Sumner Tunnel Closure Week 8 Status Report
August 31, 2023
The Sumner Tunnel two-month closure is coming to an end with the reopening of the tunnel scheduled for Friday, September 1st. Data for Week 8 (8/21/23-8/25/23) of the closure continue to show that people are opting to #DitchTheDrive―taking advantage of some of the public transportation options available for the duration of the closure. Commuter Rail ridership, in particular, remains strong with a 24% increase in riders as compared to June 2023. Read the full report here.
Our team is working on a short lessons learned analysis that we hope will inform ongoing weekend closures as well as next year’s extended summer closure and we encourage you to share any feedback about your own travel experiences. Additionally, while MassDOT and the MBTA will be rolling back the incentives offered during the shutdown, we encourage you to consider public transit options as you plan your post-Labor Day commute.
MBTA Safety, Service, and Staffing Snapshot
A Better City compiles a periodic report that aims to provide a user-friendly snapshot of MBTA safety, service, and staffing metrics, using publicly available data. The latest report shows that the T is making slow progress toward addressing key issues, hindering service restoration and the provision of frequent and reliable transit options. Nonetheless, recent salary, bonus, and scheduling improvements have dramatically increased bus operator applications over the past several weeks, which we hope will lead to a hiring surge in the near-term. Read the full report here.
