'A lot easier,' Sumner Tunnel shutdown forcing some to try free Blue Line to avoid traffic
BOSTON - The Sumner Tunnel shutdown has brought Ted Williams Tunnel traffic to a crawl and that has authorities pushing for more people to ride the T.
Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll and Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca rode the Blue Line Thursday from East Boston to downtown to encourage commuters to consider public transit for the next eight weeks during the Sumner repairs.
The tunnel shut down Wednesday and will be closed through Thursday, August 31.
"We're certainly learning as we go along, but this whole week will be about smoothing out bumps," Driscoll told reporters. "This is a pretty big mode-shift experiment. If you're taking public transportation, you sort of get your program down and then we're hoping people with stick with it even after the tunnel's back open."
Michael Sullivan rode the Blue Line Thursday for the first time in many years, hoping to avoid the traffic.
"I'm heading into the North End for work and I figured this would be a lot easier," he told WBZ-TV.
Unlike drivers stuck crawling in traffic, Blue Line riders reported a smooth trip Thursday.
"No problems for me so far. It was nice to get the free ride," commuter Doug Miller told WBZ-TV.
The Blue Line is just one free option during the shutdown. For more information, click here.