Do you plan to ride on the Green Line? Then, plan for a longer commute, as the MBTA is starting service disruptions on Monday for the Green Line.
The MBTA is working on everything from ties to tunnels, but in order to do that, it needs several of the stations closed, including at Kenmore, where shuttles are replacing trains Monday morning.
Commuters were back from the holiday break on Monday and so were the shutdowns.
"I just didn't expect this. I didn't know that," said one MBTA rider who was surprised by the Green Line closures.
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Those planning to get from point A to point B on the Green Line are having to go with plan C: change from train to shuttle.
"It's just frustrating, especially after a long weekend and trying to get back to work," said Steve Walker, a Green Line commuter.
"It makes me 30 minutes late to work," said an MBTA user who was late to work on Monday.
From Monday through early December, multiple stops of the Green Line and its branches will be closed for rail, ties and tunnel repairs. However, for that to happen, the MBTA is having to shut down stops between North Station and Kenmore, Kenmore and Babcock Street and Copley and Heath Street — with the B, D and E branches also impacted at different stops and on different dates.
In some cases, shuttles replace trains, while buses and the commuter rail will serve as options depending on the stop.
"I do not like being late, so definitely a little bit frustrating," said Hannah Felske, who was unaware of the Green Line changes and had to flag an Uber to get to work on time.
"A little bit of a last-minute thing, so you just have to roll with the punches," said Felske.
For many people, it's an inconvenience having to get off the train and to get on a shuttle and vice versa. But there's light at the end of the tunnel. After all the repairs are done, which will continue on and off through the end of next year, the MBTA said it will then be able to lift all the restrictions on the Green Line.
"I don't know when it's going to be perfect or do you know or when it's going to… or when we're not going to have problems anymore?" said an MBTA rider frustrated with the ongoing repairs on the T.
After this first round of closures, there will be more interruptions in January. Overall, almost two dozen closures are planned through the end of next year.
