Malden Braces For Orange Line Shutdown As Questions Linger

MALDEN, MA — The MBTA will shut down Orange Line service beginning on Friday.

In Malden, the unprecedented move has local leaders still noting unanswered questions while constituents brace for widespread disruptions. Among recent questions — will Malden get express shuttle bus service to downtown Boston?

"We’re doing what we can with what we have,” Mayor Gary Christenson told Patch on Monday. “Ultimately, this needs to be administered and solved by the MBTA and the state.”

The MBTA announced the Orange Line shutdown earlier this month, planning a 30-day disruption along the entire Orange Line route to make way for a series of badly needed construction projects.

While previously waiting for updates from the MBTA regarding the shutdown, Christenson joined mayoral colleagues in Melrose and Medford to call for increased Commuter Rail frequency on the Haverhill Commuter Rail line as well as express shuttle buses into Boston.

The shuttles, the mayors argued, would help alleviate a crush of riders looking to load onto busses that might already fill up in their first few stops in Malden and Medford.

The MBTA initially left express buses out of an outline of Orange Line alternatives that it shared late last week.

On Monday afternoon Christenson remained optimistic that the express bus plan would still come to fruition.

Bad news came hours later when Christenson said MBTA officials told him and other area mayors that there would be no express shuttles.

Come Tuesday morning, however, Christenson said he was hearing a new message, leaving the door open to some express service.

Contacted on Tuesday afternoon, MBTA spokesperson Lisa Battiston said shuttle buses will focus on stopping at each station along their route.

“However, if the T sees crowding occurring at certain stations and the T has the bus shuttle capacity, then staff may make a decision in real time to offer a direct Orange Line station to downtown shuttle option,” Battiston said.

An example could include a direct route from Wellington Station to downtown, Battiston said.

Battiston reiterated previous MBTA calls for riders to use the Commuter Rail if possible, saying that anyone seeking an express option is “strongly encouraged” to ride the Commuter Rail train.

Rollout Faced Criticism

Billed as a way to accelerate what would otherwise be a roughly five-year project of stop-and-go weekend and night work, the Orange Line shutdown plan quickly faced criticism for its impact and rollout earlier this month.

Though they’ve since posted plans, state officials initially lacked concrete shuttle bus routes. And while they emphasized plans to divert Orange Line riders toward the Commuter Rail when possible, the MBTA also didn’t roll out adjusted Commuter Rail schedules for lines north of Boston until last week.

Now, Malden riders can expect Commuter Rail trains in 45-minute intervals, stopping locally at Oak Grove and Malden Center stations on their way to North Station.

Malden City Councilor Carey McDonald was among those voicing concerns in a City Council meeting last week.

He shared new comments in a statement on Monday following the MBTA’s updates to its plans.

“This is completely unacceptable,” McDonald said.

McDonald discussed the wide ranging impacts of the shutdown, further criticizing the MBTA’s scheduling of this disruption.

“I cannot understand why we only got two weeks notice for this shutdown, and why the T didn't plan for these repairs during the pandemic when ridership was at its lowest,” he said.

Expecting future disruptions as the MBTA continues to grapple with its system, McDonald said he will join colleagues in pushing for better advanced planning by the MBTA.

“We know there is much more work they will need to do in the years ahead,” McDonald said.

City Preps For Local Impacts

Christenson said the city of Malden will share its own statement soon recapping what it knows ahead of the shutdown later this week.

City officials will then be on the ground on the first few days of the shutdown, Christenson said, assessing anywhere that the city might need to make adjustments.

“We had wondered, based on the pushback, whether they would cancel or postpone the shutdown,” Christenson said. “We have not sensed anything happening on that."

“I think we all have to resolve ourselves to be ready for this,” he continued.

Read the MBTA's "Rider's Guide to Planning Ahead," which contains outlines of Orange Line alternatives ahead of the shutdown here.