Boston World Cup transportation: What will your commute look like?

Following a weeks-long standoff, the city and state came to an agreement over crowd management and traffic plans outside South Station, which will have serious repercussions for Boston’s downtown core on local World Cup match days.

But with the world’s biggest sporting event just days away, many questions about the nitty-gritty of the logistical planning remain open. And a chief inquiry overrides them all: Can the T pull this off? For those with a ticket to a game at Gillette, as well as the everyday Boston commuter?

Here are some details about the South Station setup: Those taking trains to World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium — as many as 20,000 a game — will queue, have their tickets checked, and go through security screening within a “protected section” of Summer Street, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

That detail comes shortly after city and state officials announced a compromise that will see a block of Summer Street, a main thoroughfare that connects the Seaport with the Financial District, completely closed to traffic for some World Cup games, though only partially closed for others.

A return trip to South Station is included in all match-day train tickets, and trains will start leaving Foxborough 30 minutes after each game. Trains will depart about every 15 minutes until they all have left the stadium.

Pre-purchased $80 train tickets will be required for the hourlong ride to Gillette. Those tickets must be bought before boarding, and a same-day game ticket is also required to ride the train to a World Cup match. Train tickets, which have to be activated the day of the trip via the MBTA’s mTicket app, will feature a boarding group.

For each World Cup game, 14 trains will run express, meaning no other stops, from South Station to Foxborough.

The T says it will have signs in multiple languages giving people directions.

Commuter rail service will be reduced on most lines throughout the five weeks of the tournament. But most peak-hour commuter rail services, meaning between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., will be maintained, according to the T.

For those everyday riders, the T maintains, it will be business as usual, with “normal operations through the main terminal.”

But to be clear, some riders will see changes in service, including no service at all. There will be no service to Readville on the Fairmount line on match days, for instance. On the Needham line, there will be no weekend train service on June 13 and 14.

Other lines affected include the Franklin/Foxborough line on match days, as well as connecting trains to East Taunton, and service between Canton Junction and South Station for matches that occur during weekdays.

Further details about temporary public transit changes can be found on the T’s web site.

One positive add for commuters: Subway lines and some buses will run until about 4 a.m. June 14, the Sunday morning after the first Gillette game. After each weekday match, all subway lines and some buses will run until about 2 a.m.

Skepticism over the plan was thick one recent afternoon across from South Station, which will be the main transit hub in Boston for the international tournament.

“It’s going to be a disaster,” said Gary Marcus, 24, of Brookline, standing on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. “One hundred percent. Boston’s cooked.”

Alan Karchmer, a 27-year-old Boston resident who works in finance, said he was working under the assumption that trains would be overbooked.

“Some people won’t be able to get on,” he said.

Karchmer is going to two World Cup games at Gillette, but plans on driving. With train tickets at $80 to the matches, it just made more sense to him to carpool to Foxborough and split the cost of a parking fee among friends, he said.

During a lunch break on the Greenway, Luke Stapley, a 23-year-old city resident who works in consulting, said he appreciates that public transit exists to the extent it does here, given that there wasn’t much of it where he previously lived in Arizona. Still, he has questions. He is used to taking buses around the city’s downtown core and wondered aloud what effect closing down Summer Street, whether fully or partially, would have on the area.

“I don’t know what that’s going to look like for someone living in Southie,” he said.

On the afternoon of an international friendly match between France and Brazil in late March, what was seen as a test run for the World Cup, so many fans mobbed South Station for the 20-plus-mile train ride to Gillette that some pedestrians were forced to walk in the street. For that match, the T set aside 5,760 roundtrip tickets, and only about 2,600 were sold, far fewer than the number of riders expected for each World Cup game.

Some who work downtown are going to avoid the area altogether for the month-plus that the tournament is here. Take Barbara Bates, a 50-year-old who lives in Malden. She typically commutes downtown for her job in finance via the Orange Line. But, anticipating that the area will be mobbed for the World Cup, her company is allowing people to work from home for a five-week stretch.

“They think it’s going to be crazy,” she said as she sunned herself on the Greenway last week. “I’m not going to have to worry about it.”

Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, whose district includes South Station, said last week it was “critical that continued community engagement and public outreach be our main focus” in the run-up to the tournament.

Caitlin Allen-Connelly, the executive director of TransitMatters, a local public transportation advocacy group, said moving 20,000 fans over three-and-a-half hours is “a Herculean challenge,” but the T can do it.

Managing the crowd control through the boarding process, which will include rigorous security screening, and seamlessly dispatching frequent trains to Foxborough will be crucial to the operation’s success, she said.

“Success is really being able to move people back and forth,” she said.

To be sure, not everyone is dour when it comes to the local World Cup planning. Carter Jobe, a 19-year-old from Arkansas, was in Boston for the first time on vacation. He had his luggage piled up next to him while sitting on a bench inside South Station, as the daily tumult of one of the city’s major transit hub’s unfolded around him: people fast-walking to trains, watching the arrival board, getting coffee. Jobe said he had never been in a train station as large as this one.

“They can probably handle it,” he said, “but I don’t know how crazy people will get for the World Cup.”

Kcurvens James, a 25-year-old Boston resident, was also looking on the bright side of things. He had just ordered a Haitian national team jersey online, predicted an opening game 2-goal win for Haiti, and was confident that the region could pull off hosting the tournament with aplomb.

“We can do it,” he said on the Greenway.

Still, he won’t be utilizing the trains from South Station, even though he plans to head to the Haiti-Scotland game at Gillette with a gaggle of relatives. He plans to Uber there, he said.

“I just don’t like public transit,” he said.

Allergy forecast: Expect allergies to be problematic this summer

If your eyes have been itching nonstop or you’ve found yourself sneezing repeatedly, you’re not alone: allergy season across New England has surged after a very quiet start this spring.

The reason? May started unusually cool across the region, which delayed and built up the release of some of the more intense spring pollen. Trees essentially hit the pause button for a few weeks. The last week of April was also much cooler than normal.

In addition, May is a double whammy as grass pollen begins to surge. But the crisp early spring air held back the release of grass pollen as well.

But once temperatures surged into the 80s and even 90s for a string of days, nature made up for lost time and did so fast — with many of us now suffering because of it. Most days have seen medium to high levels of pollen across New England over the last two-plus weeks.

“Pollen counts were a bit lower than usual earlier in the spring,” said Dr. Rumali Medagoda, an allergist for Central Mass Allergy and Asthma Care. “But when temperatures rose quickly, so did the pollen counts, fast.”

Essentially, the rapid warm-up released the buildup of pollen and accelerated additional tree pollen production, which usually peaks in May, especially from oak, birch, maple, and pine trees.

Oak pollen has been one of the biggest troublemakers in recent years, with those fine yellowish-green particles coating cars, decks, sidewalks, and pretty much anything it touches outside.

What’s likely frustrating for many New Englanders is that the delayed start may actually make this allergy season feel more intense because so many trees began releasing pollen closer together instead of gradually over several weeks.

“Pollen has been much higher than normal this year,” said Dr. Jonathan Bayuk, allergist and immunologist for the Allergy and Immunology Associates of New England. “In fact, pollen counts have been higher every year around here, and that’s directly due to climate change.”

Simply put, it’s a veritable pollen boom around here. And tree pollen doesn’t fade until the end of June, right as grass peaks and weed pollen picks up.

The weather pattern hasn’t helped much either. Warm afternoons, breezy conditions, and extended dry stretches have allowed pollen to stay airborne longer. Our rain intensity has not been strong enough to wash it away. Even after light showers, levels have rebounded quickly once sunshine and warmth return.

“Warmer temperatures are causing plants to bloom earlier and extend growing seasons,” said Dr. Camellia Hernandez, a Mass General Brigham allergist. “Climate change is the main driver of higher pollen counts. Higher carbon dioxide levels can also increase pollen production.”

What to expect this summer and fall

Looking ahead, allergy sufferers probably won’t get much of a break this summer. The rise of El Niño generally makes our region a bit warmer and more humid, both of which will extend the allergy season while suspending pollen in the air much longer.

Grass pollen is expected to ramp up significantly through June and early July, especially during those stretches of warm weather and higher humidity. So folks sensitive to grass pollen may need to shower immediately after mowing the lawn or gardening this summer to help tame allergy symptoms.

Then, later in the summer comes ragweed season — the heavyweight champion of fall allergies around here. We’ve seen ragweed increase across the Northeast as our climate continues to warm over the past 50 years.

If we continue seeing warmer-than-average temperatures into August and September, ragweed pollen levels could be particularly aggressive this year. One ragweed plant can release billions of pollen grains, and those particles can travel hundreds of miles on windy days.

Pollen levels will remain high for much of the summer as grass, ragweed, and mold increase across Greater Boston.Boston Globe

Mold may also become an issue this summer, especially if New England sees periods of tropical humidity or frequent downpours. Once again, we may end up with more humid days during late summer and into early fall with a bona fide El Niño in place. Damp mulch, wet leaves, and humid basements are all prime environments for mold spores to thrive.

Whether it’s tree, grass, ragweed, or mold, climate change has extended allergy season, meaning many of us suffer longer.

“Seasons are starting earlier, specifically with a shorter spring and with summer lasting longer,” said Bayuk. “There weren’t any known allergies in humans in the 1800s (before the rise of the Industrial Revolution), but now, more people are struggling, and for more of the year.” Essentially, Bayuk summarizes that the rise of pollutants is directly linked to the rise in pollen counts and allergens.

Massachusetts has seen allergy season lengthen by more than two weeks since 1970, and the same goes for virtually every other New England state.

The allergy season has increased by more than two weeks across Boston since 1970.Climate Central

If you’re looking for a silver lining, it may be hard to find. Sure, cooler days, ocean breezes, and steady rainfall can temporarily knock pollen counts down, but overall, this spring’s delayed start followed by a sudden burst of heat has created a classic recipe for a rough allergy season across New England. But you can do things to try to limit symptoms.

“There are several things someone can do to reduce symptoms due to pollen allergy,” said Dr. PJ Maglione, allergy specialist at Boston Medical Center. “Keeping windows closed and using air conditioning, changing clothes worn outside when returning indoors, and using HEPA filters can all reduce indoor pollen exposure.”

So if you’ve been blaming your headaches, itchy eyes, or scratchy throat on “just a cold,” there’s a pretty good chance that it’s “just the pollen.”

Market Basket succession drama: Who will be the next CEO?

Full text: It’s been a year since the board that runs Market Basket sidelined beloved boss Arthur T. Demoulas, and more than a month since a judge upheld his firing.

The palace intrigue around corporate succession? That shows no sign of stopping.

There’s a new promotion in the past few weeks that has people talking in Tewksbury, involving a son of Demoulas’s oldest sister: Michael Kettenbach Jr. has been named director of operations, essentially the company’s chief operating officer.

Two workers at the company’s corporate offices confirmed the promotion, though they did not want to be named out of fear of on-the-job repercussions; both are supporters of Artie T. The promotion is fueling speculation that Kettenbach is being lined up to take over the top position at Demoulas Super Markets, as the company is formally known. His mother, Frances Demoulas Kettenbach, has previously suggested that he should be considered for it eventually.

On Monday, the Market Basket board of directors confirmed Kettenbach’s promotion to director of operations. However, the board also said its position on succession has not changed from last August, when board chair Jay Hachigian said no members of the next generation have been considered as successors to Demoulas.

Demoulas contends he was unfairly shown the door by the board on behalf of his three sisters, who together control around 60 percent of the company (Demoulas owns 28 percent). Demoulas is a shrewd grocer, and he grew the business to $8 billion in annual sales and 90 locations as its CEO. But he ended up clashing with the board. They slugged it out in Delaware Chancery Court in December over his termination — he was suspended at the end of May 2025 and fired in September.

The board may have hoped to settle the speculation around who would take over by announcing veteran employee Chuck Casassa as the chain’s new president in late April. But Casassa is in his 60s and expected to retire soon (though Demoulas is 71, and certainly wanted to stay). The board’s press release about Casassa’s promotion didn’t mention who would be taking Casassa’s old job, in the number-two spot.

Turns out, it’s Kettenbach.

For close followers of this saga, his name should be familiar. It was Kettenbach who reported rumors to the board last spring that a work stoppage might be discussed to protect Demoulas in his job, much like what happened in the oft-celebrated walkout 12 years ago when Demoulas clashed with a cousin over the chain’s future.

And when the board hired a law firm, Quinn Emanuel, to investigate these rumors and suspended Demoulas and a few others during that probe, guess who sent the email out to employees last May? Kettenbach.

Last summer, while Demoulas was on leave, Kettenbach was among a small group of leaders, along with Casassa, that the board entrusted with overseeing the company.

Demoulas was not always at odds with his sisters. Kettenbach, who is now in his mid-40s, supported his uncle in the fight to regain control back in 2014. (He was one of several Demoulas lieutenants who were fired at the time.) Demoulas and his sisters eventually pulled off a $1.6 billion deal to buy out the other family faction later that year and take full ownership.

But times have changed. Demoulas’s relationship with his sisters soured in the ensuing years. Among the points of contention: succession plans — Demoulas wanted two of his four kids to be in line to succeed him, and his sisters disagreed — and a trust that holds Market Basket shares for the four siblings’ 14 children (Kettenbach included). Frances eventually filed a petition in Massachusetts probate court over access to the trust, a case that was under seal but became public because of the Delaware trial. The probate judge ended up ruling against Demoulas.

By the time of the Chancery Court trial — not to be confused with the probate proceedings — Demoulas conceded that he hadn’t spoken to his sisters in years.

Of all the sisters’ kids, Kettenbach’s name was the one that came up most often during the Delaware court case. Demoulas’s lawyers tried and failed to secure a deposition and trial testimony from Kettenbach, who most recently worked as the chain’s deli supervisor. In the trial, testimony showed Frances Kettenbach wanted her son to be in line for the top job.

His name emerged for another reason at the trial. One attorney for Demoulas pressed Hachigian, the board chair, on the witness stand over a mysterious cheese company of Kettenbach’s. Demoulas’s side had argued that Kettenbach abused his authority over deli procurement by sourcing millions of dollars worth of cheese for Market Basket from a company that he created, until it was discovered in 2017 and brought to the board’s attention. The lawyer for Demoulas was trying to poke holes in Kettenbach’s credibility regarding the tip that supposedly sparked the board investigation into Demoulas. (That outside firm, Jole Brands, has since been shut down, according to state corporate records.)

During the trial, Demoulas spoke indignantly about how the board suspended him and his two adult children at the company, Madeline and T.A., as well as his brother-in-law and two top lieutenants, saying the board did it on behalf of his sisters. (Or as Demoulas calls them, “the 60 percent shareholders.”)

Demoulas told the judge he needed to fight back by hiring a PR firm, saying the board’s moves amounted to nothing short of a cleansing of his immediate family from the business.

It wasn’t enough to prevent vice chancellor J. Travis Laster from siding with the board. Demoulas faced a high bar to clear in arguing the board acted in bad faith by firing him. Although the bylaws allowed the board to fire Demoulas without cause, the board accused Demoulas of not cooperating, sharing information, or taking proper direction. Laster seemed to agree, describing the deposed boss as “an excellent operator, but an imperious leader.”

Demoulas seemed unable to convince Laster that a coup was afoot, but still might end up feeling some vindication. After all, Demoulas has argued that his forced departure was part of a power grab by his sisters to push him and his immediate family out; elevating one of their kids to a top job could make it appear that he was ultimately right in his suspicion.