Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com

Were these Orange Line passengers tweeting positive thoughts about the MBTA? It could happen.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

(Photo courtesy City of Boston)

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent

Getting to City Hall might be easier from some Boston residents this summer as the city launches its City Hall on wheels full time.

Starting July 2, the “City Hall to Go” truck will regularly visit neighborhoods on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays to provide certain services to residents, and be stationed by request on Fridays and Saturdays at special events, block parties, and street festivals.

The truck will allow residents to pay or dispute parking tickets, request birth, death or marriage certificates, get a dog license, request a residential parking permit, or pay property and excise taxes without travelling to Government Center.

Residents will also be able to sign up for Renew Boston’s home energy audits and weatherization, request raffle applications, and submit claims to the City Clerk.

The city first held a soft launch of the trunk in December.

“The ‘City Hall to Go’ truck makes personal, timely service from the City of Boston possible for a whole new set of constituents,” Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said in a statement. “We are constantly trying to push what appear to be the limits of municipal services. The success of the truck’s earliest visits shows that benefits of City Hall can exist far beyond its walls.”

The repurposed Boston Police Department SWAT vehicle will be open until 7 p.m. on weeknights and 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

The truck will also use social media to determine part of its schedule. On the fourth Tuesday of every month residents can tweet @CityHallToGo to tell the city where they want the truck to go that day. The truck will open at the most requested location at 12:30 p.m.

The city provided the following schedule for its mobile City Hall. It is subject to change and residents can follow @CityHalltoGo on Twitter or call 617-635-4500 for updates.

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

The MBTA will increase security and police patrols around the system on July 4. As in years past, the T will boost subway service and will not charge fares after a certain point at nighttime, officials announced this week.

“We encourage people coming into the city to celebrate to use the MBTA and ask passengers to expect large amounts of people, and as we do every day we ask people to be aware of their surroundings, and if they see something unusual, report it immediately,” said Joseph F. O'Connor, superintendent-in-chief of the Transit Police Department.

He said, that while security is normally heightened on the holiday and for other large public events around Boston, this year there will be even more patrols than on July 4 in years past, including a “significant amount” of both uniformed and plain-clothes officers throughout the public transit system due to the bombing attacks in the city at the Marathon in April.

“We want people to feel safe,” O’Connor said. “We want to reassure the public for people who may be concerned because of the events that happened at the Marathon and in the week after.”

There will be no special restrictions on what items passengers can carry while riding the T, but O’Connor reminded riders that some items will be prohibited within a secure perimeter that will be established around the Esplanade.

He said random bag inspections, which are performed daily at strategically-chosen parts of the T, will be performed on the holiday. O’Connor also encouraged riders to download the agency’s free smartphone application which allows users to report suspicious activity by sending text and photos directly to Transit Police.

He said that Transit Police will, as they do regularly, work closely with federal, state and city law enforcement throughout the holiday.

The T also plans to institute schedule-related changes similar to what the agency has done on Independence Day in years past.

On Thursday, July 4, fares will not be collected after 9:30 p.m., subway service will run at “rush hour levels” after 2 p.m. and the last outbound commuter rail trains scheduled to leave Boston will delay their departure to allow passengers more time to board after the fireworks display at the Esplanade.

“Customers are urged to take public transportation to and from Fourth of July events and advised to check T-Alerts and mbta.com for the most up-to-date service information during the holiday,” the agency said on its website.

Officials also reminded riders that bicycles are not allowed on any subway lines on July 4. Bikes are also not allowed on inbound commuter rail trains from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or on outbound trains after 4 p.m.

Buses will operate on a Sunday schedule. Before 2 p.m., the T’s four subway lines – the Red, Blue, Orange and Green – will operate on a Sunday schedule.

The commuter rail will operate on a Saturday schedule, until the day’s final outbound commuter rail trains, all but one of which will delay their departures from Boston until 11:45 p.m. – about 45 minutes after the city’s fireworks display usually ends. The #1173 to Newburyport is scheduled to depart at 11:15 p.m.

Quincy and Hull boats will run on a weekday schedule. Charlestown boats will operate on a Saturday schedule. Hingham boats will not run.

Passengers who use The RIDE service are asked to check directly with their contractors for specific schedule changes.

For more information, visit the T’s website, www.mbta.com.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

On two upcoming Sundays, traffic will be shut down and parking restricted along one-and-a-half-mile stretches of two busy Boston roadways as part of a yearly initiative that aims to promote healthy, car-free activities and to unite neighbors with area parks.

On July 14, the second annual “Circle the City” will create a car-free corridor along the outbound side of Huntington Avenue, or Route 9, between Belvidere Street and Brigham Circle (Map). The event will cut through or border parts of Mission Hill, the Fenway, Roxbury, the South End and Back Bay.

On Sept. 29, a car-free corridor will be set up along Blue Hill Avenue, between Columbia Road and Dudley Street (Map). The event will cut through or border parts of Roxbury and Dorchester.

The open-streets initiative, sponsored by the City of Boston and a host of local organizations, invites residents and visitors “to reclaim their streets,” which will be temporarily transformed into “paved parks” with a “festival-like atmosphere,” featuring live music and performances, fitness clinics, biking and walking tours, children’s games, hula hooping, roller skating, yoga, aerobics, farmers’ markets, art activities, live music and dance classes.

On both dates, programming will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The events are free to attend.

“I hope our residents will take advantage of the opportunity to walk, bike, skate and play together on car-free streets,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino said in a statement.

Last summer, the three “Circle the City” events were held. The first at Franklin Park, did not involve street closures. The other two did and were held in Jamaica Plain and along the Rose Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston. An estimated 6,500 people attended.

“I’m looking forward to a second year of transforming our streets for Boston residents to get out and get active,” Menino added. “Open streets on Huntington and Blue Hill Avenues brings this great, free program to new neighborhoods.

Organizers said cross traffic will be allowed at a “limited number” of points along the stretch of closed roadway. The events are planned “to ensure that people have alternative travel routes,” organizers said.

“Our dates have been researched to account for conflicts with other large Boston events. We are doing our best to meet with neighborhood and business representatives to encourage engagement and ensure all are informed,” organizers said. “Traffic will be monitored so that any traffic impacts can be measured.”

To see a list of traffic and parking restrictions and programming for the July 14 event, click here and here.

A similar list of traffic and parking restrictions for the Sept. 29 event has not yet been released.

“Circle The City is not a parade, nor is it a race,” organizers said. “Rather it is a unique opportunity to safely enjoy the streets and explore new neighborhoods and parks.”

“With ‘Circle The City: Open Streets, Open Parks’ events, Boston joins cities around the world that are creating temporary open space in the heart of urban communities to celebrate the opportunity to get out and active together,” organizers said. “‘Circle The City’ builds community, encourages family fun, supports local business and promotes safe physical activity linking neighborhoods and parks for a healthy, vibrant Boston.”

Partners and sponsors of “Circle the City” include the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness, the Boston Cyclists Union, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, LivableStreets Alliance, Sustainability Guild International, the Fenway Alliance and the Museum of Fine Arts, the Barr Foundation, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

Last spring, the America’s Great Outdoors initiative named Circle the City as one of five nationally-selected “2012 Urban Signature Projects,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which, through its New England office, nominated the Boston open streets event for the distinction.

For more information, visit the event website, www.circlethecityboston.org, or Facebook Page. For more information on Open Streets initiatives elsewhere, visit www.openstreetsproject.org.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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By Evan Allen, Globe Staff

Newton Mayor Setti Warren announced Tuesday he would block funding for a controversial proposal to build affordable housing for formerly homeless people on Beacon Street in Waban, saying residents need more time to discuss the issue.

"There are several reasons why I cannot support the allocation of federal funding for the proposal at this time," Warren said in a statement. “For an affordable housing project to move forward anywhere in the city, I believe it is essential that we first allow for an appropriate period of time for our residents to be heard."

The proposal, called Engine 6, has drawn outcry from residents concerned that the potential tenants could put their children in danger, and who say they were not consulted about the development’s location.

The project, developed by private nonprofit Metro West Collaborative Development and managed by the Pine Street Inn, is projected to cost about $3.1 million; developers had requested about $1.4 million in federal funds managed by the city to move ahead. The project was to be funded with a mix of private and public money.

While Newton Planning Director Candace Havens said that without Newton’s funding, developers still had the option of looking for funding from another source, a spokeswoman for the Pine Street Inn said that Warren’s announcement had halted its plans.

“Affordable housing for very low-income individuals is the key to ending homelessness, and more of this kind of housing is desperately needed,” said spokeswoman Barbara Trevisan in a statement.

“Without the support of the city of Newton, we are unable to move forward with this project," she said. "Pine Street Inn is disappointed that a deserving group of homeless men and women will not find housing in Waban, but we look forward to working with the City of Newton in the future as they move forward on affordable housing.”

The senior housing project manager for Metro West said the nonprofit is “committed to continuing with the Engine 6 project.”

“[We’re] currently evaluating our options moving forward,” said Steve Laferriere in an email. “We remain committed to working with the city and the community to bring this important project to fruition.”

The Newton Housing Partnership and the city’s Planning and Development Board both voted to recommend granting the funding, and their recommendation was set to be forwarded to Warren after a 30-day public comment period set to end July 2.

However, Warren weighed in before the deadline with his announcement Tuesday.

“The decision had to do with the time frame, and allowing the community to get information and get the facts,” said Warren in a phone interview. “Thirty days, to me, is not enough time to do that.”

He said the city is committed to hosting workshops and educational forums this fall to discuss affordable housing, both projects that currently exist in Newton and possible future projects.

Warren said he would be open to considering the Engine 6 proposal again at a later date.

While the proposal had enraged many residents in Waban, others had been supportive of Engine 6. Kathleen Hobson, who lives on Dorset Road with her family in Waban, said she had been working to organize supporters, and had a meeting planned for tonight.

“I don’t know what to say,” she said of Warren’s announcement. “Obviously, we’re going to try to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, but I don’t know what that’s going to look like.”

Hobson said she was disappointed that the mayor did not wait until the end of the comment period to make a decision about funding.

“It feels like we were doomed,” she said. “I’m sorry the mayor didn’t let the comment period persist to the deadline. There was a deadline. July 2.”

Warren said people are still welcome to submit their comments on the project.

“Listening to the dialogue was very important,” said Warren. “It was very important we have an extended period of time that would not be had within a week or two weeks time.”

Hobson said she will still hold the supporter meeting.

“We have to process together and see if we have the energy to push back,” she said.

Alderwoman Deborah Crossley, who moderated meetings about Engine 6 and was working to educate residents about the proposal, said she was unhappy with the mayor’s decision.

“I urged him not to do this, because to me we had a public process that we had put in place, that everybody was gearing up to participate in,” she said.

While the meetings had been contentious, she said, people were beginning to work through the information, ask questions, and understand.

“I’m very disappointed. I worked very hard on this,” she said. “To be told, close to the time when the event is scheduled, that ‘everything’s off, sorry,’ in order to stop a difficult conversation, makes no sense to me.”

Evan Allen can be reached at evan.allen@globe.com.

Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com

These Green Line riders had a not-bad wait at Kenmore Station on Thursday night.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

The YMCA of Greater Boston will provide free meals and snacks for children and teenagers this summer at about 20 sites across Boston and in neighboring communities, the organization announced.

The Summer Food Program will offer nutritious food at more than 10 YMCA sites as well as other community gathering places, including seven different locations in East Boston. Anyone 18 or under is eligible for the program, which will run from June 24 to Aug. 30.

In a statement, Kevin Washington, YMCA of Greater Boston president and CEO, said the program will address the needs of underprivileged families who struggle to supply extra meals through the summer.

“In order for kids to maintain good health, they need proper nourishment as well as activities to keep their minds and bodies active,” Washington said. “The YMCA’s Summer Food Program will help kids stay well-nourished, active and energized, and also provide some relief to families who need support in providing more food when school is out.”

The program is supported by a $70,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation as part of a national partnership between the foundation and the YMCA of the USA that focuses on addressing child hunger by serving children who lose access to free or reduced-price meals when school is out.

Across the country, the YMCA’s 900-plus Summer Food Program sites plan to serve 4 million meals and snacks to 100,000 young people.

The YMCA of Greater Boston also serves meals and snacks in its afterschool programs throughout the school year, the organization said.

Meals and snacks served through the Summer Food Program vary by location. For a complete list of program sites and meals served at each, visit www.ymcaboston.org/summer-food-program or contact Gail Klimas at (617) 569-9622.

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow East Boston on Twitter: @YourEastBoston.

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

A Medford man who allegedly attempted to break into a Boston ATM last year and led investigators on a brief chase through a building has been indicted on a bank robbery charge, according to court documents.

Terry K. Leigh, 44, was arrested at 465 Columbus Ave. on Aug. 11, 2012 after a surveillance team from the FBI Violent Crimes Task force watched him pry open the door to a Bank of America ATM machine there, then saw sparks emanating from underneath the ATM's access door. Leigh was wearing a fake beard, track pants, a long-sleeve shirt, a messenger bag and gloves when he entered the ATM at about 9:45 p.m., according to court documents.

Investigators said when they approached the ATM, Leigh fled up a stairwell at 465 Columbus Ave., and he was eventually found hiding on top of a ventilation shaft on the roof, where they also found a disassembled cellphone.

The messenger bag was found stuffed behind the heat shield of a radiator on the sixth floor. Saw blades, a grinder, other tools and the fake beard were found inside the bag, according to investigators. Rubber gloves and a hat were found in the building's basement incinerator, which is connected to the ventilation shaft on the roof where Leigh was found.

An inspection of the ATM found grind marks on the hinges of the door that protected the money trays, and debris from the ATM and grinder on the ground.

A complaint was filed against Leigh in US District Court in Boston in April. He was indicted by a grand jury June 18.

Jarret Bencks can be reached at bencks.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter @JarretBencks.

Forecasters issued severe thunderstorm warnings Monday for various areas of Massachusetts as powerful storms swept east across the state.

Here are some images of the storm shared on Twitter by Boston-area residents.

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

The MBTA says it will make its 15 busiest bus routes faster, more reliable, and more accessible through a series of changes this summer, which include relocating some stops and eliminating others.

Construction on some of the bus routes will begin this week and upgrades to all of the effected routes are expected to be made by the end of August, officials announced Monday.

The 15 “key” routes carry about 40 percent of the T’s total bus ridership. The routes run more often than other bus routes to serve high-density travel corridors, primarily in Boston, but also stretching to Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Newton, Revere, and Watertown.

The T hopes to make each route about 10 to 15 percent faster by moving some stops and removing others. The goal is for there to be a bus stop every 750 to 1,320 feet, or about four to seven stops per mile. Many stops now are as close as 200 feet.

The agency also hopes to run more reliable bus service by better adhering to schedules and by trying to reduce “bunching,” when two or more buses on the same route are traveling close to each other.

More “passenger amenities,” including new bus shelters at 85 stops, as well as benches and trash barrels, will be installed. Some sidewalks will be improved and some curb extensions will be built.

New signs and pavement markings will be installed to provide better route-related details and to keep drivers from stopping or parking at bus stops.

Traffic signal improvements are expected to be made along some routes.

Work will include bringing bus stops into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act to improve accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities, officials said. In some cases, that will mean lengthening the bus stop area.

The T also plans to install new "Park and Pedal" bike parking cages at Alewife Station and the Beverly Garage in July and at Wollaston, Back Bay, Dudley Square and Wonderland stations in August.

Funding for the program includes $7 million in federal stimulus money and another $3 million in federal transportation funding.

Over the past two years, more than 50 public meetings have been held about the “Key Bus Routes Improvement Program.”

“The MBTA is looking forward to improving the quality of amenities and service on some of our most utilized services,” General Manager Beverly Scott said in a statement Monday. “This aggressive and ambitious project will reduce trip times, enhance customer comfort, accessibility, convenience and safety, and make service more reliable and cost-effective.”

A list of the 15 routes and projected timelines for construction are as follows. The schedules are subject to change, T officials said:

Key Bus Routes
Route 1 – July 1st – July 25th
Route 15 – June 24th – July 12th
Route 22 – June 17th – July 17th
Route 23 – June 17th – July
Route 28 – June 17th – August 30th
Route 32 – June 24th – August 8th
Route 39 – July – August
Route 57 – July 15th – August 30th
Route 66 – June 24th – August 1st
Route 71 – August 1st – August 30th
Route 73 – August 1st – August 30th
Route 77 – July 25th – August 26th
Route 111 – August 9th – August 30th
Route 116 – July 19th – August 30th
Route 117 – July 19th – August 30th

For more information on the bus improvement program, click here.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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