Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
MEDFORD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — MBTA riders are facing another day of slowdowns on the Green Line, Mattapan Line, and several other parts of the system as crews work to verify track repairs.
The MBTA announced last week that trains will be running between 10-25 miles per hour after an investigation by the Department of Public Utilities found the MBTA did not have adequate documentation to confirm all necessary track repairs across all lines had actually been completed.
The speed restrictions on the entirety of the Red, Orange, and Blue lines have since been lifted, but some slow zones are still in place in certain spots along those lines as crews continue their work. Interim General Manager Jeff Gonneville tells WBZ NewsRadio the MBTA hopes to start lifting the slow zones on the Green Line and Mattapan Line soon.
"We are going to incrementally begin lifting these slow zones as our third-party inspectors and our internal engineers are independently verifying and validating these slow zones," Gonneville said.
WBZ's James Rojas spoke with one commuter who said she was worried to hear that the MBTA was unable to verify that track work had actually been completed.
"It makes me nervous," she said. "I feel like so much work goes [into the MBTA]. They're always like 'we're working on the Red Line, we're working on the Green Line' and then you see stuff like this."
In the meantime, the MBTA is asking riders to give themselves about an extra 20 minutes for their commutes, especially if they plan on using the Green Line or Mattapan Line. While they aren't all thrilled to have to add time to their commute, many riders said they would rather leave earlier than be late because of slow trolley speeds.
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"I'm here pretty early for a reason," one rider said. "I know some things can happen so I would rather go and get to work, grab a coffee, and wait than get stuck and be late."
The MBTA is also offering service alternatives at rapid transit stations that also have commuter rail options. Those stations include JFK/UMass, Quincy Center, Braintree, Porter Square, Back Bay, Ruggles, Forrest Hills, Malden Center, and Oak Grove.
"At those stations, customers can use their Charlie Cards and board a commuter rail train and use that as an alternative for getting into Boston," Gonneville said.
Gonneville adds riders should utilize the MBTA's Trip Planner to help schedule any trips into the city.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) reports.
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