Northeastern Student Laments Transportation Gridlock with the MBTA
For Northeastern University students, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) gives young people access to the Green and Orange Lines to access classes, internships, or jobs. An op-ed by The…
BOSTON – JULY 7: An MBTA official redirects subway riders outside the Arlington subway station July 7, 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts. Thousands of riders were redirected after after a subway accident forced closure of the Green Line subway service just as Massachusetts authorities raised security at mass transit stations to orange alert status in response to earlier bombings in London. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
For Northeastern University students, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) gives young people access to the Green and Orange Lines to access classes, internships, or jobs.
An op-ed by The Huntington News claims that the MBTA's ever-present delays, closures, and slow zones turn daily commutes into gridlock.
Aayush Sawant, a second-year graduate student majoring in information systems at Northeastern, noted that his ride from Heath Street to Northeastern — a distance of less than two miles — can sometimes take up to a half hour.
Accessing Brigham Circle is also another challenge. According to Sawant, “The train randomly stops at this station for 15-20 minutes. No explanation or announcements. Just a frustrating silence as passengers sit in confusion. I was almost late for my shift at work because of this hold-up once. When I asked an MBTA worker what was going on, they just shrugged and said, “'Technical difficulties,' which seems to be their excuse for everything.”
Sawant lamented how the unreliability of their commute has forced students living off-campus to build extra time into their schedules to account for delays.
According to Sawant, “Recent data shows that train speeds have increased by 33% on the Red Line, nearly 25% on the Blue Line, and 12.5% on the Orange Line, the Green Line — especially the central subway — continues to lag behind, with average speeds still under 10 mph.”
The MBTA has stated that it is addressing issues with system breakdowns and delays. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has announced an $8 billion transportation plan, a portion of which will shore up the MBTA's finances and make long-overdue improvements.
A TransitMatters analysis, however, observes that much of the MBTA system — namely the Green Line — still has significant slow zones.
Sawant concluded, “Until these funds are translated into real, measurable improvements across all lines, riders like us will continue waiting for promises to materialize — often literally, on the platform.”
