The Big Dig Presents: Catching The Codfather

Episode: The Big Dig is ON TOUR

Host: Ian Coss, GBH News
Date: February 17, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special announcement episode, Ian Coss introduces "The Big Dig Highway Teardown Tour," a live national event series expanding the podcast’s focus from Boston’s notorious Big Dig to similar highway infrastructure challenges across American cities. The episode sets the stage for interactive on-site discussions about urban highways’ impact—covering divisive neighborhood history, redevelopment battles, and the complicated process of repairing or replacing aging expressways.

Tone: Inviting, energetic, and civic-minded, with a call for direct audience participation both live and online.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Expanding Scope of "The Big Dig"

• Crux: Boston’s Big Dig was once a unique story, but almost every U.S. city faces the same challenge—an aging, disruptive highway slicing through urban centers.
  • Ian Coss [00:14]:

    “Maybe you've noticed Boston is not the only city facing that problem. In fact, I would say every city in America has some version of this problem. A crumbling, congested old highway right through downtown, dividing historic neighborhoods, cutting the city off from the waterfront… The question is what to do about it. That's where things get contentious.”

• Main Idea: The problem is national, and the solutions—and tensions—are, too.

2. Introducing the "Big Dig Highway Teardown Tour"

• Announcement:
  • Ian reveals a major new initiative: a live, multi-city podcast tour.
  • The kickoff: New York City’s infamous Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE)—a stretch locals love to hate because of its disrepair and impact.
  • The tour spans cities with prominent highway issues: Austin (TX), Louisville (KY), Baltimore (MD), Rochester (NY), Syracuse (NY), Philadelphia (PA), Providence (RI), and Boston (MA), among others.
• Event Format:
  • Each event is a live, unscripted taping with local panelists, open audience questions, and collaborations with regional media partners.
  • Discussion topics: highway removal, redevelopment, redesignation, federal funding, air quality, and gentrification.
  • Ian Coss [01:46]:

    “At every event, I am partnering with a local media organization to pull together an incredible group of local guests. We'll be talking tunnels, caps, highway removal, redevelopment, realignment, redesignation, federal funding, air quality, gentrification—in other words, the whole array of opportunities and challenges that arise when a city tries to undo the harms of the past.”

3. Getting Involved: Call to Action

• Tour Details:
  • Lineup and evolving dates are posted at wgbh.org/bigdiglive, with updates promised in the show notes.
  • Open invitation for listeners to join events, bring friends, and enrich the dialogue.
• Call for Participation:
  • Ian Coss [02:50]:

    “Again, these will be live tapings, unscripted, with audience questions. So come on out and be part of the Big Dig podcast. Bring a friend, tell a friend, and I very much hope to see you there.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Universal Urban Challenges:
  • Ian Coss [00:14]:

    “It's easy to spot. The question is what to do about it. That's where things get contentious.”

• On Regional Relevance:
  • Brian Lehrer (via clip) [01:15]:

    “So what can be done to fix New York City's most hated mile of expressway?”

  • Ian Coss [01:44]:

    “That is just the first stop. We will be live on stage in 10 cities across the country…”

• Encouragement for Audience Engagement:
  • Ian Coss [04:09]:

    “Before I let you go, I just want to drop in with that constant podcaster's reminder to please rate the show, leave us a review, subscribe, and of course, tell a friend. All that stuff really, really does help us keep the show going.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:14 – 01:06: Ian Coss explains the broad relevance of the highway teardown theme
• 01:06 – 01:46: Introduction of the Highway Teardown Tour, with NYC’s BQE as the kickoff
• 01:46 – 03:19: Tour cities introduced, overview of event formats and topics
• 02:50 – 03:19: Open call for listeners to attend, participate, and get involved
• 04:09 – 04:30: Closing host message and encouragement for listener interaction

Summary Takeaway

This episode serves as a high-energy, actionable invitation for listeners to engage with crucial urban infrastructure issues, both locally and nationally. By leveraging live events and audience participation, "The Big Dig" evolves from a Boston-specific story into a national conversation about the past, present, and future of America’s cities. The tour is a hands-on call to reimagine highways and their legacy—an effort that blends history, civic action, and communal storytelling.