A bumpy plan for Boston

Also: Mass. overhauls approach to cannabis cafes; remembering Rick Hoyt [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 23, 2023 🌤️ Sunny, with a high near 64. Good Morning Boston, The distant prospect of [new ferries]( and [gondolas]( may be in the headlines this week, but we begin today with a return to the streets. - Get ready to see more speed humps around Boston. Mayor Michelle Wu announced [a new plan]( yesterday aimed at making the city's streets more safe and comfortable for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike. A major pillar of the plan is the installation of about 1,500 new speed humps over the next three years on side streets across the city. - Wu told Radio Boston that the city-led plan includes a "major shift" from the city's old application-based program to a "broader" and "faster" zone-based approach. "In the past, when there have been speed humps kind of sparingly installed, they've been on just one street at a time, with a process for community members and residents to petition and talk about that one street," Wu explained during a subsequent [press conference](. "But then what we find is that drivers will often just go to the next street over, or a parallel one, and that just pushes the speeding cars somewhere else." - FYI: [Speed humps]( are not the same as the speed bumps you may come across in a parking lot. They're asphalt mounds that are shorter and longer, and thus can be driven over a little faster — but not too fast. (The max comfortable speed is around 20 mph.) - Where they'll be: Wu's office says nearly half of the city's 800 miles of streets could be outfitted with speed humps — and they've released [a map allowing people to click and see]( if their street is slated for speed hump installation in 2024 to 2026, or eligible for a future phase. Wu said the city is prioritizing areas with a history of crashes and communities of color, because "according to the numbers, our residents of color experience more traffic-related fatalities." - Where they won't be: Major roadways and streets with more than two lanes (or MBTA bus routes) won't be eligible for speed bumps. Side streets that are hilly or curvy also won't get them. - Not just speed bumps: The new "safety surge" plan also calls for updating up 50 traffic lights and 25-30 non-signalized intersections each year to make crossings safer. The changes include crossing islands, extended curbs, crosswalks that give pedestrians a head start and right-on-red bans. - Almost seven years after voters approved a law to legalize recreational marijuana, Massachusetts is overhauling its approach to [cannabis cafes](. State House News Service [reports]( that the Cannabis Control Commission's new path forward aims to open bar-like social consumption sites statewide "a little quicker" than the old plan. - The old plan started with [a pilot program]( allowing cannabis cafes in 12 communities. But regulators said this would have resulted in extra licensing and bogged down the process for potentially years. - The new plan gets rid of the pilot program, shifting to a statewide licensing and regulatory framework. (It's worth noting that individual cities and towns can still ban cannabis cafes.) - What will cannabis cafes look like when they eventually open? Listen to [this Radio Boston segment for a look inside](. - Boston's [redistricting do-over drama]( soon have real citywide impacts. Wu told Radio Boston yesterday that the city will "probably" have to give up in-person early voting in this September's preliminary City Council elections if a new map isn't approved by next week. (Mail-in voting would still be available, as required by state law.) - Today is technically the deadline for this year's City Council candidates to file their nomination papers, but the city has sent a home rule petition to the State House to give them another month. "That's caused, frankly, quite a lot of stress already," Wu said. - Speaking of elections, residents in [22 communities west of Worcester]( will soon have to pick a new state senator. That's because Gov. Maura Healey [appointed longtime state Sen. Anne Gobi yesterday]( as the administration's new director of rural affairs. The Spencer Democrat's first day in the newly created position is June 5. - The date of the special election is still TBD. It's up to the Senate to schedule it after Gobi — who has represented her purple central Massachusetts district since 2014 — officially resigns. P.S.— It wasn't just speed humps and redistricting yesterday on Radio Boston. You can listen to Wu's full, wide-ranging interview — which also touched on housing, Pride in Boston and [calls for City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo to resign]( — on [our website]( or [the WBUR app](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Rick Hoyt, beloved Boston Marathon stalwart, has died at 61]( Hoyt had cerebral palsy, which left him a quadriplegic, but he and his late father became as much a part of the Boston Marathon as sore feet or Heartbreak Hill. He was 61. [Read more.]( [Rick Hoyt, beloved Boston Marathon stalwart, has died at 61]( Hoyt had cerebral palsy, which left him a quadriplegic, but he and his late father became as much a part of the Boston Marathon as sore feet or Heartbreak Hill. He was 61. [Read more.]( [Biden and McCarthy say debt limit meeting was productive but it ends without a deal]( The two leaders met in person Monday at the White House after a "productive" phone call on Sunday about the debt ceiling. The U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills as early as June 1. [Read more.]( [Biden and McCarthy say debt limit meeting was productive but it ends without a deal]( The two leaders met in person Monday at the White House after a "productive" phone call on Sunday about the debt ceiling. The U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills as early as June 1. [Read more.]( [Boston cyclists hope more commuters give two wheels a spin]( Boston officials hope to encourage at least 8% of commuters to bike to work by 2030. They invited cyclists to City Hall Plaza last week for free bike checks and breakfast. Hundreds of cyclists attended the event. [Read more.]( [Boston cyclists hope more commuters give two wheels a spin]( Boston officials hope to encourage at least 8% of commuters to bike to work by 2030. They invited cyclists to City Hall Plaza last week for free bike checks and breakfast. Hundreds of cyclists attended the event. [Read more.]( [3 people sue cardinal, bishops, over alleged sex abuse by Arlington Catholic High ex-principal]( The lawsuit alleges Steven Biagioni sexually abused the then-teenage plaintiffs between the years 2011 and 2016, according to a release from their attorney. The suit was filed against Cardinal Seán O'Malley, leader of the Archdiocese of Boston, and two other local bishops. [Read more.]( [3 people sue cardinal, bishops, over alleged sex abuse by Arlington Catholic High ex-principal]( The lawsuit alleges Steven Biagioni sexually abused the then-teenage plaintiffs between the years 2011 and 2016, according to a release from their attorney. The suit was filed against Cardinal Seán O'Malley, leader of the Archdiocese of Boston, and two other local bishops. [Read more.]( [Republican Sen. Tim Scott is officially running for president]( Scott announced his run Monday morning in North Charleston, S.C. He has been endorsed by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the second ranking Republican in the Senate. [Read more.]( [Republican Sen. Tim Scott is officially running for president]( Scott announced his run Monday morning in North Charleston, S.C. He has been endorsed by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the second ranking Republican in the Senate. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Massachusetts is one of five states that has extended its pandemic-era free school meals program. High school sophomore Addario Miranda [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( that there are 400,000 reasons for the state to make the program permanent. - Researchers say that [climate change could drive more migration to New England](. As some communities begin to plan ahead, NHPR reports that the challenge is illuminating problems in social and physical infrastructure that have been around for a long time. - NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour host Aisha Harris [writes that the new star-studded remake of "The Little Mermaid" is the latest in Disney's "uninspired" formula]( Take a beloved animated property, update its sensibilities for modern audiences, recast it with a bunch of familiar faces and voices and rehash it all in “live-action”/CGI form.  What We're Reading 📚 - How Much Does It Cost to Live Like This? ([Curbed]( - A census mistake reveals surprising details about U.S. Hispanics and Latinos ([Washington Post]( - The rise and fall of Rachael Rollins ([The Boston Globe](  Tell Me Something Good [4 fitness classes in Boston you can take for free this summer]( If you're on a budget or simply looking to ditch the gym this summer, here are four free fitness classes in Boston you'll want to try. [Read more.]( [4 fitness classes in Boston you can take for free this summer]( If you're on a budget or simply looking to ditch the gym this summer, here are four free fitness classes in Boston you'll want to try. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [previews this weekend's Boston Calling lineup](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [What's his age again?]( 🎸 😎 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 © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.