At midnight Wednesday, the Sumner Tunnel started its two month-long, full-time closure, leaving an estimated 39,000 daily carloads of people seeking alternate routes.
“This is definitely going to be a hassle,” said East Boston resident Garmia D, waiting on the Blue Line at State Street with a building mass of other riders Wednesday afternoon. “I don’t think this was the right time to close it.”
With the nearly 90-year-old Sumner Tunnel closed for repair from July 5 to August 31, officials are persistently urging residents to “ditch the drive” and use public transportation.
Several accommodations have been made to make alternate travel options more accessible, including free rides on the Blue Line, free and reduced rides on the East Boston ferry and newly launched Lynn ferry and reduced fares on the commuter rail.
The first day was without major incident, though MassDOT officials said previously the real test will hit when holiday travelers return around July 10.
Riders at Blue Line and ferry stops had mixed reactions to the first day of the monumental closure, praising the free fares but broadly expressing some concern about the impacts of the closure.
“It’d be fine if the Blue Line was reliable, but our trip can take 25 minutes or 40 minutes,” said Mackenzie Smith, who said she takes the line into the city from Revere daily. “I hope they do increase the frequency but have low faith. But it is nice that it’s free.”
The MBTA said ridership data will be available at the end of the week.
“The Blue Line, Commuter Rail and ferries performed well and accommodated all customers seeking a safe and reliable alternative to motor vehicle travel,” wrote MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo. “The Blue Line offered increased capacity and train service was provided, on average, every six minutes.”
At various Blue Line stops throughout the day, people packed platforms and got left behind when cars were too full. But, Tasha Brown remarked on a crowded State Street platform around 3:30 p.m., the traffic didn’t seem “too unusual.”
“As someone who drives to East Boston regularly, it wasn’t very clear to me what the whole closure plan was,” said Audrey Cropp, heading back from the Airport Blue Line stop after returning a rental car.
At the airport, Cropp said, this is a big consideration for travelers with late night or early morning flights or airport employees who have to make it home when the T is not running.
Kathy and Andy Armacost, who flew in from North Dakota Wednesday, said they were lucky they had family warn them about the closure and were “pretty well prepared.”
“I can’t imagine people who don’t have family to make this plan,” said Kathy Armacost. “Sitting in that traffic is going to be a shock. And probably disrupting their plans for sure.”
And like many riders, Cropp expressed doubts about the city’s record with transportation disruptions.
“A lot of people really rely on public transportation,” Cropp said. “I’m worried about the burden this is going to put on the system. But I guess it has to get done.”
More information on the Sumner Tunnel shutdown is available on the Mass.gov website, and real time traffic information is available on the Mass 511 site and app.
