Chinatown residents concerned about lack of shuttle buses during MBTA shutdown
BOSTON – When the Orange Line shuts down on Friday, the MBTA will bring in shuttle buses to help out commuters. There won't be any buses servicing the Chinatown stop during the month trains are shut down, and that has many in the community concerned.
Outside the Orange Line station in Chinatown on Wednesday, sidewalks were far from packed along Washington Street as commuters made their way off of trains and buses, while others passed by on bikes.
Some saw it as the calm before the storm.
"It's going to be chaos," commuter Louis Ayala said. "Believe me. It's going to be chaos. Everybody's going to be bumping into everybody. It's going to get crowded."
Chinatown is one of four downtown stations that won't have any buses running back and forth.
The city is hosting an information session Wednesday at 6 p.m. inside Josiah Quincy Elementary School. Representatives from the MBTA will be on hand along with a number of departments from the city to engage the community.
"I'm not going to walk it. It's too far for that," one man said. "Maybe bike, or take other buses, or every now and then do Ubers or something."
The Orange Line shutdown begins Friday at 9 p.m.