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— News via Quincy Quarry News – News, Opinion and Commentary
Straphanging, roof-riding — whatever commuters
Image from indosurflife.com
Quincy straphangers along with more causal riders are yet again facing delays in their travels on the Red Line while long ill-cared for track undergoes replacement starting today and running through Sunday September 29.
The whole of the Braintree line from Braintree to JFK Station will be closed with it being the last run of MBTA subway track to be replaced by the MBTA in the wake of its system collapse and so resultant tight — if not excruciatingly tight — federal scrutiny.
Is this man really worth $285,000 per year?
Image via WHDH
In extension, so much for Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch having any juice to see the Braintree Red Line track addressed sooner given his ongoing thirteen year long chairmanship of the MBTA Advisory Board and his Vice Chair role on the MBTA Board of Directors.
About the only good news regarding this service disruption is that the MBTA will be providing substitute free shuttle bus service and so making it free for those who might need to travel up and down the Braintree as well as both the rest of the Red Line or more easily connect with other MBTA subway lines.
Saving money on commuting expenses!…
A Broke Ass Stuart image
Additionally, with any luck and a bit of finessing, one can probably see one’s way onto a northbound Red Line train out of JFK for free.
Similarly, Commuter Rail service between Quincy Center and South Station will also be free for those who direct rail service ending at South Station or transferring to still functioning northbound Red Line at JFK station or South Station works for revised travel plans while the Braintree Red Line is hors de combat.
On the other hand, do keep it mind that Commuter Rail service will be suspended between Braintree and South Station over the weekends of September 7-8 and 14-15 to accommodate Braintree Red Line repairs and cause Commuter Rail riders to have to suffer bus shuttle service.
Oh, fantastic! The Red Line is out of service for weeks, because, of course, why wouldn’t it be? I mean, why have reliable public transit when you can have substitute buses crawling through traffic like slugs instead? Nothing says “efficient commute” like standing in the rain waiting for a bus that might show up—if you’re lucky.
Let’s not forget the thrill of being packed into a bus like a sardine, only to crawl along a route that takes twice as long as the train would have. And don’t worry about timing! Because when you’re stuck on a bus while the Red Line is under construction, who needs to know what “on time” even means? It’s all part of the mystery of the Quincy commute.
Thanks, MBTA. I’ll just tack on an extra hour to my trip, because I clearly didn’t need that time for anything else. Maybe next time we can upgrade to some horse-drawn carriages while we’re at it? Seems fitting.