🏃💨 How far would you walk to avoid the T?

It’s Thursday, Boston.

🤸 Happy Leap Day! Anyone that tells you it’s not a holiday clearly hasn’t heard of these seven wacky-fun celebrations and deals happening around Boston today. See: This Leap Day party at a trampoline park. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Blue Hill Ave. glow up

• A judicial nom with a twist

• Mass.’ priciest homes

Up first…

TRANSPORTATION

Ubers, and e-bikes, and shuttle buses, oh my!

What happens when you need to get to work … but the T doesn’t? During the partial Green Line shutdown (now through March 8), we tested four transit alternatives and rated them on commuting time, cost, and comfort. 

Here’s what we thought:

🚃 For context: My commute is a four mile straight shot up on C line from Fairbanks Street to Government Center. It generally takes about 45 minutes and costs $2.40 each way.

🚇 Shuttle buses: They’re free, but that’s about it. My shuttle bus to T commute took 58 minutes door to door. And while technically free, it came at the cost of my sanity. We were packed like sardines in a stuffy bus that never moved faster than 15 m.p.h. And beyond that, the vibes were bad: I witnessed tears (no joke), fighting, and one passenger even yelled at our driver. I arrived at work agitated, hot, and a little carsick. But free is free. 

Rating: ⭐⭐

🚗 Ridesharing: Fast, but out of my tax bracket. My Uber to work took 38 minutes and cost a whopping $46.53 with tip. Although it was easily my most convenient journey, it wasn’t that much faster than the other options, and I low-key missed the hustle and bustle. But bottom line: As long as the surge prices are surge pricing, there’s no way the convenience will ever be worth the cash. 

Rating: ⭐⭐

🚲 E-Bluebiking: A sleeper hit, but not for everyone. My e-Bluebike commute took me 47 minutes and cost $15.35. The dangers of biking in Boston traffic are very real, so while I personally enjoyed the ride (especially the minimal physical effort required on my end with the e-boost), biking newbies may find it anxiety-inducing. Plus: Dressing appropriately and knowing your route are absolute musts. Without a Bluebikes membership, the price probably isn’t worth the hassle, but if you have one ($129/year) that $15 ride looks more like $4 if you keep the ride under 45 minutes, which IMO, could be worth it.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 

🚶 Walking: Good vibes, no notes. Although a 4.5 mile walk may seem daunting on paper, it only took me about a half hour longer than a shuttle bus (approximately an hour and 32 minutes). I got my steps in for the day and the atmosphere was significantly better than even biking. Sure, I had to wake up earlier, it limited my outfit choices, and it’s not exactly a casual affair, but with some coffee and a good podcast, I’d highly recommend. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

QUICK QUESTION

🚲 If you couldn’t take the T, how would you commute?

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚌 A chunk of Blue Hill Avenue is getting a major glow up. IYKYK: The three-mile stretch through Mattapan and Dorchester is a commuting nightmare. But hopefully, that’s all going to change after Mayor Michelle Wu announced the city will construct dedicated center bus lanes to streamline commuting on one of its most traffic-heavy and dangerous roads. And it took a village (nearly 15 years of debating, proposing, and feedback) to get here. Although construction on the lanes won’t begin until 2026, other, smaller improvements like crosswalks and lighting will begin this spring. 

⚖️ Gov. Maura Healey’s judicial nomination drama has come to a close. For now. Remember when Gov. Healey nominated her ex, Gabrielle R. Wolohojian, to the Supreme Judicial Court? Well, yesterday, she was easily confirmed by a 6-1 vote from the Governor’s Council. But that’s not to say the choice hasn’t ruffled some feathers. Although no one’s denying Wolohojian is qualified for the position, many officials (including the only “no” vote on the Governor’s Council) have questioned the ethics and optics of the nomination and process, including how she would handle cases involving Healey.

💔 The gut punches just keep coming in Boston’s sports world. First it was Belichick, then Slater, and now, Stacey Wakefield. The wife of iconic Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield passed away on Tuesday from pancreatic cancer, less than five months after her husband, a mainstay on the team for 17 years, passed away after his own battle with brain cancer. In a statement put out by the team, she is said to have been surrounded by friends and family. Our hearts go out to the Wakefield fam. <3

🦠 Unfortunately, it’s stomach bug season. Norovirus (a.k.a. the stomach bug) is seeing its highest numbers of cases in the Northeast since last April, according to CDC data, so it’s time for a reminder on how to stay safe and healthy. Unsurprisingly, experts recommend sticking to the classics: Wash your hands well (hand sanitizer ain’t gonna cut it), stay home if you’re sick, and don’t prepare food for others for a few days after you’ve been sick (it travels through food particularly well). Godspeed!

ONE LAST THING

Mass.’ priciest homes

There are few things we enjoy more than marveling at rich peoples’ homes. 

The Globe rounded up the top 10 most expensive home sales in Mass. in 2023, and the results make for excellent material for both raging or daydreaming about. Depending on your preferences, there are giant compounds on Nantucket’s waterfront, beautiful apartments overlooking the Esplanade in Beacon Hill, and full-on North Shore mansions to take in, topping out at $38 million dollars.

Legend has it, if you look at the pictures and focus really hard, you can even feel the ocean breeze from inside your overpriced rental. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🏘️ Thanks for reading! I’ll take one Beacon Hill apartment with a balcony and a house on the water for the weekends, please! 

⭐ The results are in: It was an extremely close vote on all sides, but most B-Siders are experiencing Taylor Swift burnout, but don’t blame her. Readers who are still all-in were close behind. One reader said: “I don't get all the hate, it's just everyone else who's doing too much. Let the girl live!!!”

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