Baker says MBTA’s winter performance ‘satisfactory’ so far
Gov. Charlie Baker also urged drivers to stay off the roads during Monday’s snowstorm.
Speaking during a Monday snowstorm in Boston, Gov. Charlie Baker said the city’s public transit system has withstood winter at a “satisfactory’’ level so far.
At a press conference, Baker said transportation officials benefitted from the timing of Monday’s storm, which did not begin in earnest until well into morning commuting hours. “Relatively light volume on the commuter rail and the transit system and on the roads’’ have made it easier for both transit and highway crews to clear snow, he said.
The T did not report any major issues Monday morning. About 91 percent of commuter rail trains were on-time during the morning commute, Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack said, putting it about in line with a normal weekday.
Reflecting on the T’s performance through the to-date relatively mild winter, Baker said: “So far, I think the T’s performance has been satisfactory.’’
After Boston transit collapsed last February, Baker put in place an $83.7 million winter preparation plan meant to prevent the same issues this time around, which included new equipment, infrastructure, customer outreach efforts, and internal communication procedures. Greater Boston has not seen the same frequency or voracity of snowfall in early 2016 as it did in 2015.
“I would say the T has been able to keep service at regular levels which is, you know, what we want,’’ Pollack said.
Pollack said riders’ faith in the T was crushed last year. “Every storm where the T is able to run service pretty well will help to restore’’ the faith, she said. She said more work is being done on the T “before those storms, during those storms, and after those storms’’ compared to last year.
Super Bowl weekend was sandwiched by snow in Boston. During Friday’s storm, the T’s rapid transit service fared well most of the day. However, the weather caused trees to fall along parts of the Green Line, interfering with wiring and forcing shuttle service for much of the afternoon. Baker acknowledged those problems Monday, and said circumstances like that require alternative plans like the shuttle buses.
“In the end, we’ll be judged by our performance over the course of the winter,’’ he said.
Pollack said she expects the T to maintain regular service during the afternoon commute, but suggested ferry commuters keep an eye out for the possibility of canceled service, a decision that she said is in the hands of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Baker urged drivers to stay off the roads if they can as the snow continues to fall. About half of the state equipment for clearing roadways has been deployed to southeastern Massachusetts, where the storm is expected to have its heaviest impact, Baker said. The governor said he expects crews to be able to clear roadways and rail overnight in time for Tuesday morning’s commute.
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