Gov. Charlie Baker to provide update Sunday on MBTA Orange Line work
BOSTON -- Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is expected to provide an update on MBTA Orange Line work following an assessment scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
The Governor's Office said Baker will tour the State Street MBTA Station stop to see the progress being made firsthand.
It has been just over a week since the Orange Line fully closed and shuttle buses started in rotation. Commuters on the rails and roads have felt the impacts of the Orange Line closure.
"Bus Only Lanes" have been created all over the city to make space for the dozens of buses brought into help.
Jonathan Njiptchi said he took the Orange Line several times during the first week of the shutdown and learned to lean into the positives. He said the buses come around faster than the trains.
"The average difference of the time was about 10 to 15 minutes for the train to come," said Njiptchi. "Now, it has been reduced to about three to five minutes."
11-year-old Grace Burgos of Malden said she will have to take the shuttle buses to get to school when it starts in a couple of weeks. She had been practicing her route.
"I have to go from this station to that one, and I get very confused on where I need to go," Burgos.
Blue Bikes have become a popular option as the city of Boston signed a deal to cover the first 45 minutes of each ride as an alternative to the T.
Many racks around town have been empty as riders jump at the chance to use them.
