😫🚗 Bad news for drivers this week

🌊 One hack to beat Cape traffic: Swim! At least that’s what this Bambi tried to do last week (don’t worry, it’s OK). We were also today years old when we learned deer can swim. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

😤 Describe this summer travel season in three words? “We’re back, baby!” That’s according to AAA Northeast spokesperson Mark Schieldrop. AAA projects nearly 44 million people will travel at least 50 miles over Memorial Day weekend, exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the first time. And 38.4 million of them are roadtrippers, the highest MDW numbers since AAA began tracking in 2000. Translation: Prepare for a ton of traffic.

Here’s how to beat the MDW holiday road rush:

🚗 The worst times to drive: Midday. Thursday and Friday are going to see the worst road traffic between noon and 6 p.m., according to data from transportation analytics company INRIX (that’s when normal traffic starts mixing with travel traffic). Coming home, steer clear of the roads on Saturday between 2 and 5 p.m., and Sunday and Monday between 3 and 7 p.m.

👯 But if you must leave midday … Bring a buddy because MassDOT says the I-93 Boston-Quincy HOV lane will open early at 2 p.m. Thursday and 1 p.m. Friday. 

🏡 The best times to drive: Mornings and late evenings are the move on Thursday and Friday, with AAA suggesting you dip before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m. On the schlep home, hit the road before 1 p.m. Sunday or after 7 p.m. Monday. 

🚧 Good news: You won’t have to worry about construction. No scheduled roadway work will be permitted from 5 a.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Tuesday, according to MassDOT. And most importantly, the Sumner Tunnel will be open the entire weekend.

⛽ Bonus: Gas prices shouldn’t break the bank. After a spike in April, gas prices have been ticking down the last three weeks. So aside from the highway tourist traps, Schieldrop thinks drivers can expect to pay below $4 a gallon through Memorial Day. 

✈️ Hitting the skies? Airports are also bracing for a big spike, with AAA expecting 3.51 million people flying over MDW, a 9% jump compared to 2019. And there are a few factors at play: The dollar is strong, “hence why international travel is strong,” Schieldrop said (in some cases, Europe is cheaper than Disney World). Plus, there’s residual “revenge travel” from the pandemic years when many folks opted to stay close to home.

🎂🎨 They’re turning 25 on May 25 – and you’re invited to create your own artist retreat in the Berkshires! Take advantage of free admission to MASS MoCA from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., complete with open studios from artists-in-residence and hands-on art making. Boost your experience with special ticketed events like a concert with Son Lux, who created the score for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and The Plastic Bag Store, an immersive experience which questions our culture of consumption and convenience. Join in the celebration on the MASS MoCA campus in North Adams, Mass., this Saturday.

💸 The millionaires tax is bringing in billions. The tax — a.k.a. the “fair share amendment” — which levies an extra 4% on yearly incomes over $1 million, has brought in over $1.8 billion already with three months to go in its first year. That’s about $800 million more than state officials budgeted for, meaning the state will have a couple hundred million more to spend on education and transportation initiatives. Any extra cash beyond what’s currently budgeted will be stowed in a reserve account for one-time projects and investments.

🎓 Harvard’s faculty wants student protestors to graduate. Remember how some Harvard students were protesting the punishments of students involved in their pro-Palestinian encampment, including some being blocked from graduation? Well, now Harvard Arts and Sciences faculty members have officially put in a good word for them in the form of an official vote to allow those 13 students to graduate this Thursday. The ball is now in the university’s court to decide whether they’ll take the recommendation.

✊🏿 The road to reparations is a marathon, not a sprint. When Mayor Wu first appointed Boston’s reparations task force, it was a major step toward equity for Black Bostonians. But the next major step … might take longer than expected. According to the Globe, Black Bostonians won’t be able to weigh in on the process until at least 2025, which means reparations could take years longer to materialize. Meanwhile in the committee, varying perspectives among members are adding to “a sense of stagnation.”

🍺 Another bar bites the dust. Allston’s Tavern in the Square closed its doors this week after more than a decade. The local sports bar chain has been a truly iconic watering hole for college students and young people in Allston over the years. And while the post didn’t mention any reasons for closing, as a former Allston resident, Gia feels like its life cycle has come to a natural end, with a dip in crowds post-COVID. But don’t be too sad: The brand has plans to expand elsewhere this year.

If you’ve ever felt like your apartment needs a little je ne sais quoi … may we suggest a beehive? The Boston Zoning Commission has officially approved a new code that will make getting a beekeeping permit significantly easier. 

Before now, code stipulated that only residents of certain neighborhoods were allowed to get the proper permitting for keeping the insects on their properties, but under the new rules, not only is the process easier, but (with some restrictions) residents of any neighborhood, from JP to the Back Bay, will be allowed to have up to five hives for just a $25 permitting fee. 

And if you’re wondering whether anyone actually keeps bees in Boston to begin with: They definitely do, and now, so can you.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🐝 Thanks for reading! I’m not one to get in the way of anyone’s cottagecore dreams, but I just can’t imagine sharing my city home … with bees.

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, MASS MoCA, for supporting local journalism and bringing art to the masses for 25 years.

🪕 The results are in: B-Side readers are big fans of folksy crowd pleasers, with 36% of respondents from yesterday’s poll saying they’d be most down to see artists like Hozier and Young the Giant at Boston Calling. One reader proclaimed: “Love my crooning swamp daddy.”

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