Published July 15, 2011

State Transportation Secretary Jeffrey Mullan announced Thursday that he plans to step down by year’s end. Mullan cites personal reasons for the decision, but The Boston Globe reports his decision came after Gov. Deval Patrick rejected his request for a raise. Mullan came under scrutiny earlier this year for not immediately telling the public about a light fixture collapse in the Big Dig tunnel.

Six churches owned by the Boston Archdiocese have been approved for secular use, paving the way for their sales. The decision has been met with protest. Parishoners at five of the churches have staged round-the-clock vigils in an effort to try and keep doors open.

The wing of a Delta jet clipped the tail of another Delta aircraft on the taxiway at Logan Airport Thursday evening. This photo from @TomlinM shows the damage to the tail of the smaller aircraft.

As we reported last week, a statue in honor of Bill Russell will soon sit in Boston’s City Hall Plaza. Only A Game’s Gary Waleik remembers his grandmother instructing him to watch number six because “he’s the best you’ll ever see.” Waleik reflects, “But I’m not sure that four decades ago, my grandmother could have known just how much the word ‘best’ would mean in describing Bill Russell.”

As WBUR’s Delores Handy continues to cover the problem of violence in Boston, she spoke with Judge Leslie Harris, who has been presiding over cases in the city’s juvenile court for almost 17 years. Judge Harris feels there are new challenges arising as youthful offenders from the 1990s start to be released from prison.

Ahead of the launch of the city’s new bike-share program, police will set up at some of the city’s worst intersections and hand out tickets to cyclists for running red lights and to drivers for disobeying rules that create dangerous situations for those who bike. In a column for the Boston Globe, Brian McGrory suggests Mayor Menino just can the bike-share plan and ban all bikes from the city.

Can you imagine a bike-free Boston?