After the announcement that the Orange Line and a section of the Green Line would shut down for a month, commuters were left waiting for details on how they'd get to work during the transit outage.
Today the MBTA released the Rider's Guide to Planning Ahead, which outlines how replacement transit options are going to work. Boston also established its own website to help riders.
The plan confirms that shuttle buses will be the main alternative for riders who usually take the Orange Line or the Green Line between Union Square and Government Center. Altogether, 200 buses will be deployed: 160 along the Orange Line route, and 40 for Green Line riders.
Transit advocate Jarred Johnson of Transit Matters expressed both caution and optimism about how well replacing the T lines with shuttle buses will work.
“It's hard to say with certainty how well the shuttles will work, but I'm happy to see the collaboration between municipalities, MassDOT, and the T," Johnson said. "It's critical that we have bus lanes and bus priority in as many places as possible. The alternative is gridlock. I obviously wish we had time to do more such as adding significantly more Commuter Rail service and rerouting buses away from Orange Line stations in favor of other lines. But with the time frame we have, I do think the municipalities and the T are stepping up in a big way."
Boston transit officials are planning bus priority lanes in key areas to make way for the shuttles. The shuttle buses will be free. The MBTA has worked out two shuttle bus routes paralleling the Orange Line: one between Forest Hills and Copley Square, and another route from Oak Grove to Government Center. Along the Orange Line route where shuttles will not be operating, the MBTA encourages riders to transfer to the Green Line.
To help riders find and board shuttles, the city is setting up "mobility hubs" at Government Center and Copley Square, with plenty of signage for riders and curb space for the shuttles. The goal is to help commuters navigate transfers to the Green Line and bus connections.
Boston City Council President Ed Flynn expressed concerns that the signs and other communications won't be enough to help people find and board the shuttles.
"I have spoken to residents, students, and other elected officials regarding the Orange Line shutdown, and there are concerns about communication on resources and alternate routes," he said. "I want to urge the MBTA to actively engage the communities impacted by this decision, and focus on multilingual engagement as many of our MBTA riders may not speak English. Constituents that are most reliant on the Orange Line are our working families, immigrant neighbors, seniors, persons with disabilities, students and communities of color, and we need to ensure that they have the resources to minimize disruptions caused by this shutdown."
Transit officials are working to provide options beyond shuttle buses. BlueBikes will offer free 30-day passes. The passes will be available to anyone and provide an unlimited number of 45-minute rides at no cost. The Boston Cyclists Union is organizing groups to help people who want to commute by bike.
Officials are also urging people to take commuter rail whenever possible, which will essentially be free within Zones 1, 1a and 2. The MBTA says commuter rail staff won't be charging cards or tickets. The policy covers all commuter rail trips that start within Zones 1A, 1 and 2 — which covers all of Boston's commuter rail stops.
One thing officials don’t want people to do is take to their cars. MassDOT’s Highway Division has advised that traffic will increase around the Orange Line corridor, in part because of road modifications needed to support the MBTA's replacement bus shuttles. Commuters are being advised to work from home if possible and consider rescheduling trips that are not absolutely necessary.
The full 30-day closure of the Orange Line from Oak Grove to Forest Hills will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, and the 28-day closure of the Green Line from Union Square to Government Center will begin on Monday, Aug. 22.
