Ferry Ridership Skyrockets 3000% During Blue Line Shutdown

Boats crossing Boston Harbor swelled with passengers as the East Boston ferry service jumped from 50 to 1,585 morning riders. The spike came after MBTA Blue Line trains stopped running between Bowdoin and Orient Heights stations.

The shutdown, set to last through June 15, pushed masses of people into winding lines for water transport. "They knew this was coming, and they fumbled the bag," said Jacob Evanter to CBS Boston. "If I was Jesus, I could have walked across the harbor and been at work 10 minutes ago."

To handle the surge, officials added boats: 12 more trips on weekdays and 23 on weekends. Starting June 11, morning pickups started sooner, and evening runs stretched an hour later into the night.

Angry posts filled social media as delays piled up. One person missed their child's graduation. By 8:30 a.m., the line stretched to 100 people, with more joining by the minute.

"[I have been waiting] about 15 minutes, but I think people have been waiting much longer too," said Bridgette Muckian.

A massive 550-person vessel joined the fleet for rush hour. The boat made three morning trips on Wednesday, trying to clear the growing crowds at the dock.

While buses now run along the closed train path, they've clogged streets with traffic. Still, people picked the free water route, even with the long waits.

The shift was stark: from just 50 people between 7-9 a.m. last week, the ferry now moves 1,585 riders during the expanded 6-9 a.m. window each morning.