 million views. [Read more.]( [A Connecticut family found a hibernating bear under their deck. Now Marty is "part of the family." (The Boston Globe)]( The black bear was spotted sleeping under the deck of a Connecticut home at the end of December. A video of the animal on TikTok has since racked up more than 15 million views. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [talks to WBUR's Beth Healey about her new investigation]( into the state's lax regulation of the MBTA. Before you go: [Cookies]( are bipartisan. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   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. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2022 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.