BOSTON (WHDH) - State officials gathered outside the Orient Heights MBTA station Thursday, reiterating a call for commuters to “ditch the drive” as the planned nearly two-month shutdown of the Sumner Tunnel entered its second day.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca and others then boarded a Blue Line train bound for downtown Boston.
“Certainly having the experience of being caught in traffic is a motivation to try another mode of transit,” Fiandaca said.
The Sumner Tunnel, which connects East Boston to the downtown area, closed on Wednesday morning as part of an ongoing project to make repairs within the tunnel.
The current closure is scheduled to last until the end of August. Traffic is being diverted through Everett, Route One and the Ted Williams Tunnel, in the meantime.
Officials have warned of delays and traffic congestion linked to the tunnel shutdown, advising commuters to utilize public transit, if possible.
To that end, the Blue Line is running fare-free service throughout the Sumner Tunnel shutdown. Fares on the Commuter Rail are reduced and there are free or reduced-fare harbor ferry rides being offered.
Officials on Wednesday also announced planned bridge work and a corresponding temporary shutdown of part of the Green Line between Union Square and Lechmere stations had been postponed to avoid having the shutdown coincide with the Sumner closure.
“Taking this Blue Line is not only free, so it’s good for your wallet, but it’s good for the environment and it’s a nice smooth ride,” Driscoll said while on the Blue Line on Thursday.
Driscoll rode the T to Thursday morning’s news conference from her home on the North Shore. She then road into Boston with other officials after the event.
“It’s been an easy commute in from the North Shore via train and we think it’s way better than taking your car in during the Sumner Tunnel closure,” she said.
“Congestion coming in from the north is bad even when the Sumner Tunnel isn’t closed, so we hope this will give people an opportunity to get on a boat, get on a bus, get on a train, get on a subway and get into Boston and ditch the drive,” Driscoll continued.
Some delays were visible on roads around Boston on Wednesday as the tunnel closure began.
Many already had their eyes on the potential for more significant traffic congestion in the coming days and weeks, though, as some people currently on vacations for the Fourth of July return to local roads.
Amid continuing concern about the Sumner Tunnel shutdown, reduced fare on ferries could be a silver lining for at least one new eatery in East Boston.
“It’s literally at our doorstep,” said Aimee Magner. “We’re seeing full loads of people, full boatloads coming over every trip.”
While crews were getting ready to close the nearly 90-year-old Sumner Tunnel, Magner and her team were busy opening up the Smoke Shop, a new barbecue joint on the water.
“We’re hoping people are going to be able to find us,” Magner said on Thursday.
The East Boston Chamber of Commerce recently called congestion and lack of accessibility a threat to local businesses, telling 7NEWS, “The tunnel shutdown is making it complicated to get into, around, and out of East Boston.”
“There is a widespread concern that customers will find other, more accessible places to do business,” the chamber said in a statement.
At the Smoke Shop, despite less than ideal timing, Magner is cautiously optimistic the tunnel closure won’t smoke out their brand new business.
“Best restaurant view in the city of Boston,” Magner said. “The train is literally less than a block. Look into the boat shuttle. I wouldn’t be deterred.”
See more information on alternate travel options during the Sumner Tunnel shutdown here.
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