MBTA Nixes Sunday Service After Blizzard Warning Declared
Update: The MBTA announced it will suspend all service Sunday, February 15 due to the declared blizzard warning this weekend for Eastern Massachusetts.
“There will be no subway, trolley, commuter rail, bus or ferry service the entire day,’’ the advisory reads, noting the the “heavy snow’’ and “high winds’’ would “significantly inhibit the MBTA’s ability to deliver safe and reliable service.’’
The suspension will allow crews to clear ice from the tracks and prevent stuck trains, the statement said.
The agency said a decision about whether to suspend service on Monday would be made Sunday.
Original story: With a blizzard threatening to bring more than a foot of snow and high winds this weekend, the MBTA said it will not operate its late night service Saturday night into Sunday morning.
“This will allow MBTA personnel to get a jump start on snow-clearing operations and other maintenance activity before 3:30 a.m. (when Late Night service would typically end),’’ an MBTA spokesperson said in an email.
The MBTA said it plans to operate on Saturday, with the last train leaving Boston no later than 12:50 a.m. Officials have not yet decided if public transit will be open Sunday and beyond.
“With the storm track uncertain, it is premature to make a decision [on Friday],’’ MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said in an email. “We plan to keep the system open on Saturday and will coordinate closely with Mayor Walsh on ensuring that the City can conduct all necessary snow removal operations. Decisions about service on Sunday and beyond will be made [Saturday].’’
On Thursday, Walsh suggested the MBTA should close down ahead of the storm.
“If we get a blizzard storm on Sunday, I would suggest the T get shut down Saturday night into Sunday and possibly Monday, so the proper cleanup can happen with the MBTA,’’ he said.
Walsh tempered that call in a statement Friday morning, in which he said that closing the train system “would pose an incredible hardship to workers and people living throughout Boston.’’ He clarified to The Boston Globe that although he has no power over the MBTA, his “recommendation’’ is remains that it close so crews can clear the tracks.
This weekend’s storm is expected to begin Saturday afternoon, with the strongest part hitting Sunday morning. The bigger issue will be the whipping winds, which are expected to severely limit visibility, Boston.com’s David Epstein writes.
The MBTA has struggled to deal with the effects of the three major storms that have hit Eastern Massachusetts in the past three weeks. Most recently, all commuter rail lines, trains, and trolleys were closed in the evening of Monday, February 9 and all day Tuesday, February 10. The train lines have since reopened, but services have been limited by old equipment, frozen and buried rail lines, and masses of snow on the streets blocking the bus routes.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com