Standing Room Only on the Boston T's Red Line

[marmar]

from the Boston Herald:



T removing Red Line seats
Overcrowded riders will have a cow

By Hillary Chabot
Thursday, December 4, 2008 - Updated 1d 0h ago


Red Line riders will be packed like cattle starting Monday as part of an MBTA plan to herd more passengers into already crowded cars by ripping out seats in the region’s overloaded subway system, the Herald has learned.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will run Red Line trains with two retrofitted cars that will leave only four seats on each for elderly and disabled users, according to a state official briefed on the plan.

The move, which will be discussed at today’s MBTA board meeting, will cut seating by half on some trains, which usually have four to six cars.

“Obviously people who want to sit down will have to find another car,” said the state official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan had not been formally announced.

“These cars will be clearly marked and the T is prepared to undergo a publicity campaign,” the official added.

The middle two cars on the busy North-South line will be transformed into so-called “high capacity cars” meant to be used during rush hour to cram roughly 27 more people aboard. The official was unsure if seats would be restored during lighter commuter periods on the trains, which run from Cambridge to either Dorchester or Braintree. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1136685