A project to stabilize the Old State House and its plaza — where steel beams have rusted and face an increasing risk of collapse — finally received federal funding after years of starts and stops.

Why it matters: The 313-year-old building and plaza's ability to bear a heavy load, like a truck rolling by the fire lane, is compromised, according to the civic group that oversees it.

• The structural flaws will pose a danger to pedestrians in downtown Boston if left unaddressed.

State of play: Revolutionary Spaces, which oversees the Old State House, secured a federal grant to stabilize the beams, which support the plaza and the west side of the building, after previous efforts to fix the problem fell through.

• Nat Sheidley, president and CEO of Revolutionary Spaces, credited U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey with securing the $286,000 in funding through the appropriations bill passed in January.

Flashback: The structural problems stem from the State Street station's construction underneath the Old State House in 1903, when load-bearing steel beams were installed on top of the mechanical room.

• The beams, which support the plaza and the building, weren't properly waterproofed and began to rust over the next century.
• When a slab of concrete fell from the room's ceiling in 2013, Revolutionary Spaces asked the firm SGH to review the building conditions.
• SGH found the beams were severely rusted due to water infiltration, Sheidley said, citing an engineering report from the firm.

What they're saying: "We determined that we could not be confident that it could support the load of a vehicle passing over it at that time," Sheidley told Axios.

Zoom in: The organization brought in crews to shore up the beams at the time, but that was only a temporary fix.

• Efforts to undertake a long-term stabilization project have dragged on for years, partly due to the skyrocketing prices of construction materials during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What's next: Crews could break ground on the project as early as this fall and finish by the end of the year, barring any delays with the funds, contracts or permits, Sheidley said.

• That will pave the way for a more complex undertaking Sheidley plans to propose: Making the Old State House wheelchair accessible.

Spread the word

The Commuter Rail will likely charge people far more for train tickets to the World Cup matches in Foxborough this summer, acting transportation secretary Phil Eng confirmed.

Why it matters: Transportation officials want World Cup attendees to use public transit to minimize car traffic, but it will cost them.

Catch up quick: The Athletic first reported last week that Commuter Rail riders on the way to the Brazil vs. France game paid $30 for a ticket, $10 more than the typical price.

• Massachusetts plans to charge World Cup goers nearly four times as much to take the Commuter Rail to the seven World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium in June and early July, per the Athletic.

State of play: Eng said yesterday that the rail system hasn't finalized the price for day passes to and from the tournament, but that the Commuter Rail will charge more for train rides to the matches.

• He confirmed the price hike during a news conference he and Gov. Maura Healey held to promote new summer rail discounts.

Zoom in: Healey announced the Commuter Rail will be free on Fridays this summer and monthly passes will be 50% off.

• Monthly pass holders will also be able to use their passes on weekend trips and bring a friend for $1.

Yes, but: Free Fridays won't include trains from Boston to the stadium, the CapeFLYER, and any other special event trains to Foxborough, per the governor's office.

Tell a World Cup attendee

Boston faces a nearly $50 million deficit in fiscal 2026 due to unexpected spending on snow removal, police overtime and employee health insurance. (Globe)

• Snow removal costs are $47 million over budget, while Boston police overtime costs will likely go $49 million over budget.

🇮🇹 Newton officials are repainting red, white and green stripes on Adams Street to celebrate the Nonantum neighborhood's Italian American community, eight months after former mayor Ruthanne Fuller's administration had them removed. (Globe)

💰 Blackstone, a private equity firm with offices in Cambridge, closed a new $6.3 billion life sciences fund. (Axios Pro)

Axios Boston readers who responded to our survey on dog poop etiquette had BIG feelings about it.

The verdict: "Trash is trash," as many of you wrote to us, and that means disposing of dog crap at home or in a public bin.

• Nobody copped to leaving poop on the street, which means all you dog owners and walkers are very considerate or somebody's lying.

What you're saying: "It's my pup so my responsibility," one reader wrote.

• "Boston is the least dog friendly place I've ever been — probably because so many idiots don't follow leash laws or pick up after their dogs properly."

🗑️ 1 idea for City Hall: "I think dog-dense neighborhoods should have dedicated dog waste bins [and] poop bag stations," one South End resident suggested.

• "The city can pilot this. They have the data from dog licenses."

🪞 1 dramatic take: "I am a dog owner and it is unbelievably irresponsible to just leave it."

• "Anyone who does that should look in the mirror and ask themselves why they exist."

🐈 1 cat owner (who asked you?): "Dog people are almost as wretched as kid(s) people. Cat people would never!"

🅿️ 1 unhinged take: "Take them home — save them up — use as a space saver next winter"

Tell that friend who forgets the doggy bags at home

Victoria's Diner in Dorchester recently started hosting music shows, vinyl nights and other events on weekends.

• The event space is tucked into the back of the diner behind a door disguised as an elevator.