It’s 8 a.m. in Mattapan, and Josie Valcin is staring out of the window of a crowded 28 bus stuck in traffic and talking about the daily commute from her home in Mattapan to her job at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital. Whether it’s trying to get to school or just make it to work on time, riders mutter, “This bus is so trash.” The frustrations are clear across most faces. With rider’s faces buried into their phones, Josie just “minds her business.” One local bus driver, who asked to remain nameless, described working for the T in the morning as a stressful work environment."Don’t get me wrong I like working for the MBTA because it's provided me with many great things in life, like some of the benefits it provides."
“...but at the same time, it can get better with a safer job environment. Not all riders are nice, a lot of them are just having bad days and can get violent or angry at any time.”
Boston has a horrible history of violence on its inner city bus lines. Some of the lines with the most recorded crimes include the 15, 22, 23, 28, and 44. These buses are the core lines for the urban neighborhoods of Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury. Still unsolved is the fatal shooting and murder of a young African-American teen taking the 28 bus on New Years Eve in 2008. Boston Police deemed the murder an act of gang violence and since then has not been re-investigated.
Dudley Station
02/21/19 8:30 AM
According to Boston’s public transportation riders, public transportation in Boston leaves much to be desired. Whether it’s the very inclement weather, heavy traffic, or general overcrowding, the Boston transit system continues to operate unsatisfactorily according to its current ridership. Last year, the daily round trip for a commuter to work on a weekday in the Greater Boston area averaged just about 83 minutes each way. That’s enough to place Boston as the 29th longest commute out of all the cities in America and it’s only rising from there. With the growth of new jobs, new transportation methods, and gentrification, how will the city adjust to improve these problems? Josie Valcin of Dorchester says that her commute from Franklin Field to her job at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital is
“...the worst experience of my life. I usually have to leave my house before 8 a.m., just to make it to Ruggles by 8:50 or so. Then I take the LMA [Longwood Medical Area] shuttle to work.”
A study done by the Moovit app, found that about 67% of riders will transfer at least one time during a single trip. When asked why she does not bike or Uber to work, she replied that biking in Boston is “too dangerous” and “Uber’s add up quick!” She also highlighted that, “It’s not all bad…some of the drivers are nice” and she can always read during her trips, when she can get a seat.
A ride on some of the MBTA’s most infamous bus and train routes shows some of what frustrates riders. Between 8 and 9 a.m., the 23 and 28 bus routes transport thousands from Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury to Downtown Boston and beyond.
What was supposed to be a 30-minute trip, turned into a 60-minute ride in a very overcrowded and cramped bus. To make matters worse, the bus stopped at every single stop to pick up more passengers. When it seemed like the 60-foot articulated bus could not squeeze on any more people, all you can hear is, “Can everyone take a couple steps back please. Please stand behind the yellow line.” No one moves. The bus driver repeats it louder.
“Can everyone take a couple steps back! Please stand behind the yellow line!”
Some people move. Eventually passengers start yelling “Back up! We got places to be!” What seems worse is that riders continue to be very pessimistic of Boston’s public transit lines no matter where you are in Boston. What’s it going to take to improve the rider’s experience?
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