SOMERVILLE, MASS. (WHDH) - T riders expressed exasperation after news broke that the Orange Line would shut down for repairs for a month, with shuttle buses taking its place.
“It’s stupid,” said T rider Steven Yee who told 7NEWS he plans to quit his job in the North End instead of taking the shuttle bus. “I mean, the point of taking the train is to dodge traffic. The bus is going to be sitting in traffic. What’s the point?”
The MBTA is planning on having 200 shuttle buses run the route. Currently, 160 buses are ready to roll, with the T announcing a $37 million contract for the service.
Tens of thousands of riders will have to choose between shuttle buses, commuter rail or other means of transportation.
“Happily, I have someone I love who will drive me into work because it takes an hour I learned today to walk from North Station,” said T rider Marie Botte.
The shutdown is expected to last from about 9 p.m. on August 19 through September 18, with service resuming on Monday, September 19.
“It’s unfortunate because I know it’s a terrible inconvenience for commuters, but I would say it’s better inconvenienced for 30 days than dead,” said Transportation Safety Expert Keith Millhouse.
MBTA officials ordered the shutdown amid several Orange Line incidents, including a smoking train that hundreds of passengers evacuated out of the car’s window. The MBTA blamed the incident on a loose piece of metal.
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