😳🪪 It’s about to get REAL (ID)

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

🎨 Need plans tomorrow night? The Harvard Art Museums and the American Repertory Theater are collabing on this month’s Harvard Art Museums at Night event (we’re media sponsors, NBD). The theme is Ancient Greece, and the tickets are free! Grab some here.

📲 Also: MBTA Go, the MBTA’s official app, is now available on Android.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• The MBTA’s 2025 ferry schedule

• Boston’s election babysitter

• Shredding City Hall

Up first…

REAL ID

What’s up with REAL IDs?

Your Mass. ID is about to get REAL. And by REAL, we mean REAL IDs. After over 15 years of delay, everyone over 18 in the U.S. will need a REAL ID to fly domestically starting May 7 (only 70 days away!). 

Here’s what to know:

🪪 TL;DR: A REAL ID is an enhanced ID meant to tighten up air travel security. They look pretty much the same as a regular ID, but with a fancy gold star in the corner. The idea was first introduced back in 2005 when Congress passed the REAL ID Act in the wake of 9/11. Originally, the deadline was slotted for 2008, but it was pushed back again … and again … and again … before officials finally landed on the May 7, 2025 deadline. And this time, it’s not budging. 

✈️ The main reason you need one? Boarding domestic flights. Once the May 7 deadline hits, you’ll either need a REAL ID or a passport to get through airport security (your old driver’s license won’t work). You also won’t be able to enter certain federal buildings and facilities without one. So yes, while you can technically survive without a REAL ID as long as you have a valid passport or another kind of acceptable identification, the RMV is encouraging folks to get it done ASAP. 

📅 That said, getting an RMV appointment could be rough … As of December, only about 55% of Mass. state IDs were REAL ID compliant, and over 2 million residents still needed one. So just imagine 2 million Massholes fighting for an RMV appointment (yikes!). And even after you do get that appointment, your official REAL ID won’t come in the mail for about two weeks. Translation: We’d start the process ASAP.

😵‍💫 Unfortunately, the upgrade has to be done in person. You’ll need to make an appointment at a Mass. RMV (there’s only one in Boston by Haymarket Station). Or, if you’re a AAA member, you can make one at one of their branches (there’s one on Congress Street). 

🗂️ You’ll need four required documents to get the job done: One to prove you’re in the U.S. legally, one to prove your social security number, and two proofs of Mass. residency. Here’s the official checklist. You’ll pay between $25 or $75 for the upgrade depending on your license type and renewal cycle, take a new photo (keep that in mind), and you should be out the door relatively quickly. Your new ID should hit your mailbox in about two weeks.

😮‍💨 Wait … I still have questions! You can find everything you need to know here.

TOGETHER WITH THE BOSTON OUTDOOR EXPO AND THE BOSTON RUN SHOW

Need an adventure?

⛺🌲 You could wait for summer … or you could hit up The Boston Outdoor Expo and The Boston Run Show this March and skip straight to the fun. With exclusive deals at over 200 brands (including up to 60% off at Colorado Ski Shop), legendary speakers like running star Alex Hermanson, and tons of free activities (think climbing walls, pickleball courts, ice plunges, etc.), it’s your one-stop shop for all things outdoor. Grab your tickets now and head to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center for your first adventure of 2025.

QUICK QUESTION!

🪪 No shame, but do you have a REAL ID yet?

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

⛴️ Babe, wake up, it’s almost ferry season. The MBTA just dropped start dates and other news about its 2025 ferry season. The highlights include: Double the number of trips on Winthrop/Quincy weekday ferries and direct Winthrop-to-Boston and Quincy-to-Boston weekday service that’ll shave 30 minutes off trip times. As far as start dates: All Eastie service and weekday Lynn service kicks off March 31, Winthrop/Quincy weekday service starts April 28, and Winthrop/Quincy, Hingham/Hull and Lynn weekend service starts May 24.

🍼 Boston’s election department is getting a babysitter. After a serious debacle during the U.S. presidential election and a formal investigation, Secretary of State William F. Galvin is appointing a receiver (basically a temporary leader) to oversee Boston’s Elections Commission through 2026. According to Galvin, his office’s probe found widespread “systemic” issues, including the city missing over 1,200 calls about ballot-related questions, and poor communication with poll workers. The receiver, who is yet to be nominated, will hopefully right the ship and avoid similar issues in 2026’s mayoral and city council elections.

🚗 Local drivers can breathe a sigh of relief. ICYMI: On Friday, concrete fell from the ceiling in the Prudential Tunnel, damaging several cars. But thankfully, no one was injured (this video is still pretty terrifying). All lanes are now officially reopened, and new safeguards are in place to prevent it from happening again. Overhead shielding has been installed to catch falling pieces before they hit the road, and MassDOT has inspected over 150 tunnel locations for other problems, finding no issues. Consider our list of nightmares updated.

🌧️ Vacation rained out? JetBlue will reimburse you. Well, technically, their new partner WeatherPromise will. The two companies recently partnered up to offer weather-related vacay reimbursements. Here’s how it works: You book an eligible Flight + Hotel vacation package through JetBlue Vacations, add the insurance, and if it rains over a certain, location-specific threshold, you can get your money back. It all seems pretty simple. The reimbursement can apply on anything from hotels to flights to your rental car. Check out the deets here.

GIVEAWAY

Together with Harvard Bookstore

Enter to win two tickets to see Yung Pueblo at First Parish Church on March 10. To enter, just refer a friend and have them accept your invite by the end of the day on Feb. 27. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

ONE LAST THING

Shredding on City Hall Plaza

If you attended Red Bull’s Heavy Metal event on City Hall Plaza, you already know it was wild. But if you didn’t, Red Bull’s IG event recap video is a pretty solid substitute — we were literally gasping at our desks.

Here’s the vibe: City Hall Plaza is totally transformed into a makeshift terrain park. Snowboarders are sliding down stair rails and clearing 15-foot drops. All the while, they’re crashing into barriers, sliding into the crowd (like … a lot), falling off of rails, and tumbling down flights of stairs. And that’s just the fails. There are just as many flips, tricks, and huge air where the athletes stick the landing.

Our jaws were on the floor the entire time. Check out the video here.

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

🏂 Thanks for reading! To anyone standing in the front row for that first zone: You OK?

💜 Special shoutout to today’s sponsor, The Boston Outdoor Expo and The Boston Run Show, for supporting local journalism and helping us gear up for epic outdoor experiences. 

🏀 The results are in: 47% of B-Siders guessed that Jaylen Brown knows who Chappell Roan is. And, as we all learned, if he does, he certainly doesn’t know what she looks like. One reader said: “I guessed yes because I hope the answer is yes, I believe in Jaylen.” 

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