Orange Line shutdown 'smoother than we expected,' Boston's chief of streets says
BOSTON - Despite predictions of "chaos" leading up to the Orange Line shutdown, Boston's chief of streets says the effects haven't been that dire in the city so far.
"The first week of the #OrangeLineShutdown was smoother than we expected," Jascha Franklin-Hodge tweeted Monday.
The first week of the #OrangeLineShutdown was smoother than we expected. We’ve spent the last 10 days watching the streets, working with the @MBTA and Yankee Line, and making changes to better support riders. Some of what @CityOfBoston has been up to: 🧵 pic.twitter.com/TuXKWq1yGC
— Jascha Franklin-Hodge (@jfh) August 29, 2022
As of Sunday, the MBTA said about 37% of work on the Orange Line has been completed. The unprecedented month-long shutdown is on track to end on Sept. 19.
Franklin-Hodge said the city is focused on prioritizing shuttle bus service for T riders.
"There are now dedicated bus lanes on Sudbury and Staniford Streets (both crucial to the northern shuttle route), and we've made curb changes near North Station," he tweeted. "More is coming this week."
Franklin-Hodge also highlighted the "incredible success" of Bluebikes since the shutdown started. The city is giving away free 30-day passes for the bike share program during the Orange and Green Line shutdowns. He said 20,000 people have taken advantage of the free passes, and 500 more bikes are coming to the city to increase capacity.
The most challenging days of the shutdown are likely still to come. Franklin-Hodge says the city is focused on the return to school and heavier traffic after Labor Day.