The amount of snow this winter has basically defeated the MBTA. The T system was completely shut down for days, had limited service, and major delays. It is a commuter’s nightmare. After the snowstorm over the weekend of February 14 and 15 the MBTA had very limited service and brought upon the commuting week from Hell.
Personally, I take the B train on the Green Line to get to school and the stop is a two-minute walk from my apartment. With no outdoor train service, I had to walk ten minutes to catch a spot (if I was lucky) on very crowded bus to get to Kenmore station. All things considering, it could be worse. There was very limited service between where I get the bus and Boston College. It took a week for the B line outdoor service to get back to service. The red and orange lines had major delayed trains and the commuter rail was a disaster.
With so many delays and limited routes waiting for the bus or train became a war zone. One had to be strategic if they wanted a spot on the upcoming bus or train. Once trains were in sight everyone forcefully moved closer to the end of the platform trying to block others from getting on first. Upon pulling up and opening doors it became a mad stampede for standing room, you would think people were fighting for front row at a One Direction concert. Actually getting a seat was like winning the lottery. It was every man for himself and no one was playing nice. People were not above pushing you out of the way to get on the T. Once people got on they were squished between several others and personal space was basically non-existent. Overall, it was an awkward and claustrophobic T ride that took twice as long as usual.
Even as regular service is resuming, there are still delays with trains breaking down. The MBTA said it could take up to 30 days for them to be completely recovered and that is unless there is more snow, which would delay it even longer.
Why can’t the T handle this weather?! I mean, we live in New England, shouldn’t they be built for this? MBTA manager Beverly Scott, who recently resigned from her job, said, “It’s bad, OK? This should be a real wake-up call in terms of what are the consequences of lack of investment in a system for years and years.”
Many people rely on the MBTA as their main source of transportation, so it is surprising that it has been so neglected. It is a vital part of Boston and Massachusetts daily living; without it many people have limited to no other form of transportation. Making sure it is updated and prepared for natural things like this should be a priority. The past week of commuting has just added unnecessary stress to my days and I’m sure everyone else’s.
A silver lining of this whole incident is that maybe the MBTA will finally see some improvements. Not saying Beverly Scott is solely to blame, but with her stepping down hopefully a new manager will take initiative to make major changes.