THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2022 Page 11 MBTA weekday subway, commuter train service trips slashed for summer as of this week Thousands of Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus residents will see longer commute times Staffi ng shortages, federal safety compliance cited; new fare programs with decreased costs also announced By Steve Freker T housands of area residents this week began to feel the eff ect of dramatic service time changes for subway trains implemented by the MBTA in response to federal safety compliance regulations. Beginning Monday, citing staffi ng shortages and continued lower ridership levels that never returned to pre-pandemic numbers, the MBTA cut service trips on the Orange, Blue and Red lines — aff ecting estimated 200,000-plus riders each weekday. Thousands — or even tens of thousands— of residents in this region including Everett, Malden, Revere and Saugus — are expected to be aff ected by the cutback of the number of service trips and the subsequent increase of service time between trips. MBTA offi cials announced last week that downscaling the trip frequency across most of its main subway system for the summer was in response to a staffi ng shortage that federal regulators ruled as a safety risk for riders and workers The slashing of trip frequency is estimated to add 4-6 minutes of additional wait time to subway riders between trips, according to reports. For instance, it is estimated there are 6-7 minutes between trips on the most frequently used Orange Line at peak, weekday commuter times. That has now increased to 10-12 minutes per service trip — longer on the Blue and Red Lines — according to reports. There are two Orange Line stations in Malden, which ends the line in the northern sector, at Malden Center in the heart Malden Center Station is one of the busiest stations on the Orange Line. Courtesy Photo of Malden Square and Oak Grove, on the Malden-Melrose line. Revere is the home of four Blue Line stops, including Suffolk Downs, Beachmont, Revere Beach and Wonderland from west to east. MBTA officials stated in a press release that the new summer subway schedule now in eff ect would essentially resemble a regular Saturday The Revere Wonderland Station on the Blue Line is one of many seeing new service time changes implemented by the MBTA. Courtesy Photo schedule. “On each of the three lines, the changes will effectively implement a Saturday schedule every weekday. The dramatic reshaping of the system, which is likely to slow down travel for the tens or even hundreds of thousands of commuters who use the trio of subway lines every weekday and create more crowded conditions on vehicles and platforms, will continue through the summer,” according to MBTA offi cials. According to reports the steps were taken because Federal Transit Administration inspectors stated in a public evaluation, “(The) MBTA has created a management process whereby OCC staff members are required to work MBTA | SEE PAGE 13
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