Our monthly Longwood Happenings newsletter is the perfect way to get important, streamlined information about the LMA sent straight to your inbox. From travel advisories to upcoming Outside// events and everything in between, our newsletter has you covered! We'll keep you up-to-date on all you need to know about the Longwood Medical and Academic area.

Click her for our September edition which highlights a delegation recently received by Longwood Collective, upcoming raffle opportunities through the Longwood Collective TMA, and more.

A Message from the President 

Dear Longwood,

In celebration of May being National Bike Month, the Longwood Collective Transportation Management Association (TMA) is making the most of the month by offering special bike-friendly programs to the Longwood community. That includes offering promotional codes to test ride BLUEBike's newest offering: the E-bike, and the return of the Bike Longwood series that offers free, 15-minute bike tune-ups with Landry’s Bicycles. These programs are in addition to the services offered by our TMA all year long, including the Emergency Ride Home program, Carpool, and CommuteFit programs.

In all aspects of our work, the Longwood Collective transportation team aims to remain responsive to the unique needs of LMA employees, students, and patients. Our vision is that everyone who does not need to come to us by personal car, ambulance, or chair car will have access to reliable, affordable, and convenient public transportation, as well as excellent, safe infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists. The work we do everyday is in furtherance of that vision.

As we work to optimize the commuting experience across all modes of transportation for everyone who works, studies, or receives care here, we encourage you to take full advantage of the suite of benefits offered by the Longwood Collective TMA.

Sincerely, 

David Sweeney

President & CEO

New Banners Throughout the District

New Longwood Area banners are up throughout the district! Featuring icons that show off the different facets of institutions in the LMA, these colorful signs are meant to brighten up the district, provide a sense of identity, and highlight the diverse range of work that goes on here. We hope you love our new design as much as we do.

National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day 

Celebrated on May 10th, National Provider Appreciation Day is a day dedicated to recognizing the important work and dedication of childcare providers across the country. It also serves as an opportunity to show our appreciation for those who provide essential care and support to the children of the LMA community with special recognition to Longwood Collective's own Longwood Medical Area Childcare Center (LMACCC). 

BLUEbike E-bike Demonstration and Promotion 

On April 25th, as part of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s Earth Week festivities, the Longwood Collective TMA hosted an Electric-BLUEbikes demo event. The TMA provided complimentary $10 credits and invited our employees and students to test ride bicycles in a cordoned off parking lot free of car traffic.

The event was aimed at giving the community a low stress space to ask their questions, learn how to use both the app and the kiosk, and feel how the new pedal assisted, (non-throttle) electric bicycles feel to ride.  

Employees who work and students who attend school in the LMA still have an opportunity to claim a $10 reward credit. Simply download or open the BLUEbikes app (available for Apple/ Android), click on the rewards section, and enter “longwoodebike”. Available while supplies last, promotion expires midnight, 5/16. 

LMA Shuttle Mid-Life Rehabilitation Complete

The Longwood Collective signature LMA shuttles hit 10 years of service next month! In preparation for this important milestone, we’ve been hard at work over the last three years to ensure the vehicles are in the best condition possible. This fleet services commuters in the district by prioritizing safety and efficiency. 

To achieve these priorities, each shuttle recently underwent an extensive mid-life rehabilitation replacing the every shuttle’s engine, transmission, HVAC system and radiator. While taking place largely behind the scenes, this tremendous effort was several years in the making involving multiple teams of engineers, experts, and vendors to complete the project without any impact felt by our commuters. Our fleet is crucial in maintaining access for the continued day-to-day success of the people in our neighborhood who come here to live, learn, work and heal.

Outside// Returns in June

Counting down the days until it’s summer again in Longwood? So are we!

Follow along on our social media platforms as we count down the launch of our Outside// programs which run all summer long. This summer, Longwood will have 15+ weeks of programs like live music across 6 locations, weekly food trucks on Blackfan, puppy playdates at Joslin Park, and more! We can’t wait to see you there.

Brookline Avenue Shuttle Detour

Beginning May 2nd and lasting approximately 2 months, Brookline Ave will be closed to northbound traffic between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. This will impact the road between David Ortiz Way and Newbury Street. Service during the daytime hours will not be disrupted by this construction. 

Fenway PM

All departures after the 7:50 p.m. from BIDMC West Campus will not be able to access the Lansdowne Garage, Ipswich Garage, 1295 Boylston Street, or 55 Jersey Street stops. Passengers will be let off at Brookline at Jersey Street.

M2

All departures after the 8 p.m. from Vanderbilt will proceed on their normal route to Park Drive before turning left onto Park Drive and then turning right onto Beacon Street and resuming their normal route. They will not be able to access Brookline Ave at Fullerton Street or Brookline Avenue at Jersey Street. Passengers can board at the Kenmore Square stop.

The detour will not be in effect when there is a game at Fenway Park or on the weekends.

We encourage all passengers to download the Transloc app where up to date announcements will be posted.

MBTA Updates Near the District 

Orange Line

• Orange Line service will be suspended between Back Bay and Wellington from May 28 - June 6 due to bridge and track work. Shuttles will run between Wellington and North Station. Use Green Line between North Station and Copley.

Red Line

• Shuttle buses will replace service between Broadway and North Quincy the weekend of May 11-12 for bridge and track work. Shuttle buses will also replace service between Broadway and Braintree the weekend of May 18-19 for bridge and track work.

NEW: Shuttle Route Change 

Effective June 1st, 2024, the Fenway Midday Express will be consolidated into the Fenway Midday. The Fenway Midday Express will no longer operate and the Fenway Mid will have a second vehicle and a more frequent schedule.

This change is being made to improve the schedule frequency and consistency during the midday and to reduce confusion by having two routes with similar names and destinations. The new Fenway Midday schedule can be found below:

Check out our LMA Shuttle Interactive Map for more information beginning June 1st.

Huntington Avenue E-Branch Accessibility Project 

The City of Boston and MBTA are working together to design accessible Green Line boarding platforms on Huntington and South Huntington Avenues to provide safe and barrier-free access to transit. This will enable E Branch riders to board trains without stepping into the middle of the street, and will allow for the operation of the MBTA's new Green Line trains by 2027. This project also seeks to improve safety on the roadway for all users including bikers, drivers, and pedestrians.

Read more here.

Commencement 2024 

Commencement season has arrived and we would like to wish a heart-felt congratulations to students reaching this incredible milestone in their academic journey! Their hard work, dedication, and perseverance have paid off, and they should be proud of all they have accomplished. As our graduates prepare to take the next step in their lives, we hope they remember to hold onto the knowledge and experiences they have gained during their time here in the LMA.

Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure (BERDO) Upcoming Deadlines & Resources for Building Owners 

May 15

Reporting deadline for 2023 energy and water usage

July 1*

Hardship Compliance Plan application deadline

*After 2024, long-term Hardship Compliance Plan applications are due 12 months in advance. Short-term Hardship Compliance Plan applications are due 6 months in advance

September 1

Individual Compliance Schedule application deadline

The City's Environment Department is offering resources and info sessions for building owners who need assistance, including:

• Weekly office hours on Fridays at 10am via Zoom (register here), or one-on-one building emissions consultations available (register here).
• Webinars on flexibility measures and emissions compliance (upcoming sessions listed here).

Gateway East Pilot Bus Project

Beginning in mid to late June, the Town of Brookline plans to pilot bus lanes along a short stretch of Route 9 in Brookline Village, extending from High Street to the Boston Town Line. Longwood Collective is working with the Town of Brookline, MBTA and MassDOT on this 1-year pilot, which aims to enhance the efficiency of bus service for MBTA routes 66, 65 and 60. The 66 is one of the most heavily used routes in the system and carries many LMA workers.

To assist with the evaluation of this pilot, Longwood Collective will assist in monitoring emergency vehicle access, diversion impacts to the street network, queuing lengths on Route 9, and overall bus and vehicle travel times to compare with pre-implementation data.

Click here for more information from the Brookline Department of Public Works.

Longwood in the News

Huntington Ave. Redesign Will Eliminate Last Mixed-Traffic Segment of the Green Line by 2027

MA Streets Blog

Officials from the City of Boston and the MBTA officially kicked off a planning effort that will ultimately redesign Huntington and South Huntington Avenues in Boston's Mission Hill neighborhood.

Ronnie Levin of Harvard T.H. Chan named to Time 100 Health list

PR Newswire

In Time's inaugural Time100 Health list, Ronnie Levin of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health was named under the list's Catalyst category as "Leading on lead." Levin has spent much of her career making the case for lead mitigation, and contributed to the science supporting current laws limiting the concentration of lead in American drinking water.

Simmons leases most of Longwood building to another college

BBJ

The university is "maximizing our real estate assets, including the partial lease of select spaces on campus," according to a spokesperson.

CRISPR gene editing leads to improvements in vision for people with inherited blindness, clinical trial shows

EurekAlert

Results from a groundbreaking clinical trial of CRISPR gene editing in 14 individuals with a form of inherited blindness show that the treatment is safe and led to measurable improvements in 11 of the participants treated. The phase 1/2 trial called BRILLIANCE, was led by principal investigator Eric Pierce, MD, PhD, of Mass Eye and Ear.

Researchers discover new target for potential leukemia therapy

MedicalXPress

A team of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators discovered that a subset of myeloid and lymphoid leukemias depend on a molecular complex called PI3Kgamma for survival. The study provides both mechanistic and preclinical evidence supporting the rapid initiation of clinical trials for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to test an existing medicine that inhibits the complex, called eganelisib, both alone and in combination with the most used AML chemotherapy, cytarabine.