This spring will see the completion of the construction of the B-line including the addition of BU East and BU Central, which has been in progress since July 2002, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) announced recently.
Delays such as inclement weather have pushed back the deadline, which was originally scheduled for this past September, said MBTA spokesperson Lydia Rivera.
The renovations to stops at Harvard Avenue and Washington Street were completed and reopened in October after undergoing platform reconstruction work, said Rivera.
The MBTA has been working with its contractor EJ Sciaba Contracting on "accessibility improvements," in order to make the T accessible to all commuters. According to a MBTA press release, these improvements include the installation of tactile edging and track work and platform edge beams as part of the Light Rail Accessibility Improvements project. The latter cannot be completed in cold weather, said Rivera, and will consequentially be finished in early spring.
Construction to the B-line, whose line ends across the street from St. Ignatius Church, affects many BC students who commute into the city using the T.
"They have a city bus to replace the trolley," said Stephen Cote, A&S '05, "I actually like that better because it is faster than the train. But [the T] is cumbersome, because it doesn't stop at one stop or the other. It's always been slow but now its slower. The B-line is my last resort."
Even though the target date has been pushed back, Rivera remains optimistic about the completion of the overall project. She said, "In 1993 we began this effort and we are meeting our goals. With a due date of 2011, we are certainly on the fast track and look forward to completing this project well before the due date."
Rivera said that after the MBTA filed a "key station" report to the FTA, they "agreed and have funded the key station program."
"We are proud of our efforts and are pleased to say that during the late '80s and early '90s the MBTA, in collaboration with the FTA, and public process identified 80 key stations," said Rivera. "Today 71 percent of our goal has been met. That means 57 stations with 15 more in construction, and eight in design."
In addition to the work on the B-line, the Green Line is undergoing other changes. At Park Street Station construction on the eastbound center platform will begin next Monday, thus closing the main entrance to that platform, as part of the Light Rail Accessibility Improvements project.
Rivera noted that commuters can still access the platform through the Winter Street stairway. This follows the construction that occurred in December at Park Street on the westbound platform.
At Back Bay Station the MBTA began extensive renovations at the end of January, which are slated to last for approximately six months, according to an MBTA press release. These renovations include the replacement of all station entrance doors and the reconstruction of the public restroom facilities. The facilities will be closed for most of the duration of the construction.
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