When Dominic Benford got off of the T at Park Street Station on Tuesday morning, he knew he had to take a shuttle bus because the Red Line was closed. What he didn’t know was how far he’d have to walk to get to those buses.
They weren’t parked in front Park Station like he expected, rather they were lining up down the street on Tremont Street.
“In this heat, it’s a bit of a long walk,” he said “I’m wearing my lightest possible suit, and I’m still sweating like a pig.”
Benford was one of hundreds of commuters who had to scramble in the heat Tuesday morning, the first of a 10-day Red Line service suspension between Alewife and Park Street.
The line will remain partially closed through July 30 as crews work on track improvements, upgrade the signals, and replacing concrete slabs that reduce noise.
But for the next 10 days, the suspension is a major disruption for riders, affecting stops in Somerville, Cambridge and Boston.
Kaitlyn Ford, who was on her way to work at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, was already running late just minutes before the shuttle buses arrived.
“I start at 7 a.m., it’s 7:14 a.m., but nothing I can really do,” she said. “I’m not going to Uber, so I’ll wait for the shuttle and it gets here when it gets here, and I get to work when I get there.”
Ford, who is also on crutches, said the Red Line suspension has also made her morning commute more difficult.
“This is only temporary for me,” she said. “I can’t even imagine what it’s like for people who are in wheelchairs [or] who are on crutches permanently.”
While free, accessible shuttle buses are available during the closure, MBTA leaders warned riders to budget at least an extra 70 minutes using the shuttle between Park Street and Alewife.
But some riders waiting for the shuttle buses said the MBTA could have done a better job of warning people about the closure.
“I didn’t even realize it was 10 days. I’m definitely not very happy about that, but it is what it is,” Ford said. “I’ve been taking the train for about a year now, so I’m used to these shutdowns, but it’s not very convenient whatsoever.”
Bethany Biron, who was also on her way to work at Mass General Brigham Hospital, said she wasn’t aware riders would need to take shuttle buses until she got off the train at Park Street.
“It is inconvenient because I was hoping to be at work in the next five minutes because I work over at the hospital,” she said. “But now obviously it’s probably going to take another 20 minutes to get there.”
Despite the inconvenience, Biron said the shuttle buses seem more efficient and organized this time.
“Other times that they’ve done this ... it seemed very piecemeal and like people didn’t know what was going on and there was a lot of confusion,” she said. “But actually today, it seems pretty streamlined and planned out.”
To avoid the closure, riders can opt to take a bus: The 69, 87, 88, 89, 91 and 109 lines from Davis Square all serve the general area.
The MBTA also noted that the Commuter Rail will be fare-free between Porter Square and North Station, but regular fares should be purchased beyond Porter Square.
Meanwhile, Benford, who’s visiting Boston from Washington D.C., said he was “very nervous about running late” and berated himself for not planning ahead better.
“I understand that it’s necessary to do these things,” Benford said. “Maybe during the peak summer heat tourist season is not the best choice.”
