MBTA subway and bus lines should be fare-free during Orange Line shutdown, Markey and Pressley say

BOSTON - Two lawmakers are calling on the MBTA to make bus and subway lines free to riders during the Orange Line shutdown.

Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley said in a statement Thursday that the unprecedented shutdown for massive upgrades will be "devastating" for marginalized communities.

"To mitigate the impact of this harmful shutdown, we urge the MBTA to make all subway and bus lines, including the Blue, Red, Green and Silver lines, fare-free for the duration of the Orange Line shutdown," Markey and Pressley said. "In addition, fare-free transit would also help lower costs for riders during a time of rising inflation."

The senator and representative said Congress has appropriated enough money to make fare-free rides possible.

"The state has let riders down, and riders shouldn't have to shoulder both the inconvenience and the cost," they said.

The Orange Line is set to close on August 19 and reopen to riders on September 19.