One week into the Orange Line shutdown, is the MBTA on track?

How is the MBTA doing one week into the Orange Line shutdown? On one hand, General Manager Steve Poftak said the work is on track, and an anticipated surge in traffic on the city’s streets has not materialized thanks to people seeking other modes of transportation, like biking, taking the commuter rail and avoiding the area altogether when possible. On the other, the MBTA announced a few equipment cart derailments, said cuts to train and bus service are coming and did not rule out partial closures on other lines. Riders have had to deal with longer, less reliable commutes, most acutely impacting passengers who have disabilities or who do not speak English. GBH News transportation reporter Bob Seay joined Morning Edition hosts Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel Friday to talk about the first week of the 30-day Orange Line shutdown. This transcript has been lightly edited.

Jeremy Siegel: How has the T done this first week? What grade are you giving them, if you have to give one?

Bob Seay: Well, I would give them maybe a B, maybe a B-plus. Because I think we didn't get the traffic meltdown that everybody had been forecasting. And it seems like people that I've talked to have been coping. They might not be happy about it, but most of them realize that this is something that has to happen. At his update on Wednesday, General Manager Steve Poftak said they've completed about 16 percent of the work. So after five days, 16 percent is about one-sixth. So six times five is 30, 30 days. We're on track. So far, so good.

I've heard the phrase 'relatively smoothly,' and 'cautiously optimistic,' of course, kind of falls into the same category. So with fingers crossed, they're proceeding. The biggest complaint has been the lack of signage directing people where to go, especially if it were in English only. And I understand the T has responded to that. I talked to the CEO of Tufts New England Medical Center, and that was a big issue there. She said they responded right away with lots of new signs, and she does feel that they are responding to those concerns and helping people get through this. So that's been a positive as well.

Paris Alston: So, Bob, another hiccup in addition to the signage issue, has been accessibility issues. Now, the T did seem to have planned for both of those things. But when you look back at this first week, is there anything that came up that the T didn't anticipate?

Seay: Well, I think the buses that they're using are not handicapped-accessible. So that was a real problem for people. And it seems to me that they did not have enough vehicles standing by, vans that are handicapped accessible, wheelchair accessible. So that's been a problem. And even at Tufts New England Medical Center, they did admit that people with mobility issues are having problems getting to the hospital. So that continues to be an issue. The hospital says, don't cancel, please call us. We'll work something out with you. So they're trying to bring what resources they can to bear on this, but it is one of the areas that does need improvement.

Siegel: So, Bob, we've been talking a lot about the Orange Line shutdown specifically, but there's also a partial closure of the Green Line north of Government Center. And earlier this week, you were reporting on how the T is going to be extending service cuts basically across the board to subway service and potentially expanding some of that to other bus lines. This is on top of the Orange Line shutdown. They're saying now it's going to go longer than just this summer, which is what they initially said.

You pointed to the fact that the GM, Steve Poftak, said that they're on track with the work so far. But I'm curious: When you see the T extending these service cuts, can people trust this timeline?

Seay: Well, the service cuts had nothing to do with the Orange Line work. We've seen these service cuts coming for a long time. And the reason is they don't have the number of dispatchers that they need to run the system, and they're way behind. It takes weeks to train new people. They only have, like, a half a dozen people in training right now. And I reported I think two or three weeks ago that at a board meeting they said, you know, we're going to be well into 2023 before we can bring back regular service. So that's kind of unknown.

And the bus service reduction is troubling because it's an indication that the T is still having problems hiring bus drivers. For months now, they've been trying to hire 300 drivers, many of whom had left during the pandemic and have not come back. That's what's causing that reduction in service. So having it all happen at the same time is really unfortunate, but it does come down to staffing and hiring problems that the T is having.

Alston: So in addition to all of that, another thing that's about to happen at this time is back to school, both for public school students and college students returning to campus starting this weekend. Does that raise some concerns for you?

Seay: Oh, definitely. And I think that's the next big hurdle. We have college students beginning this weekend to move in. We know there are about 250,000 college students in the Boston area. A considerable number of people will be looking to use the T and the shuttle buses. They're going to have to kind of learn this system.

And, of course, the public school system is a whole other thing. And I know BPS and the mayor have been working diligently trying to provide transportation for that. But that's going to add more buses to the city's streets, too. So that's the next big area of concern going forward. And we'll have to really watch to see what happens next week.

Siegel: Anything else you're watching for in the 30 seconds we have left here, Bob? I've seen some people posting pictures on Twitter saying that the MBTA may have accidentally posted and then removed language surrounding a Red Line shut down. Is there a Red Line closure coming?

Seay: Well, I could tell you if this is successful with the Orange Line, we are going to see some kind of closure on the Red Line. Spokesman Joe Pesaturo of the T told me there is no full line closure planned. Well, that leaves a lot of room for partial line closures.

So I think what you saw slip out there earlier this week is an indication of what may happen. Because the Red Line is definitely something that has to be addressed. So it wouldn't surprise me if we saw what we saw leaked the other day become reality, but we'll just have to wait for confirmation. Don't be surprised if you see the signs along the Red Line — but the whole Red Line will not be shut down like the Orange Line.