MBTA riders complained of insufferable conditions inside T stations as temperatures climbed toward 100 degrees in Boston today.
The National Weather Service has placed the city and much of Massachusetts under an extreme heat warning. Mayor Michelle Wu declared a heat emergency for the city through Tuesday.
At Park Street Station, where temperatures are known to top 100 degrees when it’s only in the 90s outdoors, commuters were confronted with hot, humid and stale air this morning.
“It’s fricking hot!” said Brockton resident Debbie Scott, who stood in front of a fan with sweat beading on her forehead as she waited for a train. Scott appreciated that there were several fans placed throughout the station to help provide relief to passengers, but she said they weren’t enough.
Her message to T leaders? “Come down here and try to take a train down here and see how hot it is for real!”
Alex Boruchgeruszeki, a recent transplant to Boston, compared the T station to other subway systems he’s used around the globe. He had one word to describe the stale air: boiling.
“Here it’s probably the most uncomfortable of the metro stations that I’ve been in,” he said. “Something must be done for this city.”
The MBTA on Monday issued an advisory to passengers warning of the extreme heat, saying that the agency has stationed crews “around the system to provide assistance” to riders in need. The advisory also warned that skyrocketing temperatures could lead to operational issues.
“The MBTA may need to operate trains at reduced speeds in some areas to ensure safety as we compensate for heat-related stress on the tracks, which could result in slightly longer travel times,” the agency said.
The T did not immediately respond to an email asking for additional details about the assistance being offered but said that they are planning a surprise for Blue Line riders to help them beat the heat.
“MBTA staff will hand out cool treats to riders at Maverick later today,” spokeswoman Lisa Battiston said in an email. “The MBTA’s Customer and Employee Experience team is also planning additional surprises all summer long to express our appreciation for our riders.”
