'Cautiously Optimistic': Commuters, MBTA Navigate First Monday Of Orange Line Shutdown

MALDEN, MA — The first weekday of the MBTA’s 30-day Orange Line shutdown came and went on Monday.

By mid-afternoon, a lack of unforeseen slowdowns or major incidents had MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak saying he was "cautiously optimistic."

For many though, a relatively smooth Monday didn’t erase a truth that officials themselves have repeated about the next month of travel in and around Boston – this will be difficult.

“I’m not looking forward to it at all,” Grayson Hanlon told Patch outside Oak Grove Station in Malden on Monday night.

Hanlon lives in Stoneham and works in Boston. He usually rides the Orange Line, enjoying a subway commute that ends with a short walk to work. That has changed with the Orange Line shutdown, now adding a longer walk to and from North Station for Hanlon, who plans to use the Commuter Rail to get into work.

“I think it’s going to be a huge pain,” he said.

Hanlon got dropped off at work on Monday morning, bypassing an initial commute under Orange Line shutdown conditions. He then took the train back to Oak Grove station in Malden on Monday night.

Though he dislikes the walk to get to it, Hanlon said he did appreciate a faster ride on the Commuter Rail compared to the Orange Line.

“The train is fast,” he said.

MBTA Announces Alternatives

The state announced the Orange Line shutdown earlier this month, scheduling 30 days of maintenance along the Orange Line. The shutdown began on Saturday and is set to run through mid-September.

A simultaneous shutdown of Green Line stops between Government Center and Union Square then began on Monday as crews, in part, embark on work to shore up the planned Medford branch of the MBTA’s Green Line Extension project.

The MBTA has rolled out a series of alternatives to Orange Line service, providing what is essentially free Commuter Rail fare in zones 1, 1a and 2 while establishing a network of free shuttle busses from Oak Grove to Government Center stations and from Forest Hills to Copley stations. Accessible vans are available at all Orange Line stations on request.

The T had also made changes to The RIDE, which is its door-to-door service for people who can’t use fixed route public transit.

Though the main shuttle bus routes largely bypass downtown Boston, the MBTA has expanded Silver Line service with some additional shuttle buses in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood after facing criticism for its initial plans.

The city of Boston is additionally offering free Bluebike service as outside groups like the Boston Cyclists Union have coordinated group rides and example bike routes to help commuters get into Boston by bike.

30-Day Shutdown Begins

The system of Orange Line alternatives rumbled to life over the weekend.

Though Saturday and Sunday saw their own challenges, commuters and public officials alike circled Monday as the biggest test yet of the MBTA’s Orange Line shutdown network.

“I hope it’s going to be OK,” David, a Commuter Rail rider who declined to provide his last name, told Patch at the Malden Center Commuter Rail platform early Monday morning.

David was riding the train into work in Boston. He said he was not necessarily worried about the ride in. The ride home, however, was cause for some concern.

“Leaving North Station at 10 past five?” David said. “That will be hard to get to.”

“I have no idea how long it will take to get home,” he continued.

Tom Blazej is leading daily bike rides for the Cyclists Union from Oak Grove to Beacon Hill. He had already been biking as part of his commute, either riding from his home in Melrose to Oak Grove and taking the train or riding all the way into Boston in times of good weather.

He said Monday’s commute went well, citing police details that he said helped keep intersections moving safely, among other things.

“Today was fine,” Blazej said. “I think people were scared off because of all the hype and it was actually pretty pleasant.”

Blazej continued that he anticipates that traffic will ramp up over the course of the shutdown, especially as the school year starts.

“I think we all expect that,” he said. “But I’m not too concerned about it especially if they do have details out there and people start to get used to the situation.”

For Malden Police Chief Glenn Cronin, the initial rollout and the first full weekday morning commute on Monday were successful.

“So far, it’s been no issues,” he said on Monday morning.

Cronin was at the Malden Center station early Monday alongside Malden Mayor Gary Christenson. Together, they helped direct would-be Orange Line riders while handing out free CharlieCards that riders will need to display to access free fare on the Commuter Rail.

Elsewhere, police from Malden and other local jurisdictions took to the streets, helping direct shuttle buses and other vehicle traffic through what state officials have warned will indeed be congested roadways in the coming weeks.

Malden Police, Cronin said, plan to have a strong presence at every intersection with a traffic signal along their stretch of the Orange Line route. The city, likewise, has already made adjustments, according to Cronin, replacing typical green-yellow-red light cycles with flashing lights at two intersections near Malden Center after seeing delays on Saturday.

“We’re going to see what works and what does not work,” he said of plans going forward.

Delays, Some Issues Still Impact Commute

For some of its successes, the MBTA’s alternatives still brought confusion and delays in parts of Boston on Monday.

The shuttle bus ride from Oak Grove to Government Center took 56 minutes between 8:39 a.m. and 9:35 a.m. on Monday morning.

Though no one was injured, one shuttle bus was knocked out of service when it and a box truck collided at the Wellington traffic circle in Medford, according to Boston25.

The lack of buses through downtown further confused some commuters on both the Oak Grove/Government Center and the Forest Hills/Copley sides of the Orange Line.

“It’s a mess,” Mike Smith said in Copley Square just after 10 a.m.

Smith got on a shuttle bus at the Massachusetts Avenue stop only to have that bus route end a few moments later when he arrived at Copley Square.

Though he had MBTA workers on hand to help direct him to his destination further into downtown Boston, Smith said he was still frustrated by the confusion.

Leaders Talk Next Steps

As the region settles into the Orange Line shutdown, local leaders are still eyeing some uncertainties.

Malden, Melrose and Medford mayors previously asked for express shuttle bus service directly to downtown Boston among other requests in a joint letter to the MBTA shortly after its Orange Line announcement.

Though that option didn’t materialize, mayors have said they’re still hoping to see it in the future.

In Melrose, Mayor Paul Brodeur separately discussed his concerns in a presentation to the City Council last week, noting police plans to monitor the city’s Commuter Rail stations for possible illegal overflow parking due to an expected spike in Commuter Rail ridership.

One new change, Malden Chief Cronin said, has been a shift by the MBTA to now pay for police details at intersections along the shuttle bus routes.

Initially lacking plans to pay for those details, the MBTA recently changed course, Cronin said.

Speaking on Monday afternoon, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said that the system will likely see higher ridership on Tuesday, based on its data.

Drivers, he said, should stay off the road if possible, reiterating previous warnings from state officials to avoid driving into Boston themselves.

"I am hopeful there are not more people out on the roads (Tuesday),” he said. “I don't want the message from today to be: 'Today went relatively well. I guess it's OK to drive to work tomorrow.'"

The MBTA’s shutdown plans are subject to change. For the full MBTA Rider’s Guide to the Orange Line shutdown, click here.

For information on Boston Cyclists Union group bike rides into Boston, click here.