Dear MBTA,
Let me start by saying this- I really, really don’t like the Green Line. Red Line, perfectly okay with me. Silver Line to the Airport, whatever. But as a student living and depending on the Green Line, I can wholeheartedly say that the MBTA system is brutal.
It starts every morning, around 8:30AM. I get to the Pleasant Street stop for the 57 bus. Twenty minutes later, two buses have gone by without stopping. I cross to the B Line T stop, at which point a T either: a) passes without stopping, b) stops 100 feet before the platform to let passengers off without letting anyone on, or c) keeps the doors closed and doesn’t let new passengers board.
For a perfect example, yesterday morning. At 8:15, I attempted to board a T heading to work. Three buses and two T’s had already passed, per usual, without any stops. As I was heading to a film shoot at Fenway Park, I didn’t want to be late for the taping. The T that pulled up had two cars. The first driver told me to go to the second train. The next driver stated that I had to use the rear doors, which he swiftly closed as I started to walk away. He then waved as the T pulled away from the stop.
So here’s my issue, MBTA. In a city where 1 in 5 people is a college student, why is it that the service on the B Line is so atrocious? As a public transportation system, why is it that college students, arguably a large demographic of your clients, are constantly failed by your services? You’re late for work, class, or an internship? Let me guess- the T didn’t come, or the bus didn’t stop.
Maybe you just didn’t notice. I don’t know how that would be possible, but maybe you overlooked the Green Line. Or, maybe you just don’t care. But we do.
Sincerely,
The Students of the B Line
