Skip to Content
Streetsblog Massachusetts home
Streetsblog Massachusetts home
Log In
Transit

MBTA Will Reduce Service in Response to COVID-19

Two Silver Line buses pass each other on the dedicated busway in Chelsea. Photo courtesy of the MBTA.

The MBTA has announced that it will reduce subway, bus, and commuter rail services effective Tuesday, March 17 in an effort to reduce the risks of COVID-19 exposure to its employees and riders.

In a press statement, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak wrote that “the MBTA plays an important role in slowing the spread of the coronavirus while continuing to provide critical services to medical professionals and other employees in key industries that rely on public transit. While some of these changes are inconvenient, they maintain a responsible balance between protecting the health and safety of the MBTA workforce and our customers, and our goal of continuing to run safe and reliable service without major disruptions.”

For now, buses will generally run on Saturday schedules, while subway trips will be reduced to run every 7 to 14 minutes. Detailed schedule information will be updated regularly on www.mbta.com/covid19.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that MBTA ridership has declined significantly in recent days as more Massachusetts residents embrace "social distancing" recommendations. The @MBTA_Parking Twitter account, which monitors park-and-ride lot capacity at key rail stations, reports that there are thousands of empty parking spaces this morning in garages that are ordinarily full:

https://twitter.com/MBTA_Parking/status/1239552226055589888

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Massachusetts

Photos: Bike to Work Day 2025

Hundreds of commuters – and quite a few people who joined the ride just for fun – joined convoys from all around the region to converge at City Hall Plaza before the workday began Friday morning.

May 16, 2025

Chamber of Commerce Lobbies Mass. Senate to Fund the MBTA

"Even the significant resources proposed by the Governor are below the MBTA’s actual need," says Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce president James Rooney.

May 15, 2025

Western Mass. Amtrak Expansions Are Flush With Funding, But New Routes Won’t Debut ‘Til 2030s

Years of work remain before new Amtrak routes start rolling through Springfield to connect Boston, Albany, and New Haven.

May 14, 2025

SUV Driver Kills Priest on Route 138 in Milton

A 2018 study warned of "poor safety conditions" on the state roadway where a driver killed Father James B. Doran last week.

May 12, 2025
See all posts