🚇😡 The T is seeing Red (Line shutdowns)

🍪 Our dream cookie collab just dropped. Levain Bakery is partnering with Cambridge’s Honeycomb Creamery for a series of à la mode treats like mini ice cream cookies and affogatos. Grab ‘em now through October at Levain’s two Boston locations!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Our top five horror movies: 

Shutdowns are coming for both lines starting at 6 p.m. today. Here’s what to know: 

🚇 The Red Line will be OOO between Ashmont and Broadway through May 18. Service will be replaced by shuttle buses, which will hit all the usual stops. Visual learner? Here’s a map.

🫵 Braintree branch riders, you’re not off the hook: You’ll also need to take the shuttles between Broadway and JFK/UMass. Thankfully, fare gates will be open at both stations. 

🚉 Wanna avoid the shuttles? Try the commuter rail. It’ll be fare-free throughout the shutdown between South Station and Braintree — though the MBTA says riders at South Station will need to “see Keolis staff” to get free access. 

⏰ Tack on an extra 30-40 minutes to your commute. That’s how much longer than usual a ride between Ashmont and Park Street will take, per the MBTA. Translation: Work from home (if you can).

😭 And once it’s over … don’t get too comfortable. Yet another shutdown for Ashmont and Braintree riders is on the calendar from May 29 to 31. We’re sorry!

🚋 The Mattapan trolley will be down through May 16. Thankfully, shuttle buses will replace service along the whole line and hit all the usual stops. 

🚂 The commuter rail alternative … won’t be free. But the MBTA is still encouraging riders to ditch the shuttles for the Fairmount line from Blue Hill Ave., which can take you to and from South Station. 

⏳ Add an extra 15 minutes to your ride in. The MBTA says a ride between Ashmont and Mattapan will take at least an extra 15 minutes. And don’t forget: If you’re transferring to the Red Line after, you’ll need to add extra extra time.

🤔 Any questions? You can find all the shutdown deets here. Thoughts and prayers!

🗳️ Friendly reminder: Do your homework before you vote. It turns out voters are open to changing their minds! A new MassInc poll found that support for a ballot measure that would slash the state income tax dropped from 66% to 40% after participants heard critics’ concerns about how it would impact the state budget. Yay critical thinking! Measures that did get an early thumbs up from potential voters? Same-day voter registration (58% support) and free public transit on Election Day (52%). Dig into all the results here.

✈️ Logan’s TSA experience just got better. Passengers can officially track TSA wait times in real time! The new tech, which has been in the works for a minute, uses cameras to monitor the length of lines and turn it into data (if you’re worried about privacy: the cameras register people as "nondescript forms”). You can find the info on the airport’s FlyLogan app and Massport’s website, but it’ll eventually be visible at TSA checkpoints and departure display boards, too. FWIW, as of Wednesday afternoon, standard security was around a 12-minute wait.

🛍️ Your summer Sundays are gonna be FUNdays. Thanks to Dot Fun Day, a new, open-air market in Dorchester. The market will be held in the former Dorchester Tire space, with a lineup of food and shopping vendors, kid and pet zones, crafty workshops, and (hopefully) a beer garden. Here’s a visual. Organizers envision it as a “third space where the whole community can come together.” It’ll debut May 24 with just a few vendors, but if all goes well, it’ll reach full capacity soon, running Sundays through October.

🤑 Yes, meals under $10 in Boston actually exist. As restaurant prices tick up, Globe food critic Devra First dropped a list of 10 delicious meals in Boston for $10 or less. Highlights include: $4.25 Onigiri at Brookline’s Maruichi Select, stuffed with everything from salmon to to pickled plum; the quick n’ tasty lunch at Inman Square’s Punjabi Dhaba, including a veggie entree and rice or naan for $10.45; and savory, loaded rice rolls at Quincy’s Rubato, which will run you $6 to $10 depending on toppings. Here’s the full list.

Join the Cambridge Center For Adult Education’s Annual Spring Party, Local, Of Course! on June 4 at Blacksmith House in Cambridge. Sample chef-crafted bites from Field & Vine, Forage, Harvest, Honeycomb Creamery, Mamaleh's, Pammy's, and Sarma, plus wine, beer, and spirits from Bully Boy Distillers. Tickets are $125 through May 22 ($150 after). Proceeds support CCAE's scholarship program and historic preservation. Reserve an early bird ticket here!

We have some BIG news about the World Cup. And by big … we mean a 45-foot, 2,200 pound ball.

Massport is attempting to build the world’s largest soccer ball ahead of the tourney as a marketing gimmick to show fans how Boston embraces soccer. The big ball is currently being built in an Ohio warehouse, and next week, it’ll be examined by Guinness World Record officials to see if it earns the world record, which currently sits at 39 feet and 11.8 inches. 

The ball will make the long journey to Boston next month in an 18-wheeler (deflated, ofc), where it’ll live at Piers Park in Eastie from June 12 to 18. “And at least for the moment, we’ll be kings of the world — as far as the largest soccer ball ever,” said Massport CEO Richard Davey. Sure!

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

⚽ Thanks for reading! Now that’s a big ball. 

💼 The results are in: 74% of readers said they’re against a full-time return to office. One reader said: “When entry level jobs pay enough to afford the cost of living in Boston, then we can talk!” You tell ‘em!

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