Slow goings

Also: A warm and wet Boston winter comes to a close; our spring arts guides are here! [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 20, 2023 🌸 Sunny, with a high near 50. Good Morning Boston, And goodbye, winter. Spring officially begins this evening. Meteorologist Danielle Noyes writes that [the Boston area is expected to get another warmer-than-normal season]( though it's not the time to go out and plant your garden just yet. The new season also means it's time for [our 2023 spring arts guides]( which will be rolling out all week! But first, the news: - WBUR's Walter Wuthmann [reports that thousands of revelers braved the widespread MBTA slow zones]( to make it to yesterday's South Boston St. Patrick's Day parade — but riders will have a marginally faster commute this week. While [it took longer than expected]( MBTA officials announced last night that the end-to-end speed restrictions on the Green Line are now lifted. However, smaller slow zones will still cover about 18% of the Green Line. So, we're not out of the woods yet. - The big picture: Full-length speed restrictions have been lifted on all four subway lines, but the T estimates that smaller slow zones still cover 25% of the system. That's nearly quadruple [the 6.5% of track]( that was under speed restrictions as of Jan. 31, before a state inspection this month [led interim General Manager Jeff Gonneville to order the full system to slow down to 10-25 mph](. - T officials says riders should continue to plan for longer waits and additional travel time. They also released [an alternative service guide]( detailing how riders can take the commuter rail instead. - Gonneville [said Friday that he's satisfied with the T's progress lifting slow zones]( though he understands riders' frustrations. He explained that the process of reinspecting the tracks for potential defects is painstaking and out of an abundance of caution. - What's next: It remains unclear how much time it will take before the T's subway lines return to something close to normal speeds. (The system is also still [running less frequent trains due to staffing challenges]( But riders will at least get additional transparency this week: MBTA officials plan to unveil a "dynamic" and "comprehensive" new slow zone dashboard Thursday morning. - In the meantime: You can use the transit advocacy group Transit Matters' [slow zone tracker]( for the Red, Orange and Blue lines. MBTA slow zone tracker (Transit Matters) - Home sales in Massachusetts dropped again last month. A new report this morning from the state's realtors association found that 1,900 single-family homes were sold in February — 20% less than in February 2022. (Condos sales were also down 23%.) - Prices, however, are still higher than last year, due to the state's concerning lack of inventory. (The median sales price was $520,000 for single-family homes and $465,000 for condos.) New listings were also down over 20% compared to 2022. And the realtors' association has said the combination of high prices, mortgages rates and few options has scared off many buyers. - The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS says they're optimistic that a "more balanced market" will return this spring — thanks to national inventory increases and falling mortgage rates. - Heads up, Cape Cod travelers: A multi-week, 24/7 lane closure begins today on the Sagamore Bridge. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say that traffic will be reduced from two lanes to one in each direction from now into May so crews can do “critical” repair work on the 88-year-old span. Expect delays during the morning and afternoon rush hours if the Sagamore is your pick for crossing the Cape Cod Canal. - Squeezing it in: While the project’s start date has been delayed since the start of March, the Corps says they still plan to have the work finished before the busy Memorial Day weekend. - The long-term plan: State officials have been[lobbying for federal help replacing the two aging Cape Cod bridges](. President Joe Biden's [recently proposed budget]( includes $350 million for the bridges, which Gov. Maura Healey described as a "down payment" on what is ultimately estimated to be a $3-4 billion project. But [as the The Boston Globe notes]( there's still a long road ahead through a divided Congress. P.S.— Bob Oakes is back at 'BUR tonight! Join the former Morning Edition host at CitySpace for [a conversation with New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik]( about a foundational human question: how do we learn and master a new skill? They'll discuss why people seek to better themselves in the first place and how true mastery — in any field — requires mastering other people’s minds. You can [get tickets here](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [A warm and wet winter comes to a close in Boston]( The 2022-2023 meteorological winter ended up being the fifth warmest ever in terms of average temperature for the city of Boston. [Read more.]( [A warm and wet winter comes to a close in Boston]( The 2022-2023 meteorological winter ended up being the fifth warmest ever in terms of average temperature for the city of Boston. [Read more.]( [Trump claims that he will be arrested this week]( The claim comes as a New York prosecutor considers charging him in connection with hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. There has been no announcement of plans for an indictment. [Read more.]( [Trump claims that he will be arrested this week]( The claim comes as a New York prosecutor considers charging him in connection with hush money paid to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. There has been no announcement of plans for an indictment. [Read more.]( [SVB bulked up with 2 Mass. companies. Now they’re caught up in its unraveling]( While regulators look to sell Silicon Valley Bank, its parent company has filed for bankruptcy protection and put its Boston-based investment group on the block. [Read more.]( [SVB bulked up with 2 Mass. companies. Now they’re caught up in its unraveling]( While regulators look to sell Silicon Valley Bank, its parent company has filed for bankruptcy protection and put its Boston-based investment group on the block. [Read more.]( [UBS to buy troubled Credit Suisse in deal brokered by Swiss government]( UBS will buy rival Credit Suisse for more than $3 billion in a deal brokered by Swiss officials to try and prevent a banking crisis. [Read more.]( [UBS to buy troubled Credit Suisse in deal brokered by Swiss government]( UBS will buy rival Credit Suisse for more than $3 billion in a deal brokered by Swiss officials to try and prevent a banking crisis. [Read more.]( [Boston’s new 'night czar' Corean Reynolds details her vision for the city's nightlife, challenges and what comes next]( Reynolds was recently appointed to lead a team focused on making Boston’s nightlife more vibrant and inclusive. In one of her first interviews since beginning work, Reynolds talks about her aspirations and intentions for the city’s after-dark scene. [Read more.]( [Boston’s new 'night czar' Corean Reynolds details her vision for the city's nightlife, challenges and what comes next]( Reynolds was recently appointed to lead a team focused on making Boston’s nightlife more vibrant and inclusive. In one of her first interviews since beginning work, Reynolds talks about her aspirations and intentions for the city’s after-dark scene. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - We're kicking off our springs arts guides with some tunes. Charley Ruddell [highlights seven new albums to listen to this season]( featuring music from New England to South Africa. Plus, Lloyd Schwartz [rounds up the best classical music shows in the Boston area this spring](. - Despite the cold temperatures and blustery winds, Boston's annual St. Patrick's Day parade drew hundreds of thousands of attendees to South Boston's streets. [Check out photos of the parade here](. - It's not just home prices. NPR[reports that car prices also remain stubbornly high due to the lingering effects of the pandemic](. But if you squint hard enough, you may be able to see a few silver linings. - Miles Howard [writes in this commentary]( that hopes for rehabilitating the MBTA will be "realized or ruined by state leaders who have acted with indifference as the MBTA corrodes and buckles."  What We're Reading 📚 - A Four-Decade Secret: One Man’s Story of Sabotaging Carter’s Re-election ([The New York Times]( - Wealthy Executives Make Millions Trading Competitors’ Stock With Remarkable Timing ([ProPublica]( - What Made Taylor Swift’s Concert Unbelievable ([The Atlantic](  Tell Me Something Good [Politicians trade jabs and jokes at the annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast in Boston (The Boston Globe)]( The breakfast was held at the Ironworkers Local 7 Hall and hosted by state Senator Nick Collins kicked off with a festive start, featuring live music and plenty of humor. [Read more.]( [Politicians trade jabs and jokes at the annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast in Boston (The Boston Globe)]( The breakfast was held at the Ironworkers Local 7 Hall and hosted by state Senator Nick Collins kicked off with a festive start, featuring live music and plenty of humor. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common breaks down the EPA's recently proposed PFAS regulations and [what they mean for your drinking water — and possibly your water bill, too](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Close enough.]( 😎 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. 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