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MBTA says it will use widespread closures to eliminate all slow zones by the end of 2024
The T wants to roll out periodic shutdowns across all four subway lines as part of a plan to eliminate nearly 200 speed restrictions.
The MBTA is planning to periodically shut down parts of the subway system for days or weeks at a time in hopes of eliminating all current speed restrictions by the end of 2024, General Manager Phil Eng announced Thursday.
Affecting all four subway lines, the track improvement plan features roughly 20 multi-day diversions on specific sections of track. Eng said the T expects to lift 191 speed restrictions, replace 140,680 feet of rail, and shave a total of 86 minutes of travel time systemwide by the end of next year.
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The new plan builds on the success of previous diversions, including a recent 16-day shutdown of the Red Line’s Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line, which lifted slow zones and resulted in faster travel times for riders.
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And the strategy is consistent with Eng’s stated ethos when it comes to fixing the T: “Get in, get it done, get it done right, and then get out and give it back to the public.”
The bane of many T riders’ existence, speed restrictions now blanket 23% of the T’s subway system, or roughly 31 miles of track.
“We realize that this is a tremendous amount of work that we’re trying to do in a tremendous amount of time,” Eng said during a meeting of the MBTA board’s safety subcommittee. “It’s years and years of disinvestment that we’re tackling in one year, but we also have an approach that is going to be different than past approaches.”
The Green Line is first up with a nine-day closure that will begin on Nov. 27 and span North Station to Kenmore, Heath Street, and Babcock Street. The T also plans to shut down the Green Line’s D Branch from Riverside to Kenmore from Dec. 11 to Dec. 20.
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Eng explained that recent inspections in the subway tunnels identified some areas in need of structural work. The repairs will not only tackle speed restrictions but also issues with the overhead catenary system that have disrupted service in recent weeks, he said.
The MBTA will offer up shuttle buses and the Orange Line as alternatives for displaced riders, according to Eng.
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Looking ahead at 2024, some of the planned shutdowns are expected to take only a few days, while others could last several weeks.
Assistant General Manager of Engineering and Capital Sam Zhou explained that the tentative calendar aims to avoid major holidays and events, also taking major Massachusetts Department of Transportation projects into consideration. He emphasized that flexibility is baked into the MBTA’s plan.
Public transportation advocacy group TransitMatters applauded the MBTA’s plan Thursday, also calling on the agency to ensure that replacement service is “as seamless as possible” during the planned diversions.
“For too long, the T has communicated diversions to the public on an ad-hoc basis with limited warning,” the group said in a statement. “Planning this work far in advance allows riders to make adjustments for when their trips are impacted. It also gives us at TransitMatters better confidence that the T is coordinating repairs and capital improvements to minimize disruption for riders.”
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The organization Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA) also stressed the importance of communication when it comes to the MBTA’s plans.
“We hope this signals a new level of transparency with the public for the MBTA especially as the work progresses,” T4MA said in a statement. “This allows impacted communities to plan their trips and activities ahead, and for municipalities to prepare for these shutdowns, ensuring riders’ lives are not disrupted greatly.”
While the T can get the repairs done by shutting down parts of the subway at night or during the weekend, Eng said these longer diversions offer crews a chance to work more efficiently and get more bang for their buck.
Paraphrasing Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, he said the plan will involve “short-term pain for long-term wins.”
What do you think about the MBTA plans to incrementally shut down stretches of the subway for repairs?
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