Orange Line travel plan will be tested Monday with significant increase in traffic expected

BOSTON — Hundreds of shuttle buses from all over the country are ready to go for the first Monday morning commute during the Orange Line shutdown.

“It’s like a train if you think about it, they line up like a train – about 6 to 8 buses, they all line up like train cars, they all keep taking off, it’s actually pretty good,” said Jammie Baker, who rides the Orange Line regularly.

Baker says she usually has a straight shot on the Orange Line from Revere to her work at Boston Medical Center, but she has already mapped out a new way to get to work this week.

“I take the T so I know my way around the T pretty well, but people who are just now starting to realize ‘oh crap I have to figure out something else,’ that’s the inconvenience you’re going to see,” said Baker.

Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Jamey Tesler says everyone should plan ahead for their commute Monday if you work in the Boston area.

“It is the first weekday, although we’ve been doing this since Friday night, it’s the first weekday for changes and there are changes in our roads and our streets to accommodate this,” said Sec. Tesler.

Even if you don’t ride the T, Tesler says they’re expecting a significant increase in traffic with some road closures to allow for new bus and bike lanes during the Orange Line shutdown, so give yourself extra time.

“This is a necessary and significant amount of work we need to get done and it doesn’t come without inconvenience, but we believe at the end of this period of time, with everyone’s support, we’ll be better for it,” said Tesler.

Tesler says he knows the next few days may be tough, but MassDOT is open to making any changes if problems arise.

“All of our customers do adapt and do learn, our riders and our drivers, we do adapt when changes happen, but we also make changes and we make changes as we go, so we do not see this as a final plan as opposed to an opportunity to continue to learn,” said Tesler.

If you’re still unsure how to get around this week, you can go on the MBTA website and there’s an option there to plan your trip: Building a Better T 2022 | Projects | MBTA

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