At times, it seems that construction is an ever-present phenomenon on the Boston streets. After years of work on the Big Dig, driving in and out of Boston is finally becoming less of an ordeal. However, in-city commuters are now experiencing inconveniences due to construction on the green line, and the delays that always affect those who commute to work by car are now affecting those who ride the T.
According to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) web site, the green line is currently undergoing a relocation project. The elevated part of the line will be relocated under the streets around the North Station area. The MBTA hopes that this will make that section of the city brighter and quieter.
Due to the construction, North Station is the last stop on the green line. Commuters are being transported in shuttle buses in both directions from North Station to Lechmere. The MBTA is providing buses on the street level of the Government Center, Haymarket, North Station, Science Park and Lechmere stations.
The shuttle bus service will be available for a year until the construction is finished. In addition, free subway transfers are offered at Government Center, Haymarket and North Station. According to the MBTA, even with the construction, the green line is currently running on or near schedule.
Nonetheless, the construction has adversely affected some Tufts students within the past few weeks. Junior Ralph Lerman was bothered by the construction recently when he was taking the green line to the Hynes Convention Center.
"On my way to the Hynes Convention Center, I had to get off somewhere on the green line and get above ground to take a shuttle," he said. "It was just another level of hassle. Not only did I have to switch from the red line to the green line, now I had to take a bus."
The construction on the green line also caused freshman Allison Kornstein difficulty this weekend when her family came to visit her. Her family was planning on going to the Science Museum to see a movie in the Omni Theater on extreme sports.
"It was Parents' Weekend, and my family and I were taking the green line to Science Park," she said. "Because of the construction, we had to get off two stops early and take a bus to Science Park. It was a five to ten minute walk to the bus stop. When the bus finally came, it was already full and we had to wait another five to ten minutes for another bus."
The construction is aiming at connecting the new "superstation" at North Station to the Science Park Station. This construction is the last part of this particular project: the tunnel for the relocated green line that will connect Haymarket and the North Station super station has already been completed; the tunnel extends halfway under Causeway Street.
The tunnel will eventually be continued through Causeway Street, and it will be connected to a transit-way at the underground MBTA garage, which is located at the FleetCenter.
When the relocation project is completed, regular subway service will be restored. The new line will be out of sight from the street. The new underground line will resurface before Science Park, and then the trains will run along a new railway bridge to Lechmere.
This construction also affects the various branches of the green line. The Boston College (B) line and Heath Street (E) line now end at North Station. The Beacon Street/Cleveland Circle (C) line and the Riverside (D) line now run until Government Center.
This construction may have a great effect on those who use the green line to commute to work every day; nonetheless, most Tufts students do not feel hugely inconvenienced by it. In fact, many students were not even aware of the construction.
The construction does not worry freshman Matt Symer very much. "I don't take the green line out far enough to notice it," he said.
Freshman Shelby Deeney felt the same way: "I take the green line to go to Boylston - that's about it," she said.
Many Tufts students take the red line and green line regularly, but their destinations on the green line are not always affected by the construction. Students are more likely to get off at Kenmore, Boylston, Copley and Prudential than they are to continue down the line as far as Science Park or Lechmere.
It takes a fair amount of time to traverse the entire green line and Tufts students often look for closer forms of entertainment.
Sophomore Chris Stull believes that the construction on the green line won't cause many problems for Tufts students. "I don't take the green line for things because I have a car," he said. "The green line doesn't really affect us."
Sophomore Ben Torreau was aware of the construction, but it hasn't inconvenienced him. "I'm only ever on the red line," he said.
