 Passengers wait to board the T in front of a BU dormitory.
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After years of complaints from passengers that Commonwealth Avenue's B Line trains are too slow and never on time, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is considering a major overhaul that would eliminate stops around the Boston University campus and introduce 100 roomier trains on Boston's railways by the year 2004.
As reported in Boston University's Daily Free Press last week, MBTA officials have not yet determined which T stops would be removed, but spokesperson Lisa Rivera said the plan is "on the table." This plan comes on the heels of the March 24 reintroduction of the MBTA's new AnsaladoBreda subway cars, or Breda cars, which debuted briefly in August 2001.
Breda cars are low-riding trains with slide-out ramps, making it easier for senior citizens and disabled persons to enter and exit the trains. While the new cars meet the stringent standards established by the Americans with Disabilities Act, BU students have complained that the trains are also slow and lack the "homey feel" of the old subway cars.
Eight of these trains currently run on the B branch of the Green Line.
The MBTA plans to have 100 of these Breda trains running in metropolitan Boston by 2004.
Rivera believes that the slowness of these new trains can be attributed to drivers adapting to them.
The trains encountered minor problems after their introduction, but all trains are now running smoothly. "These are the vehicles of the future," Rivera told Daily Free Press reporters.
The MBTA is prepared for negative reaction to the possible T station closure, but according to The Daily Free Press, many BU students have shown support for the change.
Some Boston College students have shown mixed reactions to the proposal.
"I think it will encourage people to become healthier, because they have to walk further," said Darrell Goodwin, LSOE '03. "[Breda cars] have less seats and more room to stand. It's an affront to the disabled. Also, less T stops are another affront to the disabled. Boston seems to be a welcoming place to all, but we're really discriminating against yet another group."
"Making less stops on the B Line will make it a more convenient means of transportation and more attractive to commuters," said Jon Schaffrath, A&S '06. "When they are in operation, they're a great new addition. However, my experience has been that I've seen more [trains] in line to be repaired than actually on the tracks."
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