🏟️ Getting dirty at the Linc | Morning Newsletter

Greetings to May and another spring day that could hit 80 degrees. Does that mean a scorcher of a summer? Forecast says: possibly.

How does an American football field transform into a giant dirt playground for monster trucks and dirt bikes? Watch how it happened to the Linc ahead of this weekend’s Monster Jam and last weekend’s Supercross Championship. And Philly’s roving Greyhound station could soon move to an Old City parking garage. Neighbors are surprised and alarmed.

Dig into these stories and more, below.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Lincoln Financial Field is built to withstand a spectrum of cultural festivities. In the past year, that’s included not only a letdown of an Eagles season, but WrestleMania stars tossing each other out of a giant ring, and 200,000 Swifties dancing along to “Shake It Off.”

The field undergoes arguably its biggest transformation of all each spring when 5,000 tons of dirt are hauled in to form Monster Jam’s many jumps and obstacles. The annual monster truck showcase returns this weekend. And this year, it immediately follows Supercross, aka the Super Bowl of professional dirt bike racing — which, as you can image, also requires a lot of dirt.

What does it take to build a rutty paradise on a football field? Dozens of trucks and a whole bunch of deck flooring, to start.

Sports writer Jeff Neiburg and videographer Gabe Coffey went behind the scenes for a fun explainer on how the magic happens. This is one you need to see to believe.

The Greyhound station saga continues.

Catch up quick: Ten months ago, the intercity bus company abruptly closed its longtime, leased Filbert Street station and shifted operations to the corner of Seventh and Market streets. The cost-cutting move prompted immediate backlash from riders and nearby business owners, who decried the lack of shelter, food, water, and bathrooms. Greyhound and other carriers moved again in November, to Spring Garden and North Front streets. But officials said in March they were looking for another solution.

The latest: The city is now considering the ground floor of the AutoPark garage in Old City for a temporary bus terminal. The space was built in the 1970s to be a drop off and pickup location for tour buses, so some of the needed infrastructure is already included. It’s also accessible to several public transportation lines.

Neighbors’ reactions: Residents are vowing to fight the move. Their concerns include traffic congestion, noise, and maintaining the historic neighborhood’s character.

Transportation reporter Tom Fitzgerald explains the latest.

Which beloved Philly museum exhibit will close to the public for six months while it gets an upgrade?

A) The Giant Heart at The Franklin Institute

B) The Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

C) Dinosaur Hall at the Academy of Natural Sciences

D) Washington’s war tent at the Museum of the American Revolution

Think you know? Check your answer.

🔥 Awaiting: Today’s reopening of Jim’s Steaks, the South Street cheesesteak destination now featuring colorful Isaiah Zagar mosaics on the walls.

🪴 Booking: Time at Philly’s “houseplant hotel” to keep our green friends alive.

🎓 Inspired by: Paul Boyd, who started college in prison and is now Rutgers-Camden’s first Truman scholar.

Philly’s annual 10-mile race — the largest in the country — returns May 5.

ABORTED RETURNS

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Victoria DeMarco, who solved Tuesday’s anagram: Wrexham. That’s the back half of the name of Philly booster Rob McElhenney’s soccer show, which returns for its third season this Thursday.

Thanks, Maxey! See you at Game 6.

And thank you, as always, for starting your day with The Inquirer. See you tomorrow!

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