Daily brief · Porter Square, Cambridge, MA
Reid Overpass redesign narrowed to two options
August 8, 2026
Top story
State Narrows Reid Overpass Replacement to Two Options
State transportation planners presented two remaining concepts for replacing the nearly 90-year-old William J. Reid Overpass at a packed, in-person meeting at the Morse School auditorium on Aug. 6: an entirely surface-level intersection linking Memorial Drive, Brookline Street and the BU Bridge, or a two-lane, east-west bridge carrying only Memorial Drive traffic. The bridge version drew more support from the audience, with residents saying the number of lanes needed for a surface intersection would be unsafe to cross and would leave an estimated 15,000 cars a day idling at signals near the school. The state is taking comments by email for the next couple of weeks and aims to choose between the two options by the end of the year before moving into formal design.
Cambridge | Somerville Independent
Amigos School Move to Former Kennedy-Longfellow Site Gains Momentum
Superintendent David Murphy told the School Committee that moving Amigos School to the former Kennedy-Longfellow site at 158 Spring St. is 'essentially inevitable,' with a September 4 deadline for a timeline.
Cambridge | Somerville Independent
Kids' Creative Dance Workshop at MIT Open Space Today
LEAP Lab: Creative Dance for Kids runs 11 a.m. to noon today at Kendall/MIT Open Space, featuring movement, storytelling and Haitian folkloric rhythms for ages 3-10 and families.
MIT Open Space Programming
Lotus Juice's Player One Tour Stops at The Sinclair Tonight
Lotus Juice's Player One 2026 U.S. tour plays The Sinclair tonight, with doors at 6 p.m. and the all-ages show starting at 7 p.m.
The Sinclair
City Seeks Volunteers for Parking, Immigrant Rights, Police Boards
Cambridge is seeking residents to fill vacancies on the Commercial Parking Control Committee, the Commission on Immigrant Rights and Citizenship, and the Police Review & Advisory Board.
City of Cambridge
Mattress Collection Fees Change Under UTEC Program
Since July 20, 2026, residents scheduling a mattress or box spring pickup through UTEC pay part of the collection and recycling cost, with the city subsidizing the rest.
City of Cambridge
Nonprofit Grant Applications Open Through August 21
The Cambridge Community Benefits Advisory Committee is accepting applications for a competitive grant round supporting community-based nonprofits, with the window open through August 21, 2026.
City of Cambridge
Cambridge honors saxophonist Johnny Hodges with plaque
A bronze plaque on Putnam Avenue now marks the birthplace of Duke Ellington saxophonist Johnny Hodges.
Cambridge Day
Affordable Housing Overlay report details 15 developments
Cambridge's annual Affordable Housing Overlay report, released Aug. 2, lists 15 affordable housing developments currently underway citywide.
Cambridge | Somerville Independent
Paperback Tavern offers Dine Out Boston prix fixe menu
Paperback Tavern on Memorial Drive offers a three-course Dine Out Boston prix fixe dinner nightly through Aug. 15.
Paperback Tavern
Library celebrates 27th annual Youth Poetry Awards
The Cambridge Public Library's 27th annual Youth Poetry Awards honored 55 student winners in grades K-8, chosen from over 500 applicants.
Cambridge Day
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