Around Town

Drivers Can Renew Licenses Online, Upgrade Free to REAL ID

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The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is encouraging all eligible customers to renew their standard Massachusetts driver’s license or Massachusetts ID card online at Mass.Gov/RMV any time between now and August 12, 2020, in order to qualify for a free upgrade to a REAL ID credential in 2021. This one-time, time limited offer is available to most customers who have an expired or expiring license or ID card dated between March 2020 and August 2021, as renewals are allowed up to two years after expiration, or up to a year in advance of the expiration date printed on their license or ID. “The RMV is encouraging all of our customers to stay safe, save time, and go online during the COVID-19 pandemic to renew their license or ID card, rather than attempting to come in to get a REAL ID,” said RMV Registrar Jamey Tesler. “Over 500,000 people have a license or ID credentials that expires this summer that can be renewed online, and we hope they will all take advantage of this one-time offer for a free, future upgrade to allow the RMV to prioritize ‘social-distancing’ and other essential transactions that may only be completed in-person.”

Qualifying customers who complete their renewal online prior to August 12th and wish to upgrade to a REAL ID for free, will have to wait until at least February 2021 to visit an RMV Service Center. At this time, customers will not need a federally-compliant REAL ID for the purposes of boarding domestic flights prior to October 1, 2021 because the federal government delayed the compliance effective date by one-year. The fee for obtaining a standard or REAL ID license is $50, while the fee for obtaining a standard or REAL ID card is $25.

Government

Playgrounds, Courts & Town Hall Reopening; Town Budget, Hosmer Traffic to be Discussed

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Tot lots and playgrounds will reopen this week, along with basketball courts and picnic and grilling areas in Watertown’s parks. Playgrounds and tot-lots will reopen this week, along with basketball courts and other Recreation facilities. Also this week, the Town Council will hold budget hearings, and traffic around Hosmer School during construction is on the Traffic Commission’s agenda. Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced that more Recreational facilities will reopen after being closed to the public during the COVID-19 shutdown. On Wednesday, June 24th, playgrounds and tot lots, basketball courts, and picnic tables and grills (by permit only) will reopen.

Transportation

RMV Expanding Hours, Providing More Flexibility

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The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is announcing new initiatives to provide additional flexibility to its customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including expanded appointment hours at open Service Centers, additional Service Center reopenings, an online Learners’ Permit test and exclusive permit appointment hours, online license renewal incentives, new road test and in-car observation protocols for students, and limited supervised driving privileges for eligible teenagers who have turned or are turning 16 between March and June 2020.                                                                                    

 “The RMV appreciates the public’s continued patience and understanding throughout this pandemic as we have expanded many credential deadlines and worked to provide essential in-person services in accordance with all public health and safety guidelines,” said Acting RMV Registrar Jamey Tesler. “Today we are announcing additional steps to help customers, including more appointment hours, flexible guidance for supervised driving, an online learner’s permit test, and an incentive to renew their licenses online now instead of waiting to obtain a REAL ID.”

The RMV is announcing the following additional service offerings: 

Additional Appointment Capacity at Open Service Centers:  customers will now be able to make appointment-only reservations between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the Service Centers currently open [including Watertown] to the general public. The RMV anticipates reopening the South Yarmouth Service Center for appointments on Monday, June 22.  

Learner’s Permit Tests Restart Online with Exclusive Permit-Only Center & Hours:  effective this week, customers have been able to make an appointment to once again take their Learner’s Permit exam. Applicants will be required to take their Learner’s Permit test online at home up to 60 days after completing their appointment in a Service Center. Historically, customers have been required to remain at the Service Center to take the test on classroom computers.

Around Town

Portion of Bike Path Along Charles River Closed for Repairs

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The Department of Conservation and Recreation announced that the bike path between Arsenal Street and North Beacon Street will be closed for repairs beginning June 1. The work on the path, which runs along Greenough Boulevard in Watertown and Soldiers Field Road in Boston, is expected to be take two weeks. \The DCR sent out the following information:

DCR Recreational Advisory: Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path

WHAT: Starting on Monday, June 1, 2020, and continuing through Monday, June 15, 2020, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will implement a closure of the Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path in the City of Boston and the Town of Watertown between North Beacon Street and Arsenal Street from 8:00AM to 4:00PM to accommodate pathway reconstruction work. An alternative route is available along Greenough Boulevard in the Town of Watertown. Furthermore, pedestrian patterns will be clearly marked.

MassDOT

Mass. Registry of Motor Vehicles Extends Deadlines for Licenses, Permits

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The following information was provided by MassDOT:

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is announcing today it will be implementing further extensions to the renewal timelines for expiring motor vehicle inspection stickers, passenger plate registrations, professional credentials, and driver’s licenses and learner’s permits, including Commercial Driver’s Licenses and Commercial Learner’s Permits (CDLs / CLPs). While the RMV has previously announced extensions for most credentials, passenger plate registrations and inspection stickers expired or expiring in March, April, and May, today’s action will apply an additional extension to those credentials and an extension to some credentials expiring in June, July, and August. These extensions replicate the ongoing measures the RMV has taken to reduce the need for customers to physically visit an RMV Service Center or one of its business partners’ facilities, allowing for ‘social-distancing’ by decreasing non-essential travel and customer volume. Additional, longer-term extensions will also allow the RMV to ensure ‘social-distancing’ guidelines are met as demand for in-person service and renewals resumes during the Commonwealth’s reopening phases. The new changes to expiration extensions will be in effect as follows:

Driver’s licenses and ID cards, including Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs), that expired or will expire in March, April, and May 2020, will now expire in September 2020 and do not need to be renewed at this time. Driver’s licenses and ID cards that will expire in June have been extended until October 2020, those that will expire in July have been extended until November 2020, and those that will expire in August have been extended until December 2020 and do not need to be renewed at this time.   The specific expiration date typically coincides with an individual’s birth date.

Around Town

Sen. Brownsberger Surveying Residents About COVID-19 and the MBTA

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State Sen. Will Brownsberger

State Sen. Will Brownsberger’s latest survey seeks to find out how the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted how people work and if they are using public transportation. Brownsberger, who represents Watertown Belmont and parts of Boston, posted the survey on his website on Tuesday evening. Questions include what people’s work situations are (working from home, going into work, unemployed), what people did before the outbreak and their plans for when the state reopens. Also, how much people are using the MBTA now, previously, and plans in the future. There are also questions about Massachusetts’ response to the Coronavirus and how financially secure people are feeling.

Transportation

MBTA Closing Green Line from Lechmere for One Year, Replacing with Buses

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The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:

Today the MBTA reminded customers that Green Line service between Lechmere and North Stations is replaced with shuttle buses every day beginning at the start of service on Sunday, May 24, for approximately one year to accomplish work as part of the Green Line Extension project (GLX) and the Green Line Transformation Program (GLT): the closure, relocation, and complete replacement of Lechmere Station and work to demolish, relocate, and reconstruct sections of the Lechmere Viaduct. During the Green Line diversion, GLX crews will remove the existing Lechmere Station, reconstructing a brand new Lechmere in a new location in Cambridge. The GLX team has also closely collaborated with the GLT team to close and replace the existing Lechmere Viaduct, which carries Green Line trains from Lechmere across the Charles River and into Downtown Boston. When complete, upgrades made to the Lechmere Viaduct will allow more trains to pass over the bridge, serving the new Lechmere Station and six new Green Line stations in Somerville and Medford constructed as part of GLX. Starting May 24, shuttle bus service will replace Green Line trains between Lechmere and North Stations every day, including weekdays and weekends.

Transportation

MBTA Riders Required to Wear Face Coverings

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Riders of MTBA buses, subways and other public transportation must wear face coverings as part of the Governor’s order to stop the spread of COVID-19. The following announcement was provided by MassDOT:

Effective Wednesday, May 6, MBTA customers must wear face coverings when using the MBTA. This requirement is pursuant to the Executive Order issued on May 1, which takes effect tomorrow. The Executive Order applies to any person over the age of two who is in a place open to the public, and expressly requires masks or face coverings when using public transportation or when in an enclosed or semi-enclosed transit stop or waiting area. The Department of Public Health notes that mask use by children two years of age and up to the age of five is encouraged but also at the discretion of the child’s parent or guardian with full information available via the Department of Public Health.