City of Boston Shares Mitigation Plans Ahead of Red Line Closure

Today, Mayor Michelle Wu and the City of Boston Streets Cabinet shared how the City is preparing for the MBTA’s upcoming partial closure of the Red Line. Starting tomorrow through October 29, the MBTA will be closing the Mattapan Line and Ashmont Branch from JFK Station to Ashmont Station for maintenance. This temporary closure will impact about 45,000 riders and some of Boston’s most transit-critical neighborhoods such as Dorchester and Mattapan. City transportation leaders have been working the last couple months with the MBTA to prepare for these diversions to determine best alternate travel routes and how to change City streets to allow shuttle buses to more easily transport Red Line commuters.

“At the City level, we are working as a partner to the MBTA to alleviate the burden on Red Line riders as the MBTA completes needed maintenance,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Our City staff are assisting to ensure Boston residents have the information they need about the closure, and alternative travel options such as the free commuter rail on the Fairmount Line and Bluebikes passes. We’ll continue to support the MBTA as they work to accelerate long-deferred fixes for a safe and reliable commute.”

Alternate Travel Options

Shuttle Buses

The MBTA will be offering free ADA compliant shuttle buses to replace service on the affected stops on the Ashmont Branch and Mattapan Line. More information regarding shuttle buses is available on the MBTA’s website. The MBTA has also prepared a Rider’s Guide that includes more detailed information on alternate routes. 

The City has worked to identify where intervention is necessary to keep shuttles moving and keep vulnerable road users safe. Residents should expect temporary changes to curb use regulations (loading zones, no-stopping zones, and other parking regulation changes), to signal timing, and to traffic patterns along the shuttle route. The goal of these changes is to reduce double parking and lane blockages along Dorchester Avenue and keep shuttles moving. Residents are encouraged to avoid driving on Dorchester Avenue when possible.

MBTA Bus Routes

The MBTA has announced that Bus Route 18 will be free during the upcoming diversion. Route 18 connects to Andrew, Savin Hill, Fields Corner, Shawmut, and Ashmont. 

Commuter Rail

People are encouraged to use the MBTA’s Commuter Rail as an alternative to subway service. The MBTA announced the Fairmount Line will be free during the 16-day closure. 

Bikes

The City is providing a limited number of free monthly passes for Bluebikes, Metro Boston’s public bike share system, for Boston residents impacted by the Red Line shutdown. Interested Boston residents should fill out the form at this link to sign up for a free pass while these passes last.

The City, in collaboration with the MBTA, is accelerating the installation of Bluebikes stations throughout Dorchester and Mattapan in order to provide improved access to transportation during this service disruption. The four new stations are Cedar Grove, Four Corners Geneva, the Talbot Ave. T stop, and Beach Street at Freeport Street. A map of Bluebikes stations can be found on the City’s Red Line webpage. The City is working to install additional Bluebikes stations in the next week. Additionally, Bluebikes has expanded capacity at the JFK/UMass bike station.

Bike facility improvements, including road patching and striping, are also being implemented to improve safety for new riders.

Boston Public Schools

The City is coordinating shuttle stop locations with Boston Public Schools (BPS) school bus stop locations in order to minimize disruption to school transportation. The City is also working to minimize the disruption to school bus operations along Dorchester Avenue, which is near the largest yard in the BPS school bus system. This work includes prioritizing traffic light timing to quickly move buses out of the bus yard and on to the road. 

Accessibility

The Boston Transportation Department is making targeted repairs to sidewalks and pavement markings at shuttle stop stations to improve accessibility and improve traffic flow and safety. Additionally, the City continues to use the Boston Brakes campaign to raise awareness of, and increase safety for, pedestrians with disabilities on Boston’s public rights of way.

More information on the MBTA’s Red Line repair work can be found on the project website, MBTA.com/RLWork. The City has created an informational page at boston.gov/red-line and residents can send questions and concerns to redline@boston.gov.