The full closure of the Sumner Tunnel — a major artery for Boston that connects East Boston and Logan Airport with the city's North End and I-93 — enters its second day on Thursday, and local leaders are expected to ride the MBTA's Blue Line as they continue to encourage alternative ways to get around the area.
The Sumner closed Wednesday, and will remain off-limits to drivers until the end of August, as crews make major repairs on the aging piece of infrastructure.
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The tunnel takes Route 1A into the city, and is traversed by around 39,000 cars everyday. Most of those are expected to be detoured onto either the Tobin Bridge or Ted Williams Tunnel, but officials are hoping that people instead "Ditch the Drive" and use other means of transportation when getting around the East Boston area, home to Logan International Airport.
That message was reiterated Thursday morning by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca during a news conference at the Orient Heights MBTA stop.
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"We really want people to know the best way to get into Boston during the Sumner Tunnel closure — not only good for their wallet, but good for the planet — is to take public transportation," Driscoll said.
Fiandaca said that anecdotally, ridership numbers were strong on the Blue Line, and the state was working on tracking riders for specific figures.
"This is a pretty big mode shift experiment," Driscoll said. "If you're taking public transportation, you kind of get your program down, and then we're hoping people will stick with it even once the tunnel is back open."
The MBTA's Blue Line is offering free rides for the entirety of the closure, which takes riders from Wonderland in the Revere Beach area, to Bowdoin in Downtown Boston. The Blue Line makes several stops in Revere, East Boston, and Downtown, as well as at Logan. Wednesday's morning commute on the Blue Line seemed to go off without any major issues, and it takes just under 30 minutes to get from one end of the line to the other.
Parking at Beachmont, Orient Heights, Wonderland and Suffolk Downs has been slashed to two dollars per day during the closure. There seemed to be plenty of parking available on Wednesday.
Other options to get around include reduced costs along the Commuter Rail heading up the North Shore, taking the ferry from multiple locals, the Logan Express, Silver Line, free buses and more.
"I think it’s really important to note that those transportation alternatives are robust and they were developed by the state in consultation with and coordination with a really wide array of stakeholders," Kate Dineen with A Better City said.
Some commuters on Wednesday were already changing their plans to get to work, including Rick Cuervo, who heard about a nightmare on the roads from his girlfriend.
"So usually I'll drive to the Cambridge area, so take Storrow Drive, go through the Sumner Tunnel," Cuervo said after boarding the Blue Line in Revere. "I was actually talking to my girlfriend she works in Brookline — took her an hour and a half to get there and she was driving... So she's gonna take the T."
The Sumner Tunnel was originally built in the 1930s, and is in the middle of a major restoration project that will include a new ceiling, new road surface, repaired walls and new lights. It's already been undergoing weekend closures, which will continue in the fall after the full closure. Another full closure is scheduled for next summer.
