For the love of God, someone, please help us!
Evidently, the #7 Bus commute on Tuesday morning was extra bananas with both L and Broadway and N and Broadway having large lines of commuters singing the MBTA blues.
Universal Hub reports that two commuters sent photos of the lines – which you can check out here.
We realize this is nothing new. This has been going on for years and it’s become the norm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. We realize the MBTA is struggling. There is a severe staffing shortage, and evidently, we need more bus drivers and obviously buses running during morning rush hour.
So how bad does it have to get before a solution is offered?
Backstory:
For several years (yes, years), South Boston residents have been asking for a solution to our bus “situation.” With lots more development on the rise, plus more people moving into the neighborhood, thanks to the creation of new office buildings in the Seaport, what’s a neighborhood to do? Evidently, get in line and wait for the next bus you can board.
There have been numerous MBTA bus meetings and statements from local politicians over the past several yes but there doesn’t seem to be a solution on the horizon. Could an express #7 help? Senator Nick Collins thinks so. A dedicated express bus/bike lane on L/Summer Street has also been thrown out there as a potential solution.
The Better Bus Program was announced by the MBTA over a year ago – ironically the #7 was not even included the system-wide bus planning initiative.
Back in May, officials from the MassDOT and the MBTA launched the MBTA’s new draft network map as part of Bus Network Redesign. It was revealed that there would be some changes to the #7, #10 and #11. And the neighborhood went nuts.
The neighborhood deserves a better bus system and we need it like yesterday. Enough is enough!
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
The T doesn’t care I hate to privatize then they might wake. Up
I used to work in Thompson financial and I would walk straight down L/Summer. Throw on some sneakers and walk. Its not far. I mean when its snowing thats different but its really not a long walk.
You know who else doesn’t care? Our current elected officials who do not put themselves in others shoes by taking public transit. It’s been bad for 10+ yrs and there’s no one advocating for improved service… at least enough to change anything!
Oh, my god! That’s totally unreal! Having these huge lines waiting for public transportation should not be happening. Sure, people can and always have waited to get onto public transportation, but not in such long lines. That’s inexcusable, no matter where it’s happening.
How long will the lines be with this proposal by the T.
Route
T7
Service hours/frequency
Every 15 minutes or better
5 AM to 1 AM
Seven days per week
Route name
Sullivan to City Point via
Charlestown, North Station,
and South Station
What we changed from the
May 2022 proposal
No change since May Proposal
3 full buses? Where are these ppl getting on?
It’s simple imo. Let’s not worry about it so much, not a huge problem right now. Like when the economy comes back, businesses boost our pay, and workers come back spending will come back and people will do more for each other again. Right now everything’s a idc attitude. It’s like our country is on strike basically. It’s because they started making it all so expensive. That’s what they get. The local state government has to be better though. People are trying to make life changing moves and they aren’t even working hard it seems like.
Create a monorail or hand out Christmas carol books and liven up the spirit along with sone hot cocoa
let’s give, Governor-Elect, Maura Healey, a chance figure this problem out.
It would be interesting to know what the lines are like for the ‘fare-free’ routes. I’d guess not nearly as bad, if at all. This is a microcosm of what happens when socialism and DE&I interconnect. Reduce service (and opportunity) for those that pay in order to subsidize those that don’t, all in the name of ‘equity’.
From boston.gov website:
The communities Routes 23, 28, and 29 serve are key to Boston’s equitable reopening and recovery.
They don’t care about Southie… just keep paying.
What infuriates me the most is the 2 minute countdown that often turns into a 10+ minute wait because the bus just doesn’t leave City Point, turns into a #9 even though 2 empty #9s just rolled by or it just ghosts us completely. They blame traffic but the bus has to be on the road for that excuse to fly. Just leave when you’re supposed to leave…that shouldn’t be too much to ask.