The B ended at BU central this morning and the conductor just told us it was going out of service (wire problem) without any suggested alternatives for how to get to the stop we were originally trying to get to. No shuttle buses that substituted the train stops or anything, so I just had to figure how to get to park street through a series of buses that went in the direction of the B. I am from NYC and as much as I disliked our subway because it smelled like piss all the time, they at least provided clear instructions and shuttle buses that took us to all the stops the subway would have taken us to.
Comments
-Jedidude- t1_itl7vjr wrote
Not usually, and when they do it’s never passed down to the employees correctly so instructions are always unclear and confusing.
Hribunos t1_itl86iw wrote
If it's a planned shutdown, they'll provide alternatives. If it's an unplanned shutdown (something broke like this) and it last more than a day or so, they'll provide alternatives. But like, this thing just broke this morning. You think they have a fleet of shuttles on standbye to just create a new shuttle route on the fly every time something breaks?
ch1ck3npotpi3 t1_itl8wk3 wrote
Yup. They don't just have spare drivers lounging around the breakroom waiting for shit to happen. They have to pull drivers from their normal routes to run the shuttle, but they can't just kick passengers out midway through the trip on routes like the 1, 28, or 39. The shuttle drivers have to finish their current trips first before diverting to the shuttle. It takes time to get the bus shuttles up and running.
Sloth_are_great t1_itla9gl wrote
They used to about 4 years back
mapinis t1_itldy0d wrote
With how often things break I feel like they should have them on standby.
aray25 t1_itlh503 wrote
And even if they did have spare drivers and buses lying around (which as you point out they don't), they can't teleport to wherever they're needed instantly anyway.
michael_scarn_21 t1_itli4hh wrote
If it's an unplanned closure it will be a clusterfuck and you're better walking or getting an Uber/bus if too far. Obviously that isn't their fault. If it's a planned closure it might be a clusterfuck.
vanillanuttapped t1_itlilce wrote
Go back to New York
ThisistheInfiniteIs t1_itll9rh wrote
I recommend that you use the public transit option in Google maps if this happens to you. It will give you several options and guide your every step on the new route.
Head_Zombie214796 t1_itlpkse wrote
that wicked pissah !
tasharact OP t1_itlq4ms wrote
I do! Sometimes Google Maps doesn’t update accordingly to public transit disruptions tho, which makes it a little less reliable in cases like this
tasharact OP t1_itlqbpb wrote
cool, good to know that substitutes exist when disruptions happen! I guess when our train stopped the wire malfunction //just// happened
tasharact OP t1_itlqqpi wrote
I totally understand and I wasn’t expecting some magical instant fix, I just wish the conductor gave us some advice on what to do and what other ways there were to get to our destinations. This morning it was more like “ok, the train is down and you guys have to get off here” leaving us all confused cause we got places to be
Doortofreeside t1_itlrmh7 wrote
Personally if I come to a station and the platform looks utterly fucked I just turn around immediately. No point wasting 20 minutes getting more information, I'll just walk or uber right away
ThisistheInfiniteIs t1_itlryhy wrote
There are always going to be limitations on how quickly the data can be updated, but it really is pretty fast and responsive in my experience.
It gives you several options whenever you map your trip, so if the route you are using has an unexpected failure, by the time you re-enter your destination you instantly have several new routes to choose from.
Luvkamel t1_itlu5bz wrote
The other thing about Boston that newcomers often overlook is that the city is geographically fairly small. Most times in a pinch, you can walk faster to your destination than dealing with T delays.
bbqchickenpizzza t1_itlw3yt wrote
Sure, if it was 20 years ago. It's way faster for you to get directions on your smart phone than for the conductor to personally give each passenger directions to their individual destinations. If your phone was dead, or you had no way of finding out where to go, I'm sure you could've asked them and they'd do their best but your phone can tell you that in 2 seconds.
no_dae_but_todae t1_itlx4dz wrote
FYI for next time in case no one's mentioned it, most of the stops on the B branch are super close to stops on the C branch, which runs down Beacon. You can probably walk about 5-10 minutes depending on how fast you are from BU Central to St Mary's Street, which is the stop right before the C heads underground. If you're trying to get downtown that's likely easier and less stressful than trying to figure out buses or waiting for shuttles to get to you. (You can actually even walk to the D if you have a few additional minutes too. You'd be surprised how close all the green line branches are.)
tarandab t1_itm8jo8 wrote
And I think it’s the 57 bus that runs along a lot of the B line to Kenmore Square (it’s been a long time since I’ve taken a bus in that area so I might have the wrong number)
dapperdave t1_itmbcgg wrote
Does "walking" count?
ElGuaco t1_itmif5x wrote
You can walk from North to South Station in 20 minutes. I used to walk from Finance center to Seaport for lunch on nice days. Obviously, this doesn't really help when you're coming from outside the city.
ElGuaco t1_itmjg3z wrote
BU Central is only a 10 minute walk to the Kenmore station where everything joins on the green line. There's also the 57 bus which if you get lucky with timing will take to Kenmore in a few minutes. You just need to be familiar with your route to know what your options are.
TwoforFlinching613 t1_itmm0ds wrote
The MBTA employees widely vary in attitudes and willingness to help. You will find a few that do their best, some that a just there and other will just rudely kick you off/get you out of their face.
As stated in another comment, they do a lot of assuming you will figure it out on your own with little/no help.
Luvkamel t1_itmsmr0 wrote
Also, it's a beautiful walking city! Just watch out for those brick sidewalks with the tree roots breaking through though, girls, wear flats!
sleazy_E t1_itnei6j wrote
Oh my God I never realized this before...and I park at PO square for events at the Garden!
eladts t1_itnyxk6 wrote
Yep, the 57 bus is the replacement for the defunct A brach of the Green Line, which used to split from the B branch at Packards Corner, so it runs along the B branch from there to Kenmore.
eladts t1_itnz9vr wrote
Are you willing to pay for that?
mapinis t1_ito4b4d wrote
As part of their budget that needs to be drastically increased? Absolutely
Matt_mintleaf t1_itointh wrote
Have Google Maps on your phone so you can quickly plan an alternative if waiting for a shuttle bus isnt feasible.
fourier_lemonade t1_itor134 wrote
Citymapper seems to be decent in tracking disruptions in my experience - your mileage may vary.
kevalry t1_itl6dj4 wrote
Not until we extend the Blue Line to Charles MGH and make that train go torwards Green D Branch and take it over.