MassDEP has made the latest round of Water Management Act Grants available for application. These grants fund projects by public water suppliers to plan and manage water use in their communities. Projects by suppliers and municipalities that providing planning assistance, (including Drought Planning and resiliency projects), rate studies, and implementation assistance, such as demand management, minimization, and mitigation activities for new withdrawal impacts in local communities are eligible.

Application deadline: October 3, 2025

Eligible applicants: Public water suppliers with a Water Management Act (WMA) permit or permit application under review, or public water suppliers with a WMA registration (including eligible municipalities). Cooperative proposals are encouraged
Awards: May range from $20,000 - $600,000 per application

More information on the Water Management Act Grants can be found on MassDEP’s website: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/water-management-act-grant-programs-for-public-water-suppliers.

The EOPSS Office of Grants and Research (OGR) is pleased to make available approximately $950,000 though the Commonwealth Project Safe Neighborhood Initiative. Eligible applicants include District Attorney’s Offices and the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) to address community-based criminal activity related to gang violence, illegal firearms, and narcotics use and distribution.

A District Attorney’s Office may solicit up to $62,500 in funding for this initiative, with a total of $562,500 available for all eleven (11) District Attorney Offices. All funding requests are subject to adjustment based on the total number of applications received and the amounts requested. OGR reserves the right to amend the total funds available and/or the maximum award amounts.

We are also pleased to make available approximately $95,000 through the Human Trafficking Enforcement and Training Grant Program. District Attorney’s Offices are eligible to apply for funds to support and/or expand human trafficking programming, initiatives and victim services that utilize best practices as recommended through the MA Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Guidelines.

Listed and detailed below is the appropriate dates and deadlines and links for more information.

1. Commonwealth Project Safe Neighborhood Initiative

1. 1. These funds must be prioritized to address community violence and drug activity in our neighborhoods. Applicants may utilize funding over an 8-month period from November – June 30, 2026. Since these are state funds, all funds must be expended on or before June 30, 2026.
   2. AGF Posted: Monday, August 25, 2025
   3. Applications Due: September 22, 2025, by 4:00pm
   4. Anticipated Award Announcements: October 2025
   5. Anticipated Grant Period: November 2025 – June 30, 2026
   6. More information can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/commonwealth-project-safe-neighborhood-initiative

1. Human Trafficking Enforcement and Training Grant Program

1. Because these are state funds that expire June 30, 2026, OGR reserves the right to amend the maximum obligation ceiling of this award in an effort to prevent any reversion of funds and to support applicants to the greatest extent possible.
2. AGF Posted: Wednesday, August 27, 2025
3. Applications Due: October 1, 2025, by 4:00pm
4. Anticipated Award Announcements: October 2025
5. Anticipated Grant Period: November 2025 – June 30, 2026
6. More information can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/human-trafficking-enforcement-and-training-grant-program

As a reminder, the MBTA will perform continued work on the Green Line D Branch in September to install Green Line Train Protection System (GLTPS) infrastructure.
When complete, GLTPS will combine vehicle and wayside equipment to avoid train-on-train collisions, incorporate speed enforcement, and more.  

In September, the MBTA will also continue to rebuild the Green Line D Branch and ensure that additional sections of track are improved to the same state of good repair standards that support reliable and robust service. Crews will accomplish essential infrastructure upgrades, track renewal, and other critical revitalization work. Building on the success of the Track Improvement Program, this regular, planned renewal and revitalization work is ongoing and continuous, ensuring the long-term stability of our infrastructure and preserving the system for future generations of riders. 

To accomplish this work, the following service suspension will take place: 

• Green Line D Branch service will be suspended between Riverside and Kenmore for nine days, September 3 – 11.   
  • Free and accessible Express and Local shuttle bus services will replace trains between Riverside and Kenmore. 
    • Express Shuttle: Shuttle buses will operate directly between Riverside, Woodland, Waban, Eliot, Newton Highlands, and Copley. 
    • Local Shuttle: Shuttle buses will make all stops between Riverside and Kenmore except Beaconsfield. 
      • There will be no shuttle service at Beaconsfield. Riders are encouraged to travel instead to Dean Road on the C Branch, which is less than a quarter mile away (or about a four-minute walk). 
    • Riders may change between each shuttle bus option at Newton Highlands. 
  • Riders who typically board or disembark at Reservoir are encouraged to instead consider traveling to Cleveland Circle on the C Branch, which is less than a tenth of a mile away (or a two-minute walk). 

Riders using shuttles buses should budget ample extra travel time. For example, a rider traveling to Government Center from Riverside should budget at least an additional 30 – 45 minutes of travel in additional to their regular commute

The MBTA today announced service changes in September on the Green, Orange, Blue, and Fitchburg lines.    

Riders can find more information on service changes through in-station signage, in-station public announcements, and at mbta.com/PlannedWork. Transit Ambassadors and MBTA staff will be available on-site to offer information and assistance during these service changes. Riders are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts or to follow the MBTA on X @MBTA, @MBTA_CR, and @MBTA_CR_Alerts for up-to-date service information.   

More information is available here.

Lane closures in place, Sunday through Thursday nights from 8:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the following morning from Sunday, August 24, through Friday, October 10

EVERETT – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing temporary overnight lane closures on Route 16 (Revere Beach Parkway) between Broadway and Everett Avenue.  These lane closures are scheduled to occur weekly, Sunday through Thursday nights, from 8:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the following morning, beginning Sunday night, August 24, through Friday morning, October 10, to allow crews to safely and effectively perform pavement milling, resurfacing and other items of work. 

Lane closures will be required with varying traffic management plans.  Detours may be utilized depending on the operation and specific location within the limits of work.  This work is being done under a district wide resurfacing contract. 

Appropriate signage, law enforcement details, and advanced message boards will be in place to guide drivers through the work area. 

Drivers who are traveling through the area should reduce speed and use caution. 

The schedule for this work is weather dependent and is subject to change without notice. 

For more information on traffic conditions, travelers are encouraged to: 

• Download the Mass511 mobile app or visit www.mass511.com to view live cameras, travel times, real-time traffic conditions, and project information before setting out on the road. Users can subscribe to receive text and email alerts for traffic conditions. 

• Dial 511 and select a route to hear real-time conditions. 

• Follow @MassDOT on X (formerly known as Twitter) to receive regular updates on road and traffic conditions. 

MassDEP has made the fourth round of Gap Energy Grants available for applications. This program is a partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center that reduces regulatory or other barriers to clean and energy efficient development across the state. The grant is designed to fill the last “gap” in project financing, which will give facilities the ability to reduce energy use, increase energy efficiency, and generate renewable energy.

Eligible entities for this round of Gap Energy Grants include: 

• Publicly-owned (municipal, district, or authority) drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities
• Nonprofit agricultural and food-producing organizations
• Small businesses engaged in food distribution and processing

The deadline to apply is September 19, 2025. Information on eligible applicants and projects, application materials, and more can be found on MassDEP’s website: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-gap-energy-grant-program.

MassDEP recently announced Engineering and Design Planning Grants to assist small and disadvantaged communities.

Many public water suppliers (PWS) in Massachusetts have detected PFAS and other emerging contaminants in their drinking water at levels exceeding regulatory standards. Small and disadvantaged suppliers (those serving under 10,000 residents and that meet certain per capita income metrics) often do not have the technical or financial capacity to develop the necessary engineering and design plans to address the contamination, which is a necessary precursor to apply for grants, loans, or financial assistance to remediate the issue.

MassDEP has contracted with two firms to provide engineering and design planning assistance to such PWS, with the goal of putting them in a position to apply for such financial assistance (such as the State Revolving Fund, Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant, and other opportunities as eligible and available). This grant will provide up to $75,000 in engineering and design costs per project. The application will be available to submit until all funds are fully expended.

Additional information on PWS eligibility, design and planning support, and eligible project categories can be found on MassDEP’s website: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/engineering-and-design-planning-for-emerging-contaminants-in-small-and-disadvantaged-communities.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) today announced that, effective August 24 as part of Fall 2025 service changes, all subway lines and eight frequent bus routes will offer extended service on Fridays and Saturdays with five of the MBTA’s most frequent bus routes with the highest number of later riders offering extended service every day of the week. Trip end times for these lines and routes will be about one hour later compared to current service end times. Extended service will also be added on some ferry lines on Fridays and Saturdays through the end of September with additional trips added.  

To encourage riders to take advantage of the extended service, all subway lines, bus routes, ferries, Commuter Rail lines, and the RIDE trips will be free on Fridays and Saturdays beginning at 9 PM through the end of service on September 5 – 6, September 12 – 13, September 19 – 20, September 26 – 27, and October 3 – 4.  

Extending service later into the night is a frequent request and longstanding interest of the riding public. Later public transit options enhance quality of life, improve the economic vibrancy of the region, and better position the Greater Boston area to be competitive among other world-class cities that offer late-night public transportation. With the goal of increasing mobility during the nighttime hours for workers and travelers, this targeted approach to extending service prioritizes current evening ridership, improves connectivity across the network, and is a strategic investment that is within the MBTA’s current operating budget. 

Weekend Extended Service  

• Subway: Service for the Red, Orange, Blue, and Green lines will be extended by about one hour on Friday and Saturday nights. Frequency during the one-hour of extended service will be about every 30 minutes on the Ashmont and Braintree branches of the Red Line and each of the Green Line branches, and about every 15 minutes between Alewife and JFK/UMass on the Red Line, on the entire Orange Line, and on the entire Blue Line.  
• Bus:Service on Bus Routes 1, 22, 39, 66, 110, SL1, SL3, and SL5 will extend by about one hour on Friday and Saturday nights. Frequency during the one-hour of extended service will be approximately every 30 minutes.  
• Ferries: Service for some ferry lines will extend by one to two hours with additional trips on Fridays and Saturdays beginning Friday, August 29, through Saturday, September 27: 
  • On Fridays: Hingham/Hull Ferry: An additional Hingham/Hull Ferry roundtrip will be added to the schedule departing about one hour later than current schedules. This trip departs Hingham to Long Wharf at 10:15 PM; the trip departs Long Wharf to Hull and Hingham at 11 PM.  
    • The current last departure from Hingham is at 9:15 PM with the last departure from Long Wharf at 9:55 PM. 
  • On Fridays and Saturdays: East Boston Ferry: Additional East Boston Ferry trips will be added to the schedule with service extended to 10 PM. The last trip from East Boston to Long Wharf will depart at 9:30 PM; the last trip from Long Wharf to East Boston will depart at 9:45 PM. 
    • The current last departure from East Boston on Fridays is at 7:30 PM and on Saturdays is at 8:30 PM with the last departure from Long Wharf on Fridays at 7:45 PM and on Saturdays is at 8:45 PM. 
  • On Fridays and Saturdays: Charlestown Ferry: Additional Charlestown Ferry trips will be added to the schedule with service extended to 10 PM. The last trip from Charleston to Long Wharf will depart at 9:30 PM; the last trip from Long Wharf to Charlestown will depart at 9:45 PM.  
    • The current last departure from Charlestown on Fridays is at 8:15 PM and on Saturdays is at 6:15 PM with the last departure from Long Wharf on Fridays at 8:00 PM and on Saturdays at 6:00 PM. 
  • Lynn, Winthrop, and Quincy Ferries: The last trip for these routes will remain as they are on Fridays and Saturdays.  
  • Updated Ferry schedules will be available soon at com/Ferry.  

Daily Extended Service   

• Bus: Service on Bus Routes 23, 28, 57, 111, and 116 will be extended by about one hour every day of the week. Frequency during the one-hour of extended service will be approximately every 30 minutes. 

The current cost of the extended service on subway lines and bus routes for additional operations personnel hours is approximately $2 million. 

The MBTA anticipates extending service by one hour on additional Frequent Bus Routes later this year as part of its Winter 2025/2026 service changes with more information released at a later date.  

Schedules for all lines and routes vary. Riders are strongly encouraged to check schedules in advance and use the MBTA’s Trip Planner as well as the MBTA Go app to plan their travels. Regular fares will be charged for all late-night services.   

The MBTA previously announced additional Fall 2025 service adjustments. More information and detailed service schedules are available here.  

Applications are now open for Governor Healey's Youth Climate Council.

In 2023, Governor Healey established the Youth Climate Council to engage young people in shaping climate policy and building more resilient communities across our state. The Council advises both the Governor and the Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience on important climate-related initiatives and solutions. The Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience is now accepting applications for the next cohort of the Youth Climate Council. This is a valuable opportunity for students who are passionate about climate action and want to make a difference. The application deadline is September 1, 2025.

For more information and to apply, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/forms/apply-for-the-youth-climate-council