The first real test of the MBTA’s Orange Line shutdown begins Monday, as morning commuters head to new transit options for the 30-day shutdown. 11 miles of the Orange Line, from Oak Grove to Forest Hills stations, were closed Friday night and scheduled. Sep. 19 will be closed till 5 am. Planned projects include track repairs to remove congestion, upgrade signals, replace infrastructure and repair or upgrade various stations. MBTA General Manager Steve Boftak helped direct riders to Orange Line replacements early Monday and sent out a Charlie Card at the Forest Hills station. “Plan ahead,” said Jamie Tessler, secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. “We have a lot of options for Orange Line riders to go online on the MBTA site. And there are a lot of different sites and information out there. We ask that everyone review your plan, both our riders and drivers. Time. Plan extra time and be patient. It’s the first day of work. .There will be adjustments and challenges.” Officials say work that would normally take five years can be squeezed into a month’s work period. The Orange Line serves approximately 101,000 trips each day, so the impact of the closure on passengers is expected to be large. 200 buses are being used to transport Orange Line riders to their destinations over the next month. Boston officials are calling a “transportation emergency” as the unprecedented shutdown begins. “Things are pretty consistent across the roads. We’re keeping an eye on a couple of key spots. Leverett Circle is one of the big circles we’ve been covering for the week, but there’s also Charles Circle at Sullivan Square. Those are the real hot spots and we’re going to be looking throughout the morning to see if we need to make any adjustments.” said Massachusetts State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. Lanes for shuttle buses. Curbside loading areas are also reserved for buses. State Street between Congress and Washington streets, Dartmouth Street between St. James and Boylston streets and one side of Washington Street between Arborway and Williams Street will be closed to traffic to create a bus lane. According to projections from engineers creating traffic models for MassDOT, building a bus lane would have a ripple effect across the region, officials said. . Motorists warn of increased traffic congestion, especially on roads along shuttle bus routes. Passenger train frequency has been increased to accommodate expected changes in travel patterns. Riders can use the passenger train for free in Zones 1, 1A and 2 by presenting Charlie Card or CharlieTicket. Alternatively, Boston is offering a free 30-day pass to ride Bluebikes during the shutdown. Beginning Monday, portions of the MBTA Green Line will also be closed for 28 days. Closing the Green Line from Union Square to Government Center stations will allow the MBTA to do the final construction work needed to open the Medford branch, which is now expected to open in late November. Shuttle buses will also be provided instead of Green. LINE Service. The City of Boston and the MBTA announced the following number for the new MBTA call center: 617-222-3200. Officials said the “motivation” for the Orange Line shutdown was a safety review by the Federal Transit Administration. The FTA has been digging into the MBTA’s record since May, after a man was pulled over on the Red Line in April. The federal agency’s final report is expected to be released in the next few weeks.
The first real test of the MBTA’s Orange Line shutdown begins Monday, with morning commuters navigating new transit options for the 30-day shutdown.
11 miles of the Orange Line, from Oak Grove to Forest Hills stations, were closed Friday night and will remain closed until 5 a.m. Sept. 19.
Planned projects include: The MBTA is calling major revitalization and maintenance work on the Orange Line to eliminate delays, upgrade signals, replace infrastructure and make repairs or upgrades at various stations.
MBTA General Manager Steve Boftak helped direct riders to Orange Line replacements early Monday and sent out a Charlie Card at the Forest Hills station.
“Plan ahead,” said Jamie Tessler, secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. “We have a lot of options for Orange Line riders to go online on the MBTA site. And there are a lot of different sites and information out there. We ask that everyone review your plan, both our riders and drivers. Time. Plan extra time and be patient. It’s the first day of work. . . there will be adjustments and challenges.”
Officials say a job that would normally take five years can be squeezed into a month-long work period.
The Orange Line serves approximately 101,000 trips each day, so the impact of the closure on passengers is expected to be large.
200 buses are being used to transport Orange Line riders to their destinations over the next month.
The onset of the unprecedented shutdown has led to a complex dance of detours and alternatives that Boston officials call a “transportation emergency.”
“Things are pretty consistent across the roads. We’re keeping an eye on a couple of key spots. Leverett Circle is one of the big circles we’ve been covering for the week, but there’s also Charles Circle at Sullivan Square. Those are the real hot spots we’re going to be looking at throughout the morning to see if there are any changes we need to make.” ” said Massachusetts State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver.
Some streets are closed or cut in half to create dedicated lanes for shuttle buses. Curbside loading areas were also allocated for buses.
State Street between Congress and Washington streets, Dartmouth Street between St. James and Boylston streets and one side of Washington Street between Arborway and Williams Street will be closed to traffic to make way for buses.
Officials have said building a bus lane would have a ripple effect across the region, according to projections from engineers who are modeling transportation for MassDOT. Motorists warn of increased traffic congestion, especially on roads along shuttle bus routes.
Passenger train frequency has been increased to accommodate expected changes in travel patterns. Riders can use the passenger train for free in Zones 1, 1A and 2 by presenting Charlie Card or CharlieTicket.
Alternatively, Boston is offering a free 30-day pass to ride Bluebikes during the shutdown.
Beginning Monday, portions of the MBTA Green Line will also be closed for 28 days. Closing the Green Line from Union Square to Government Center stations will allow the MBTA to do the final construction work needed to open the Medford branch, which is expected to open in late November.
Shuttle buses will also be provided instead of the Green Line service.
The City of Boston and the MBTA announced the following number for the new MBTA call center: 617-222-3200.
Officials said the “motivation” for the Orange Line shutdown was a safety review by the Federal Transit Administration. The FTA has been digging into the MBTA’s record since May A man was pulled over on the Red Line in April. The federal agency’s final report is expected to be released in the next few weeks.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Devoted analyst. Total alcohol scholar. Infuriatingly humble food trailblazer.”