MBTA's 2020 Outlook Promises Improvements, Shutdowns

BOSTON, MA — The MBTA on Thursday announced plans to accelerate infrastructure projects for several subway lines and the Commuter Rail in 2020. The bad news? That will come with shutdowns and service interruptions across the board.

No line appears to be safe, but outside of the Green Line, most of the work is restricted to weekends. Transportation officials say their 2020 Infrastructure Acceleration Plan will deliver projects eight years faster than originally planned and include track replacement, upgraded intersections and station improvements.

In 2019, the MBTA completed work across the Red, Orange and Green Lines about two years faster than originally expected, according to MassDOT. Much of this was done through 10 weekend shutdowns on the Red and Orange Lines in downtown Boston.

In addition to the full-month C and E Branch shutdowns, as previously announced, the MBTA has scheduled an 11-month suspension of regular Green Line service between North Station and Lechmere starting in May 2020. Work will include strengthening the Lechmere Viaduct, while rebuilding the elevated section of track through East Cambridge and realigning the track to a new Lechmere Station as part of the Green Line Extension Project.

"MBTA customers deserve better service faster, but the T can’t deliver on modernization without disruption, including weekday station shutdowns," Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack said in a statement. "During the shutdowns, we will help people get to where they are going on shuttles or other train lines. Most importantly, the temporary inconvenience will be worth it, delivering safer and more reliable service in months instead of years."

To keep riders informed of upcoming work, the MBTA has created a specially designated website and interactive map available at MBTA.com/BBT2020. A video demonstration of how to use the interactive map is also available at MBTA.com/BBT2020-map-demo.

Projects for 2020 include:

On the Green Line:

· C Branch: A 28-day closure in service for the entire street-level branch (Kenmore to Cleveland Circle) replaced with accessible shuttle buses from the beginning of July to the beginning of August to allow for the replacement of track and upgrading intersections.

· E Branch: A 28-day closure in service for the entire street-level branch (Prudential to Heath Street) replaced with accessible shuttle buses as well as enhanced Route 39 bus service (which operates alongside the E branch on Huntington Avenue) during the month of August to replace track and upgrade intersections.

· GLX/GLT: Green Line Extension and Green Line Transformation work is also taking place for both construction of the new Lechmere Station and work on the Lechmere Viaduct with accessible shuttle buses replacing service between Lechmere and North Stations from May 2020 through April 2021.

· B Branch: Three weekend diversions in June from Boston College to Babcock Street to replace track and upgrade intersections.

· D Branch: Evening and weekend diversions throughout the entirety of 2020 for track and signal improvements as well as work on the Fenway Portal Project.

· Work among all branches will result in 10.8 miles of track replaced (24 percent of the Green Line) and fourteen intersections upgraded (26 percent of the Green Line) with work completed over two years (760 days) faster than previously planned.

On the Red Line:

· Eleven weekend diversions in which shuttle buses replace trains between Alewife and Harvard began in January and continue through April to repair 32,000 feet of track (6 miles, including concrete track foundations) and tunnel leak mitigation work.

· South Shore Garage work on the Braintree and Quincy Adams Garages is accelerating with the goal to fully offset impacted parking spaces during construction. Four hundred parking spots will be returned to full use fourteen months early.

· This work will be completed over a year (490 days) sooner than previously scheduled.

On the Orange Line:

· Seven diversions (with the project continuing through 2021) in which shuttle buses replace trains between Oak Grove and Sullivan from October to December to replace 18,400 feet of track (3.5 miles) and associated systems at Wellington yard, modernize three escalators, and upgrade traction power substations (which are 40+ years old).

· This work will be completed 180 days faster than previously planned.

On the Blue Line:

· Extended early access and nineteen weekend diversions between Bowdoin and Airport from May through October to replace up to 2,500 feet of track (0.5 mile), repair isolated cracked rail within tunnel areas, open tunnel niches to build new truck pads, perform tunnel leak repairs, remove inactive cables and ducts, and perform tunnel weather-proofing work.

· This work will be completed over two years (760 days) faster than previously scheduled.

On the Commuter Rail:

· Franklin Line: Extended early access and weekend diversions in which shuttle buses replace trains between Forge Park and South Station as well as diversions to local transit services at the Franklin Street crossover.

· The acquisition of eighty bi-level coaches is being accelerated to improve reliability and capacity, replacing the oldest passenger coaches in the fleet.

· This work will be completed over 180 days faster than previously planned.

On the Silver Line and Systemwide:

· Silver Line: Extended early access and eight weekend diversions in which Silver Line buses will run at the street-level to waterproof compartments at Courthouse Station and East tunnels to reduce future leaking and enhance station conditions.

· Repairs are also being made to parking lots systemwide at multiple parking facilities.

· This work will be completed over an entire year (480 days) faster than previously planned.

For more information, visit mbta.com/BBT2020 or connect with the T on Twitter @MBTA, Facebook /TheMBTA, or Instagram @theMBTA.