MBTA May Eliminate a Few Green Line Stops

Photo By Olga Khvan

Most Bostonians already knew this, but a new report has confirmed that the MBTA’s beleaguered Green Line is prone to packed cars and numerous delays. Shocker.

According to the Boston Globe, this new analysis found that fewer than 70 percent of Green Line trains show up on schedule. The report, which collected data over a six-week period, puts some of the blame on the line’s old equipment.

It’s no secret that the Green Line could use a tune up, as 90 of its 204 trains were built in 1986. Even worse, the report found that various parts of its signal system can be dated back to the early 1900s. Yes, you read that right. The MBTA is using a signal system that predates the existence of everyone who rides the train (with apologies to any sprightly centenarians who have been heading downtown for a quick show in the Theater District).

While one costly fix would be to completely overhaul the line, the MBTA is also considering a few other options to help speed things up.

One plan for the T would include getting rid of a few Green Line stops on the B branch. The idea is to consolidate the stops at BU West and St. Paul, Babcock, and Pleasant streets into just two stops, with the hope that this would make things move a bit faster.

In addition to cutting a few stops, MBTA chief operating officer Jeffrey D. Gonneville, who wrote the report, revealed that the subway system is also looking into using GPS technology on the Green Line to monitor when traffic on the lines slows, which would help workers to update the timing of stoplights.