Commuters who rely on the MBTA Red Line in Boston are facing disruptions starting this Thursday night. Service on a critical stretch of the line will be suspended for maintenance, which means shuttle buses will stand in for trains between Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass stations. As reported by MassLive, the interruption will begin at 8:30 p.m. Thursday and is set to continue until the start of service Monday morning.
This weekend's closure is just the start; an identical service suspension is scheduled to soon follow. The MBTA has planned to similarly shut down the stretch from Thursday, July 17, through the end of Sunday, July 20. During this time, riders are encouraged to factor in significantly more travel time. For those journeying from Downtown Crossing to Ashmont or Braintree, "Riders using shuttle buses should budget ample extra travel time," as the MBTA states, projecting an additional 30 to 45 minutes on top of the normal commute.
With trains out of service, shuttle buses will take on the task of moving passengers, but they won't stop at Park Street. Commuters will need to detour via State and Haymarket stations to access connections to the Orange, Blue, and Green lines. The Boston Globe highlights that this shift to road-bound transportation will likely mean longer travel times, especially during the rush hour in Boston's famed traffic.
The MBTA announced that no fares will be collected at JFK/UMass, Kendall/MIT, Haymarket, State, and South Station during the disruptions. Moreover, the commuter rail will also become a fare-free option between Braintree and South Station, and between Porter and North Station. Additionally, to smooth the inconvenience, riders have been offered an alternative through Bluebike, with a promotional code "MBTAREDJUL10" to unlock five free rides.
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