Can We Talk About The MBTA?
In short: The MBTA is trash!
The public transit system is scheduled to shut down the whole Orange Line train and part of the Green Line light rail from August 19 to September 18. I have taken the replacement shuttles for the Orange Line several times. While it is not the best substitute, it’s not the worst either. But you do have to plan your travel accordingly, perhaps leaving for your destination at least 30 minutes earlier. Luckily, I work from home and know my way around the city on foot and on a bicycle.
My real concern is that this shutdown isn’t going to end on September 18. The shuttle bus is not a long-term solution, especially as we get into the winter months. I’m not an engineer or transit policy expert, but there is no way the T can fix five years of infrastructure work in 30 days unless they plan to work 24 hours a day with every transit worker on the planet. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Orange Line didn’t reopen until next year, like March or April 2023!
The following will be the T’s excuses:
- Week of September 18, 2022: “We found new problems that require the Orange Line to stay closed for a ‘few more weeks.'”
- October/November 2022: We are still organizing our new strategy going forward.”
- December 2022: “All of our workers are on holiday break, and we will resume in January.”
- January/February 2023: “It’s just too cold and snowy for our workers to be outside.”
- March/April 2023: “We were only able to do so much to fix the Orange Line to get it going again, but we will continue to monitor problems with the possibility of another shutdown over the summer.”
Even if the MBTA miraculously reopens the Orange Line on September 19, I’m not sure I would feel safe taking the train, considering that many cut corners were made by the T to give the false illusion that everything is back in order.
Don’t believe me? Hear it straight from the real experts:
