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MBTA says Blue Line work taking longer than expected; shuttle buses, ferries to keep running through Tuesday
By adamg on Thu, 05/12/2022 - 10:04am
The MBTA today extended the Blue Line shutdown between East Boston and downtown until at least Tuesday, in part due to a derailment of a "construction tool cart" near Airport during repair work earlier this week.
Due to the complicated area of track in the diversion area, a construction tool cart derailed near Airport station earlier this week. There were no injuries. The process to re-rail the tool cart earlier this week and make other repairs while continuing to finish scheduled work means additional time is needed to safely complete the project.
Repair work was originally expected to end Monday.
The MBTA apologizes for the need to extend this diversion, and for the inconvenience experienced by riders during this service suspension. The MBTA knows how frustrating any service interruption is for riders, including unscheduled extensions in shuttle bus diversions, and work crews are actively working as quickly and safely as possible to get the work done. The MBTA continues to express its appreciation of riders’ patience as this important Blue Line work is completed correctly.
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Comments
Let's keep in mind how
Let's keep in mind how complicated it is to replace track in a subway tunnel. Heavy materials have to be carried long distances through the tunnels, since there's no adjacent truck access underground. Which usually means carrying the stuff on work vehicles that travel on the rails. But if the rails aren't there because that's what's being replaced...
What IS it with these people?
It's a cliche at this point. "Construction tool cart derailment". Really?
By the way, those of us regular Blue Line riders who have been subject to this morass for two weeks now already knew it wouldn't end when they said it would. Both times. And probably a third time coming up. There's a rogue bus driver who has been announcing that we shouldn't count on the work ending when the T says it will. He's been right so far.
Apologies aren't enough for
Apologies aren't enough for the amount of time I and many other people have lost due to waiting for these shuttles.
Nice to have a heads up this time
and is anyone really surprised they still need more time?
the only surprise is we have almost a full weeks notice.
No, you have a bit under 48 hours' notice
The first extension of bustitution was supposed to end tomorrow with Blue Line service resuming on Saturday. Some people do rely on the Blue Line on weekends, especially in service industry jobs where Saturday can be one of the busiest days of the week.
Meaning
The ferry will be in service for the weekend?
yes
and apparently there's a petition circulating among EB residents to keep ferry service permanently.
as I understand it, at least some people have been asking for EB ferry service from the city/MBTA for a while, and since both of those entities typically do a better job of listening to and acting on the real or perceived needs of white neighborhoods (in this case, Clippership and Portside), it might just come back at some point.
White neighborhoods?
You are aware that the predominant population of East Boston is Latino, right?
East Boston waterfront vs rest of Eastie
I don't know the ethnic population mix of either area, but when you walk from the new developments on the waterfront, just a couple blocks into Maverick Square, everything looks and feels very different.
When I visited there earlier this week, a cameraman from the PBS News Hour was shooting footage for an upcoming report on this subject.
East Boston Waterfront
But as far as the ferry is concerned, all of us in East Boston can benefit from it, not just the people on the waterfront, as seemed to be the contention of the original poster. The rest of East Boston isn't barred from there you know.
which is why
I specified Clippership and Portside.
You haven't lived there, so you haven't seen the massive demographic shift in Maverick square over the last 10 years.
Eastie has long been neglected
Because of it's immigrant + low income population. There are projects that have been halted for years, leaving decrepit buildings that are not only an eyesore, but are hazardous. This simply would not happen in a white high income area.
And don't even get me started on the airport tolls that prohibit easy access to East Boston, when they should be only to access the airport. I've had cabs, Ubers, etc. refuse to take me/pick me up because they can't pass the toll cost onto me (Uber can, but still won't bother). Or places that will not deliver or do business (home repairs) for the same reason.
The schedule shows that it's
The schedule shows that it's a pretty inefficient way to move people across the harbor.
It runs every 20 minutes. But the round trip time is 40 minutes: 10 minutes crossing and 10 minutes layover each way. So they have to pay for two boats to provide this infrequent service.
The Blue Line is a much more cost-effective way to provide much more convenient transportation: more frequent, faster, and it keeps on going in either direction rather than leaving you at the first stop after the harbor. And Maverick and Aquarium are each less than a 3 minute walk from the respective ferry docks.
Yes, ferry service will continue through Tuesday
Better drivers?
Would be nice if they got drivers who actually know how to drive the busses while this is going on instead of cutting the tunnel to close and causing accidents.
East Boston to Downtown Ferry petition
At least the Ferry from Lewes Wharf to Long Wharf is still running. Sign the petition to advocate for it to continue beyond the neverending Blue Line shutdown https://www.change.org/p/bring-the-mbta-ferry-option-back-for-eastie-res...
At least, run the ferry while the Sumner Tunnel is shut down
since that will be at least as disruptive to the neighborhood as the current Blue Line shutdown.
That's much better
That's much better communication.