MBTA ridership drop speeds repairs; colleges eye reopening plans

BOSTON (AP) — A precipitous drop in public transit ridership due to COVID-19 concerns has given the MBTA a chance to accelerate some previously planned upgrades, Gov. Charlie Baker said at a press conference Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is finishing a Blue Line subway upgrade originally slated to occur over 12 to 14 weekends later this year in a 14-day period scheduled to wrap up Sunday in part because plunging ridership allowed them to replace subway trains with shuttle buses.

The work includes replacing 2,200 feet of track between the Maverick and Aquarium stops and address leaking problems which Baker said will help reduce delays on the portion of the track that runs under the Boston Harbor.

The drop in ridership is also helping speed work on the Lowell commuter rail as part of construction of the Green Line extension project, Baker said.

At the same time the transit agency is taking steps to ensure safety for riders and workers increasing cleaning and sanitizing protocols, requiring rear door boarding on buses and using public message campaigns to remind riders to wear masks or other facial coverings, which are required on public transit.

PILGRIM CELEBRATIONS

CHANGED

Several events this year to mark the arrival of the Pilgrims in Plymouth and their interactions with the Wampanoag tribe 400 years ago have been rescheduled or amended because of the pandemic, the nonprofit planning the celebrations announced Wednesday.

A Maritime Salute to the 400th Anniversary originally scheduled for late June this year, has been pushed back to June 2021, according to Plymouth 400 Inc.

A Wampanoag Ancestors Walk scheduled for August, will now be held in May 2021.

A State House Salute to the 400th Anniversary originally scheduled to take place on Sept. 14, has been canceled for now, although there is hope it can be rescheduled for September 2021.

A Plymouth 400 Remembrance Ceremony scheduled for April 23, 2021 will go on as planned. The ceremony will be held with visiting dignitaries and local and state officials to remember the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people of 1620 and their contributions and sacrifices.

ZOOS REOPENING

Two Boston-area zoos are planning to reopen, but with new safety protocols in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Zoo New England, which operates the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston and the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, announced Tuesday that both facilities will open to members only at first starting Thursday and running until June 3.

Both zoos will open to the general public starting June 4, but reservations are required of both members and non-members and guests must wear face coverings.

COLLEGE REOPENING PLANS

A panel of Massachusetts university presidents is proposing a phased reopening of the state’s campuses that calls for widespread coronavirus testing, continued social distancing and modified dorm arrangements.

The panel, convened by Gov. Charlie Baker, issued its recommendations Wednesday as dozens of colleges make plans to welcome students to campus this fall. The proposal includes four phases that line up with the Republican governor’s broader reopening plan.

Under the proposal, the state’s 106 colleges and universities would begin by ramping up research operations while keeping employees spaced out. In the second phase, small groups of students could return this summer to test safety measures.

The third phase would allow large numbers of students to return as early as this fall, but only if colleges have testing and tracing processes in place, adequate supplies of protective equipment, and plans to quarantine students who become sick.

Each college would be required to prepare a plan detailing how it would test students for the coronavirus and space them apart in classrooms, dorm buildings and dining halls.

The panel asked the state to help universities secure access to testing, masks and cleaning supplies. It’s also asking that colleges be protected from legal liability related to the virus as long as they have plans that line up with the state’s guidance.

SAM’S CLUB CLUSTER

A cluster of COVID-19 cases has emerged at a Sam’s Club distribution center near a Massachusetts Walmart that was closed for several days when dozens of employees tested positive for the disease caused by the coronavirus, officials said.

Nineteen workers at the Worcester Sam’s Club facility, which is not open to the public, have recently tested positive, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said Tuesday, according to The Telegram & Gazette. Nine employees had earlier tested positive.

The Sam’s Club distribution center now has a 24-hour nursing presence, Augustus said.

Sam’s Club is a division of Walmart.