BOSTON (WHDH) - Just two days out from a month-long shutdown of the Orange Line, the City of Boston teamed up with the MBTA to host a public meeting in Chinatown aimed at easing the pain of the closure.
“You didn’t have Chinatown in mind when you made up this information. Where are the shuttle buses going to be?” said frustrated commuter Cecelia Cordova.
Initially, the MBTA said Chinatown was one of four stops on the Orange Line that wouldn’t have shuttle buses. However, Mayor Michelle Wu confirmed that the city is working to change this.
“This community is seen and heard and needs to be a part of the planning, so we are very glad that they have responded to the concerns that have been elevated by City Councils, State Legislature, and so many of our partners here in the city,” said Wu.
To soften the blow of the shutdown, the MBTA plans to add a stop on the Silver Line at the Surface Artery at the Kneeland Street stop.
Adding to the confusion, the signs and announcements about the shutdown are only in English.
A spokesperson for the MBTA said that riders are encouraged to use the ‘T’s Rider Guide’ and that it will be translated into nine languages.
Wu said they are taking steps to translate signs at shuttle bus stops.
“There will be sandwich boards in different languages, as well as staff on the ground who can help guide and facilitate folks to the shuttle buses and help get their bearings,” said Wu.
Other actions are also being taken.
“We need to communicate effectively in Cantonese in Madeiran. A lot of our seniors don’t have the internet, unfortunately. A lot of it will be door-knocking and providing brochures to them,” said Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn.
However some said the changes are coming too late.
“I’m not satisfied with this last-minute stuff, and I am just about fed up with it,” said Cordova. “I am tired of the politicians who know that Chinatown has an issue, and we always have to scream and holler, or it has to be a lawsuit, or it has to be a major incident before something is done.”
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