BOSTON – Local commuter rail availability will be reduced under a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) proposal of changes designed to respond to ridership patterns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the plan, called “Forging Ahead,” commuter rail service will end at 9 p.m. weeknights, and would be discontinued on weekends.
MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said that the changes were made because the commuter rail is experiencing approximately 13 percent of its pre-COVID ridership with about 8.5 percent of its normal ridership during morning peak periods.
The plan also calls for ferry service to go on indefinite hiatus, some bus routes would be eliminated, and subway trains would run less frequently.
The changes, which will be implemented between now and the summer of 2022, are designed to save $142 million during the time period.
However, Poftak said that no fare increases are expected as the result of these changes.
In a letter to riders that appears on the agency’s website, Poftak wrote, “The MBTA – as with other transit systems across the world – must adapt to changing ridership and lost revenue caused by COVID-19.
“Using limited resources to operate nearly empty trains, ferries and buses is not a responsible use of the funding provided by riders, communities, and taxpayers, and it does not help support the transportation needs of our region,” Poftak said. “Saving resources now will help the MBTA to bring back service when it is needed after the pandemic has faded.”
Aside from some changes in the subway system, the plan for commuter rail also calls for decreased weekday peak service and some midday service, reducing from 505 trains (as of fall 2019) to 430; six out of the 141 stations in the commuter rail system will be closed, one of them being Prides Crossing in Beverly.
Poftak said specific service levels by line will take into account ridership patterns from adjusted fall 2020 schedules with more balanced service throughout the day.
As for buses: All service will stop at midnight, though early service will continue on essential bus routes; eighty essential bus routes will see an average change in service of just five percent and routes with high ridership will not be changed; Sixty non-essential bus routes will operate 20-30 percent less frequently; approximately 10 routes will be consolidated or restructured; approximately 25 routes that served less than 0.5 percent of pre-COVID riders (about 1,700) will be eliminated.
Poftak said the public is also encouraged to view these proposals and participate in the public-engagement process, which is now underway and run through Dec. 4.
“I also want to reassure you that the vast majority of MBTA service will continue, these service changes are not permanent, and no changes in fares are being proposed at this time,” Poftak said. “The MBTA will also periodically realign service to match current and future ridership patterns, when durable revenue is available for pay for such service.”
The MBTA said that as result of the decline in ridership, the T is now only transporting 330,000 trips on an average weekday – but is continuing to run the same high levels of service as it ran to serve 1.26 million daily trips prior to the pandemic, an unsustainable level of service delivery.
“COVID-19 has had a significant impact on ridership, and the MBTA is releasing these proposed changes to adjust to the realities created by COVID-19, while protecting service for those who depend on it most,” said Poftak. “I want to reassure our riders that these service changes are not permanent, do not include any fare changes, and will not take effect immediately. We are carrying out a comprehensive outreach process and encourage all members of the public to provide comments and feedback, as we want to hear from riders to help us identify and protect the services that support transit-critical populations and communities.”