Boston, MA
Welcome to Boylston Street, a microcosm of the bike lane battle – The Boston Globe
McGrory’s 20th-century perspective — that Boylston Street would be better if vehicle traffic could move unimpeded — is almost amusing. He’s certainly right about one thing, though: “There’s little middle ground” in this debate. He seems to feel that bicycles deserve their own space on the streets of Boston as long as they don’t ride on the streets he likes or cause him one minute of delay on his drive.
Nathaniel Woodward
Stockbridge
City has made a mess of what was a beautiful street
Thank you, Brian McGrory, for a timely and well-reasoned column about the changes to Boylston Street. Having worked in that area for 20 years, I was appalled, on a recent return visit, to see the chaotic mess this beautiful street has become. In general I applaud efforts to support commuters who pursue alternatives to driving a car into the city, but these changes have to make sense.
Leaving the bike lane discussion to others, I question the new bus line as not only intrusive but also unnecessary. In my experience, when there were three lanes, the bus was rarely slowed by traffic, and given that there are bus stops all along Boylston Street, it would seem the dedicated lane makes no difference in terms of bus speed or time of the commute.
As new efforts to move people through the city — by bike, car, or bus — are introduced, I hope that the architects of these changes are evaluating whether they achieve their goals and that they are willing to rethink things if they do not.
Pat Kelleher
South Boston
Long past time for vehicular traffic to make room on the roads
The Brian McGrory column criticizing the bike lanes on Boylston Street unfortunately follows the historical American ideology favoring motorized transportation. This is most evidenced by his complaint that “what used to be three through lanes … has been reduced to a maximum of two.” The headline itself, “Is the Boylston Street bike lane really necessary?” only serves to maintain the hegemony of motorized transportation, something which is way past time for change.
McGrory’s testament that various forms of transportation, such as delivery drivers, are “not going away” is a surrender to these drivers frequently double-parking and violating other regulations while often interfering with other vehicular traffic as well as cyclists and pedestrians. Nowhere to be found in his piece is the suggestion of enforcing laws.
Stating that there is insufficient walk time for crossing the street at selected intersections is a valid criticism, but more importantly, all roads should simply be safe for all users, including pedestrians.
We obviously need improved planning and good implementation. Cheap shots, though, are not helpful.
Robert Rosofsky
Milton
We should think even bigger: Imagine car-free boulevards
Brian McGrory is lamenting necessary and reasonable changes that haven’t been executed well. But the fact is we don’t need fewer bike lanes. What we need is fewer cars. For that matter, maybe we don’t need any cars on Boylston or Newbury street. They could be magnificent boulevards — no congestion, no chaos; more outdoor seating.
Not only in Copenhagen but also in numerous other European cities the concept works well: enough parking around the city center, public transportation, and a network of bike lanes. The result: vibrant pedestrian zones and commercial centers.
The Boylston Street bike lane is not the problem. Rather, it is the lack of a well-planned, visionary infrastructure concept for the entire city. But that requires all of us changing our relationship to cars, agreeing on funding, and accepting a period of construction. Either we do and come out much better at the end of it, or we keep living with traffic jams and a noisy, messy Boston.
Michaela Nielsen
Quincy
Meanwhile, pedestrians are left to dodge cars — and bikes
I thought Brian McGrory was spot-on in his criticism of the disaster that traffic on Boylston Street has turned into. It led me to wonder whether our municipal government is actually preparing Bostonians to participate in a new pedestrian olympics.
We have long competed for the greatest number of falls on broken pavements and close encounters with cyclists (old-fashioned and increasingly motorized) speeding on sidewalks as well as in bike lanes. A new competition would involve attempting to cross Boylston Street at intersections where it’s impossible to tell whether there’s oncoming traffic because cars and delivery vans are blocking the view. One popular event would be to identify the pedestrians who use the most colorful language in yelling at drivers and cyclists who come close to hitting them — or in describing the politicians who have created this mess.
Kathryn Ruth Bloom
Boston
I biked to Boylston Street to run an errand. In short: Thank you, Mayor Wu.
Contrary to what columnist Brian McGrory argues, people who bike to the Prudential Center, Copley Square, the Boston Public Library, or the restaurants and stores in Back Bay have an entitlement to Boylston Street equal to drivers.
On Sunday afternoon, I needed to pick up an item at a store in the Pru. Having commuted by bike to my downtown law office for decades, I knew the quickest way to get there and back was by bicycle. Thanks to the new bike lanes that Mayor Michelle Wu has championed, it took me little more than 15 minutes to get to the Prudential Center from Brookline by way of Beacon Street, Mass. Ave., and then Boylston. There was an available bike rack next to a street busker. I picked up my item and headed home, crossing Newbury Street, closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays in the summer and crowded with shoppers, tourists, and others enjoying the fresh air.
The round trip took me an hour, including the shopping. I couldn’t have done that in a motor vehicle.
I concede that the two vehicle lanes on Boylston were crowded with cars, but from what I saw, the cars moved about as fast as in the old days of three lanes for which McGrory longs.
Boylston Street was not built for only motor vehicles. It was built for people who travel on Boylston Street in many ways.
Thank you, Mayor Wu.
Andrew M. Fischer
Brookline
Boston, MA
‘This is really just the start of it all’: Mojo Boston makes splashy debut at City Hall Plaza – The Boston Globe
Mojo, a music brand and concert organizer, was founded in 2021 by Charley Blacker, Alex Parker, and Emily Donovan while they were students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The trio of friends decided to create Mojo out of their shared love for music and house shows.
“We saw there were so many local musicians that were so talented, but they didn’t have the platform we thought they really deserved,” Blacker told the Globe during Saturday’s festivities. “So we thought if we could do the behind-the-scenes work of organizing photographers and [provide] a social media platform, we could give these musicians the platform they deserve.”
Five years later, the team behind Mojo is sticking to their mission, tackling their biggest venue yet with this weekend’s event at City Hall Plaza, which previously served as the original location for Boston Calling before it moved to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston. Boston Calling announced last year that it is taking a one-year hiatus in 2026, with plans to return in 2027.
In addition to getting the chance to work on such a big event with his best friends, Blacker hopes Mojo Boston can help “lead to a lot more opportunities for local music.”
There was a wide range of genres represented at Saturday’s event, from the pop-rock stylings of The Bends to house and garage music from DJ AC Slater. Prior to the Boston debut, Mojo brought a festival to Pennsylvania’s Happy Valley in April and returned to Amherst later that month to host another event.
Mojo Boston attendees and former UMass Amherst students Emily Bowler and Max Debeau have been familiar with Mojo since its inception, watching the organization go from hosting basement shows to full scale music festivals. Debeau noted how many of the acts at Saturday’s event have worked with Mojo in the past, performing at UMass and other shows around the Bay State.
“To see it all come together has been great,” Debeau said. “This is the stage that they all deserve.”
“It’s crazy how quickly they were able to erect something so amazing,” Bowler added.
Formed in New Bedford, the band Autumn Drive was one of 18 acts that performed at Mojo Boston, and they are no strangers to a Mojo show.
“We’ve done, I think, every single Mojo that there is, so we’re very tight with them,” said guitarist and singer Charlie Gamache. “When we found out they were doing a big festival [in Boston], I was like, ‘We want in no matter what.’”
The band emphasized how much their relationship with Mojo has meant to them over the years, with Autumn Drive drummer Joe Gauvin praising the organization for “always putting us in front of a crowd that’s there to see music and hear us.”
From a makeshift stage out of wooden pallets in his basement to Boston’s City Hall Plaza, Blacker is is proud of Mojo’s success and is already looking ahead at what’s to come.
“This is really just the start of it all,” said Blacker. “We have very lofty ambitions and goals, and we have nothing but confidence in our ability to accomplish everything we set out to do.”
Gitana Savage can be reached at gitana.savage@globe.com. Follow her on X @gitana_savage.
(KBTX) – Texas A&M shortstop Boston Kellner suffered a fractured orbital bone after he was hit in the face with a fastball in Friday night’s series opener at Ole Miss, according to a team spokesperson.
He did not sustain a concussion, and there was no damage to his eye, a team spokesperson said.
The extent of the injury was first reported on the SEC Network+ broadcast.
The true freshman has been a starter for the Aggies since the beginning of the season, slashing .248/.432/.418. He has five home runs and 27 RBIs, typically batting at the bottom of the order. Defensively, he has a .928 fielding percentage.
Ben Royo entered in his place and was a key contributor early Saturday. The senior blasted a pair of home runs against Ole Miss on his first two hits of the season. He entered Saturday’s first game with four at-bats this season.
A&M has struggled with injuries as of late. Chris Hacopian, who also could have been an option to fill in at shortstop, has been relegated to the designated-hitter role as he recovers from a leg injury suffered during the Florida series. Third baseman Nico Partida remains out with a pulled hamstring he sustained against Auburn.
Copyright 2026 KBTX. All rights reserved.
Boston, MA
What we know about wrong-way driver killed in head-on collision with state trooper in Lynnfield – The Boston Globe
Court records show that Marrero was the father of three children, the oldest of whom is 17. The youngest two children, twins, are 13 years old; Marrero’s death came days before their 14th birthday.
Records in Middlesex Probate and Family Court also suggest that Marrero faced financial difficulties and personal troubles, stemming in part from a work injury that family members said caused a bout of depression and deteriorating behavior in his personal life.
For nearly a decade, Marrero worked at Dewberry, a Boston engineering consulting firm, court records show, obtaining a job as an architectural design apprentice in 2005. He left the company in 2014, according to a company spokesperson.
Throughout that time, he doubled as a bartender on the side, working at Mexican restaurants in Boston and Waltham, court records show.
A knee injury ended Marrero’s career at Dewberry, court records show, and he left the company shortly thereafter.
That injury, according to court documents, was the catalyst for what his wife described as a “major depressive episode,” which she said contributed to the strain in their marriage. The couple, who had been married for more than 20 years, separated in 2022.
Records also show that Marrero struggled with debts to family members and credit card companies. During his divorce proceedings, it was unclear how much money he was taking home in income.
Marrero briefly owned and operated a contracting business, 109 Construction, but the corporation was administratively dissolved in 2024, according to state filings.
Marrero had lived in US since at least 2001, holding legal status. He became a naturalized citizen in March 2021, court records show.
Social media posts suggest he was active in the tight-knit Venezuelan community in Massachusetts. Photos show him cheering on Venezuela at a World Baseball Classic watch party in Brighton earlier this year.
Court records appear to show Marrero’s interest in art and music, owning a Venezuelan guitar, conga drums, and several Venezuelan paintings, as well as homemade winemaking setup.
Marrero’s family could not be reached for comment. A close friend reached by the Globe declined to comment.
Trainor had just completed his shift at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday and was driving home when he responded to a report for a Jeep traveling south in the northbound lanes of Route 1, near the Lynnfield overpass.
Raised in Salem, Trainor began his public safety career as an Essex County correction officer before graduating from the State Police academy in 2023, State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said.
Trainor’s fiancée, Jessica D. Ostrowski, of Georgetown, posted an emotional message to social media Thursday, describing the late trooper as “my absolute best friend.”
“I am beyond proud for the amount of love you have been given by those who loved and cared about you,” she wrote.
Travis Andersen and Jeremiah Manion of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from previous Globe coverage was used.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
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