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BOSTON
- Friday, October 13, 2023 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of
Boston Streets Cabinet shared how the City is preparing for the MBTA’s
upcoming partial closure of the Red Line. Starting tomorrow
through October 29, the MBTA will be closing the Mattapan Line and Ashmont
Branch from JFK Station to Ashmont Station for maintenance. This temporary
closure will impact about 45,000 riders and some of Boston’s most
transit-critical neighborhoods such as Dorchester and Mattapan. City
transportation leaders have been working the last couple months with the
MBTA to prepare for these diversions to determine best alternate travel
routes and how to change City streets to allow shuttle buses to more easily
transport Red Line commuters.
“At
the City level, we are working as a partner to the MBTA to alleviate the
burden on Red Line riders as the MBTA completes needed maintenance,”
said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Our City staff are assisting to ensure
Boston residents have the information they need about the closure, and
alternative travel options such as the free commuter rail on the Fairmount
Line and Bluebikes passes. We’ll continue to support the MBTA as they work
to accelerate long-deferred fixes for a safe and reliable commute.”
Alternate
Travel Options
Shuttle
Buses
The
MBTA will be offering free ADA compliant shuttle buses to replace service
on the affected stops on the Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line. More information
regarding shuttle buses is available on the MBTA’s website. The MBTA has also
prepared a Rider’s Guide that includes
more detailed information on alternate routes.
The
City has worked to identify where intervention is necessary to keep
shuttles moving and keep vulnerable road users safe. Residents should
expect temporary changes to curb use regulations (loading zones,
no-stopping zones, and other parking regulation changes), to signal timing,
and to traffic patterns along the shuttle route. The goal of these changes
is to reduce double parking and lane blockages along Dorchester Avenue and
keep shuttles moving. Residents are encouraged to avoid driving on
Dorchester Avenue when possible.
MBTA
Bus Routes
The
MBTA has announced that Bus Route 18 will be free during the upcoming
diversion. Route 18 connects to Andrew, Savin Hill, Fields Corner, Shawmut,
and Ashmont.
Commuter
Rail
People
are encouraged to use the MBTA’s Commuter Rail as an alternative to subway
service. The MBTA announced the Fairmount Line will be free
during the 16-day closure.
Bikes
The
City is providing a limited number of free monthly passes for Bluebikes,
Metro Boston’s public bike share system, for Boston residents impacted by
the Red Line shutdown. Interested Boston residents should fill out the form
at this link to sign up for a
free pass while these passes last.
The
City, in collaboration with the MBTA, is accelerating the installation of
Bluebikes stations throughout Dorchester and Mattapan in order to provide
improved access to transportation during this service disruption. The four
new stations are Cedar Grove, Four Corners Geneva, the Talbot Ave. T stop,
and Beach Street at Freeport Street. A map of Bluebikes stations can be
found on the City’s Red Line webpage. The City is working
to install additional Bluebikes stations in the next week. Additionally,
Bluebikes has expanded capacity at the JFK/UMass bike station.
Bike
facility improvements, including road patching and striping, are also being
implemented to improve safety for new riders.
Boston
Public Schools
The
City is coordinating shuttle stop locations with Boston Public Schools
(BPS) school bus stop locations in order to minimize disruption to school
transportation. The City is also working to minimize the disruption to
school bus operations along Dorchester Avenue, which is near the largest
yard in the BPS school bus system. This work includes prioritizing traffic
light timing to quickly move buses out of the bus yard and on to the
road.
Accessibility
The
Boston Transportation Department is making targeted repairs to sidewalks
and pavement markings at shuttle stop stations to improve accessibility and
improve traffic flow and safety. Additionally, the City continues to use
the Boston Brakes campaign to
raise awareness of, and increase safety for, pedestrians with disabilities
on Boston’s public rights of way.
More
information on the MBTA’s Red Line repair work can be found on the project
website, MBTA.com/RLWork. The City has created
an informational page at boston.gov/red-line and
residents can send questions and concerns to redline@boston.gov.
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