😫🚇 Here comes another T headache

It’s Monday, Boston.

🍌 Want free tickets to the “greatest show in sports?” Of course, we’re talking about Banana Ball, a baseball spoof that was made famous by the iconic Savannah Bananas. The team is coming back to Boston in 2025, and you can enter a lotto for tickets here.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• A huge electric bill discount

• This week is for the deals

• Mass.’ diva beaver

Up first…

TRANSPORTATION

A headache on the Orange Line

The MBTA law of gravitation: When one T line is on the up, another must go down. And in this case, Orange Line riders are the unlucky ones. The line is in for a near-non-stop stretch of shutdowns starting tomorrow.

Here’s what to know:

PART ONE

🚇 The first shutdown is between Forest Hills and Back Bay. From Oct. 8 to 11 and 15 to 20, shuttle buses will replace regular service, and then make an extra stop at Copley for riders to transfer to the Green Line for continued service.

🚃 But from Oct. 12 to 14, the shutdown will extend to North Station. Shuttle buses will still run from Forest Hills to Back Bay/Copley, but there WON’T be any shuttle service between Back Bay and North Station. Instead, riders are encouraged to hop on the Green Line, which, thankfully, will run additional trains to accommodate the extra passengers. 

PART TWO

🚇 Shutdown No. 2 kicks off between Oak Grove and Ruggles from Oct. 26 to 27. Like last time, there won’t be shuttle service between Back Bay and North Station — just the Green Line. But shuttles will make stops between Oak Grove and North Station and between Ruggles and Back Bay/Copley. 

😅 On Oct. 28, the shutdown shortens from Oak Grove to North Station. From Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, the shuttle bus party will continue, but thankfully it’ll be shorter and much more straightforward, hitting all the usual stops between the two stations.

⏰ No matter when you’re riding, make sure you budget extra time. In fact, the MBTA says “a rider traveling to Downtown Crossing from Forest Hills should anticipate an extra 40 minutes in addition to their regular commute.” So … yeah!

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

🚂 The good news? A fare-free commuter rail. When possible, the MBTA recommends riders skip the shuttles altogether and use the commuter rail, which will be fare-free:

• Oct. 8 to 20, between Forest Hills, Ruggles, Back Bay, and South Station. 

• Oct. 26 to 27, between South Station and Forest Hills, and between Oak Grove and North Station.

• Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, between Oak Grove, Malden Center, and North Station on the Haverhill Line.

🚲 And … free Bluebikes! No shuttles, no commuter rail, no problem. You can get five free Bluebikes unlocks Oct. 8-20 with code MBTAORANGEOCT, or free day passes on Oct. 10 with code BLUECROSSWMHD.

😮‍💨 You get all of that? We know, it’s a lot. But thankfully, it’ll likely be one of the line’s final major shutdowns of this project. Our advice: Check out all the details here, and consider signing up for text alerts, at least for the time being. Good luck out there!

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🔌 Some folks are getting a HUGE break on electric bills. As National Grid bills continue to rise, the Mass. Dept. of Public Utilities approved the company’s shiny new plan to overhaul its low-income discount system. Now, instead of offering a flat 32% discount on bills for any qualifying family, the discounts will be tiered depending on income. So, a family of four making $94,000 would get a 32% discount, but the same family making $31,000 will get 71% off. You can see the eligibility requirements and apply for the discount here.

🚲 Safety improvements are coming to the Memorial Drive bike lane. After a cyclist was tragically killed on the road last month, state officials have finally moved to break ground this week on safety upgrades from Magazine Street to Audrey Street via the BU Bridge rotary. The upgrades, which will be finished around Thanksgiving, include a raised shared-use path on the river side and a lower speed limit along the BU Bridge corridor. Come spring, the intersection will undergo an even bigger safety glow-up.

🪧 One local strike ends, and another begins. This weekend brought big news for Boston strikes. On the one hand, the Dockworkers’ strike has come to an end … for now. After three days of striking and a lot of panic about economic impact, the union agreed to suspend its strike until Jan. 15 after employers came back with a significantly higher wage offer. Meanwhile, hotel workers at two Boston Hiltons kicked off an open-ended strike on Sunday, for — what else? — higher wages and improved pensions.

🤑 Coupon cutters, savings sleuths: This week is your Super Bowl. Between Amazon Prime Big Deal Days on Tuesday and Wednesday, Walmart’s holiday sale from Tuesday to Sunday, and Target Circle Week from now through Saturday, this week is for the deals. All three of these sales already have some sales running, so if we were you, we’d start snooping now. Here’s our favorite guide to October Prime Day shopping, and some of the best deal roundups we found for Target Circle Week and Walmart’s holiday sale. Happy hunting!

QUICK QUESTION

🤑 What’s the best thing to shop for on Prime Day?

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist

💏 Say “yes” to love over Yahtzee. Are you between 25 and 39? Tonight is your chance to meet your future lover at Dorchester Brewing Co.’s boardgame speed-dating event. 

​​🎃 Get into the spooky spirit. There are tons of crafty Halloween events happening this week, including this DIY mini haunted house class, this sugar skull paint class, and this Hocus Pocus-themed pottery class.

🏋️ Take a FREE Barry’s Bootcamp class. Trust us, this RARELY happens. The Chestnut Hill Studio is celebrating World Mental Health Day on Thursday with a free Barry’s class OR a yoga class on the green. 

💁‍♀️ Meet up with Boston girl bosses. There’s a women’s networking event going down at The Palm on Thursday, where a ticket gets you a drink, passed apps, a gift bag, and a night chatting up professional baddies.

🎨 Shout out Boston’s emerging arts. WBUR’s CitySpace is hosting a celebration honoring The Makers on Thursday, showcasing 10 up-and-coming artists of color shaping Greater Boston’s arts and culture. 

💃 Break it down with a beer. Sam Adams Taproom in JP is celebrating National Coming Out Day on Friday with a dance party in the beer garden with beats by DJ LaNena.

🍑 Witness a circus of twerking. We’re specifically talking about Circus Twerkus: A Drag Cabaret at The Foundry on Friday, where there will be mesmerizing acts, dazzling costumes, and incredible talent.

🥳 Pretend it’s your birthday. Halloween-themed cakes are on the menu at The Sugar Connection’s potions and piping cake-decorating class on Saturday. Tickets normally sell out fast, so get to it!

ONE LAST THING

Mass.’ diva beaver

If you haven’t heard the name Nibi yet, you will soon. She has hoards of fans, a “diva” personality, and was the subject of a recently settled high-profile local court case. Also, she’s a beaver. 

Nibi the beaver was found on the side of the road when she was just a baby. The Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in Chelmsford raised and cared for her over the past two years, and gained an online following for her “diva” personality. But recently MassWildlife said it was time for her to go back into the wild. The only issue? Her caretakers disagreed, arguing that Nibi would likely die if she were released now.

A back-and-forth ensued, and after several hearings, 29,000 signatures on Nibi’s behalf, and one key intervention by Gov. Maura Healey, Nibi has secured a permit to stay at the Wildlife Rescue as an educational beaver, where she will, we imagine, continue to be iconic.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🦫 Thanks for reading! Need a new internet rabbit hole to go down? Just scroll through the Wildlife Rescue’s Facebook page for consistent, long Nibi updates. And don’t forget to read the comments.

📝 Correction: This newsletter has been updated to reflect that the Savannah Banana tickets are not free.

🚇 The results are in: 33% of B-Siders say that of all the T lines, the Red Line would win in a fight, but the Orange and Blue Lines weren’t far behind. The only thing everyone could agree on: The Green Line would absolutely lose. One reader said: “The Orange Line will do whatever it takes to win. The fire is just a distraction.”

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].