‘It shouldn’t have come to this’: Riders who rely on stops excluded from Orange Line replacement bus routes express frustration

BOSTON (WHDH) - While the MBTA has said those that ride the Orange Line will be able to use a replacement bus service during the month-long shutdown, those who rely on a few select stops will have to seek further alternatives.

According to the MBTA’s replacement plan, four stops, Chinatown, Tufts Medical Center, Downtown Crossing and State Street will not be included in the replacement bus routes.

Jamila Flanders relies on the Orange Line to see her two newborns at the Tufts Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. When the Orange Line shutdowns on Friday, she is preparing for a lengthy journey to reach her babies’ bedsides.

“It’s ridiculous – it shouldn’t have come to this,” Flanders told 7NEWS. “Usually it’s about a 15-minute ride. It’s gonna have to take me a little over an hour having to take the two buses in.”

According to the MBTA, there was no efficient way to operate buses during that portion of the Orange Line and riders can instead use the Green and Silver Lines. MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak cites the Back Bay Station as an alternative route to get to Chinatown.

“It’s a hefty block, but it’s a block away from the Chinatown stop,” said Poftak in a press conference. “We have the best plan we can, in terms of the ability to run an efficient shuttle and given the constraints on the number of shuttle buses we have.”

Tuft’s Medical’s Chief Operating Officer Diana Richardson said there are 2,00 employees and physicians who they know take the T to work every day.

“It is a pretty challenging area to run shuttle buses, we do understand that. Having said that, it doesn’t lessen the fact it will be a real challenge for staff and patients,” said Richardson.

However, riders like Imani Hill, who already travel with a disability, may not be able to navigate city blocks without public transportation.

“You mean to tell me you’re gonna squeeze those five years into one month? That’s like saying I can build a car in 30 seconds,” Hill said. “Without the right materials that’s impossible. And I think that’s what makes me really angry and aggravated.”

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