Last week, the MBTA board of directors voted in favor of offering a reduced-fare program for low-income adults across the transit system, including for The Ride -- the MBTA's paratransit service. It's a huge victory for advocates who have been pushing for such a program for more than a decade.

Today, Boston Globe Transportation Reporter Taylor Dolven joins The Common for a transit news round-up. First, a look at what it will take to make a low-income fare program a reality. Then, Taylor tells us about the MBTA's decision to pay an additional $148 million to a company notably behind on their contracted promise to make new Red and Orange Line train cars for the system.

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Chewed automobile wires? Gnawed car cables? That's what a Boston rat calls lunch!

Drawn in by the promise of a warm and cozy place to hang, rats are hoping out of dumpsters and taking up residence under the hoods of cars, bringing their trash and snacks with them, and causing damage to vehicles while they're at it.

Today, WBUR Investigative Reporter Willoughby Mariano joins The Common for a look at why Boston's rat problem is so significant, and what this could mean for the wellbeing of your ride.

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

This semester, both Berklee College of Music and Harvard University are offering classes themed around one of pop music's biggest names: Taylor Swift.  The class at Berklee uses Swift's music to instruct students on songwriting, while the Swift-themed class at Harvard sits in the university's English department and looks at her music through a literary lens.

Today on The Common, WBUR Senior Arts and Culture Reporter Amelia Mason takes us into the classroom for a lesson on what students (and the rest of us) can take away from some of Taylor Swift's biggest hits.

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The Boston Water and Sewer Commission launched a free program to replace lead pipes on privately owned property early last year, but few property owners have taken advantage of it. A recent Boston Globe investigation found that a water line that services one Boston College dormitory is among thousands of lead pipes that deliver water to city residents. Lead can contaminate drinking water and ingesting lead poses some serious health risks.

Today, Boston Globe contributing reporter and Boston University professor David Abel and Boston University journalism student Taylor Brokesh join The Common to discuss why this free program has gone so underutilized.

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

On Monday, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced a 30-day limit on the length of time families can stay in certain overflow shelters while waiting to enter the state's emergency shelter system. Families must re-apply every 30 days proving they meet certain requirements to remain in overflow shelters and on the waitlist.

Meanwhile, state legislators have also been working on plans to limit the amount of time families can stay in the state's emergency shelter system, but have yet to agree on a final proposal.

Reporter for The Boston Globe Matt Stout joins The Common to outline the details of the different sets of restrictions, and what they say about this moment for the Mass. emergency shelter system.

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

The Boston Public Library's chef-in-residence program is a three year project aimed at helping community members get the most out of their food. The program provides instruction on basic cooking techniques and nutritious, and helps members of the community prepare culturally appropriate meals with everyday ingredients.

Glorya Fernandez is the library's inaugural chef-in-residence. Over the period of one year she will work with the community to create a culinary curriculum that can be used throughout the BPL system.

The Common took a trip to the BPL Roxbury Branch's Nutrition Lab to meet Glorya, as well as Stephanie Chace, BPL Nutrition Literacy Coordinator, and learn more about what they hope to accomplish during the first year of the chef-in-residence program.

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Muslim students at MIT are holding nightly Iftar dinners on campus in observance of the holy month of Ramadan, which is celebrated by Muslim communities across the globe. The holiday is typically marked with fasting, prayer and community. It’s the first Ramadan since the war in Gaza broke out in October, so this month holds particular weight for those observing.

WBUR Morning Edition Field Producer Laney Ruckstuhl attended one of the MIT Iftar dinners. She joins The Common to tell us about how the students she spoke to are thinking about Ramadan this year, in the midst of on-campus tensions and grief over the lives lost in Gaza.

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

Music residencies - regularly scheduled performances from the same band or artist at a set venue - are a key part of a thriving local music scene. Today on The Common,  WBUR Arts Contributor Noah Schaffer has recommendations for five can't-miss residencies you can check out in Boston, Somerville and Cambridge all year long.

 Noah recommends... 

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

If you're having trouble getting in to see your doctor, you're not alone. Access to primary care providers in Massachusetts has been declining for three straight years, according to a recent survey from Massachusetts Health Quality Partners. This comes as factors including industry staffing challenges, salary discrepancies, and burnout, contribute to a shortage of PCPs nationwide.

Today, WBUR Senior Health Reporter Priyanka Dayal McClusky joins The Common with more on what's behind this concerning trend, locally and across the country.

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.

A recent survey commissioned by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce finds that, while almost 90% of surveyed residents between the ages of 20 and 30 in Greater Boston say they're satisfied with their daily lives, one in four plan to leave the region in the next five years. Those surveyed cited the high cost of housing, concerns with public transportation and the availability of quality jobs among the reasons contributing to their possible exodus.

In today's episode, CEO and President of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Jim Rooney joins The Common to discuss these survey findings and what they can tell us about our region.

Greater Boston’s weekly podcast where news and culture meet.